AMARANTUS 



55 



(XK). 



ALtSSUM (classical name). Ci-uciferce. Low plants, 

 mostly perennials and used for rockwork. The Sweet 

 Alyssum is one of the commonest annuals, grown both 

 in the open and forced 

 in benches, beds or 

 pots. It is of the easi- 

 est culture, either in- 

 doors or out. The com- 

 pact vars. are most 

 prized for pot-culture. 

 Under glass, requires 

 temperature of a car- 

 stand considerable 

 frost in the open, and 

 may he sown early ; it blooms all summer, and until 

 killed by winter. Useful for window gardens and bas- 

 kets. For winter bloom, sow seeds late in Aug. or in 

 Sept. When blooms begin to f ail , cut buck the plant, and 

 it will bloom again. The perennial species are usually 

 prop, by dividing the roots ; also by cuttings and seeds. 

 A. Fls. white. 

 maiitimum, Lam.{^. odordtum, Hort. ). Sweet Alys- 

 sum. Fig. 74. A low, spreading, light green annual, with 

 lanceolate or linear entire Ivs., tapering to the base, and 

 small honey-scented fls. in terminal clusters, which be- 

 come long racemes. Eu. Many cult. vars. ; B^nthami 

 or comp&ctum, a dwarf and compact form, not over 6 in. 

 high ; variegatum, with pale white-edged Ivs.; gigan- 

 tium, robust, broad-lvd.; prociimbens, of spreading 

 habit; and various horticultural forms with tradenames, 

 spindsum, Linn. A woody-stemmed little perennial, 

 lanceolate acute silvery Iv.s., spiny (1. branches, 

 " Rockwork; 3~G in. 



and very ! 



B. Lr, 



'lis. 



', Linn.?). Dwarf 

 le base, with rough- 



Berpylliidlium, n. ~f. (I. .< 

 (3^in.high),somewh:,t«M,„ 

 hoary Ivs., and pale yellow Hs. 



BB. Lvs. 1 ill. or more Jong. 



saxitile, Linn. Golden-tuft. A foot high, woody at 

 base : Ivs. oblanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, entire or 

 wavy, hoary-tomentose : fls. golden vellow, numerous, 

 in little compact clusters. Eu. B.M. 159. A. F. 5:37. 

 — Common in rockwork, making a spreading mat, bloom- 

 ing in early spring. There is a dwarf var. (compAetum^ , 

 and a pretty variegated variety sold as.4. i*flri<?^(J/«m. 



GemonSnse, Linn. Less hardy than the last: Ivs. lan- 

 ceolate, velvety : fls. lemon-yellow : St. usually more 

 woody at base. Eu. 



TOStritum, Stev. (^1. Wiersbickli,Yle\iS.). About 20 

 in.: Ivs. 2 in. long, broad-oblong, pointed, hairy: fls. 

 deep yellow, in dense heads, in summer. Asia Minor. 



arg^nteum, Vitm. Dwarf and dense grower, 15 in. or 

 spatulate, silvery beneath : fls. yellow 



clustered heads, all summer. Eu. 



AMANITA. See Miis 



H. 



AMAEABdYA (native name). MelastomAcew. A ge- 

 nus of only three species of tender shrubs from New 

 Grenada, which are showy both in foliage and flower. 

 Lvs. large, opposite, sessile, with three prominent 

 nerves, brownish red beneath: fls. large, cymose; petals 

 usually 6; stamens 12-15. For cult., see P/fj-omfl. Not 

 known to be in American trade. 



A.amiihili:. i,:.mI 11 IN white, margined carmine: stamens 

 white; st\l. I l.H. 34:9. — 4. pHnccps, Linden, 



styles white. LH. 34: i.—A. 

 :ross : petals narrower at the 

 i yellow; style red, ex- 



base thiui 

 sertcd. I, 



AMAEANTUS (Greek, unfading). AmarantAcea: 

 Amaranth Coarse annual plants, grown for foliage anil 

 the showy fl.-clusters. Related to the Cockscomb. The 

 Amaranths are usually treated as open-air annuals. 

 They thrive best in a hot and sunny situation. In very 

 rich soil the lvs. become very large but usually lack in 



bright coloring. Seeds may he sown in the open or in 

 frames. The dwarf and compact vars. , which often have 

 beautifully variegated foliage, may be grown in pots or 

 used for bedding. Give plenty of room. 



A. Zrvs. linear-laneeolate, long and drooping. 



salicifdlius, Veitch. Graceful pyramidal habit, 3ft.: 

 lvs. 5-8 in. long and Jijin. wide, wavy, bronze-green, 

 changing to orange-red. Philippines. G.C.I. 1871 :1550. 

 P.S. 19:1929. 



AA. Lvs. broad, mostly ovate. 

 B. Spikes drooping. 



cauditus, Linn. Love-lies-blkeping. Pig. 75. Tall 

 and diffuse (3-5 ft.): Iv. r,vnt,. f„ r,v:ifo-oblong, stalked, 

 green : spikes red, ]•><■ -■ ' '. ■' •-. luiked. in a long 

 and drooping panicle i n.. forming a long, 



cord-like tail. Also \:n ■. i .wish and whitish 



panicles. India. G.W . r,:7ii!i (_ mon, and an old 



favorite. 



atropurpilreus, Hort. Foliage blood-red. Probably a 

 form of A. caudatus. Perhaps the same as Roxburgh's 

 A. atropiirpureus from India. 



BB. Spikes erect. 



hypoohondriacus, Linn. Prince's Feather. Tall and 

 glabrous: lvs. oblong-lanceolate, acute: spikes blunt, 

 aggregated into a thick, lumpy terminal panicle, of which 

 the central part is elongated: bracts long-awned.-An 

 old garden plant, with the heavy heads variously col- 

 ored, but mostly purple. Lvs. mo.stly purple or piirple- 

 green. Probably Asian. Cult, also as A.cnUntits and 

 A. atropiirpiireus. Sometimes a weed in cult, grounds. 



paniculitus, Linn. St. usually pubescent : Ivs. usu- 

 ally broader than in the last, and spikes acute or acutish, 

 p ^rMcefnl terniinal panicle: bracts 



awn-pointed. -I '..iiiiiM 

 usually green, tmr ot 

 showy form is .1 . .y 

 also as A. saiujuiin iis 



GangSticus, Linn. ( 

 a lower plant, 3 ft-, or 

 ovate-pointed lvs., ;ii 



ipted spikes, both 



weed. Lvs. 

 bright purple. A 

 B. M. 2227. Cult. 

 in:illy Asian. 

 x.Linn.). Usually 

 Illy 1 ft., with thin, 

 glomerate, inter- 

 lliiry.— Very varia- 

 ble. Cult, by Amer. Chinese (Pig. 7ti) as a pot-herb 

 under the name of Hon-toi-moi, with green lvs. (Bailey, 

 Bull. 67, Cornell Exp. Sta.). A form used for bedding, 

 with foliage red, yellow and green, is Joseph's Coat, or 

 A. tricolor (G.W. 6: 709). A form with flery red lvs. is 

 known as A. hicolor. Various dwarf and compact bed- 

 ding forms. Used more for foliage than for fl. panicles. 

 Asian. 



Other garden Amaranthuses are A. Ahysslnicus, 

 dark red; A.gibbosus, Hort., a form of A.panienlatus; 

 A. ffhideri, probably a hybrid with A. salicifolius, or a 



var. of it, withlong-droopin 

 midal stature; A. 66rdoi. 

 banded lvs. and brilliant scarlet lvs. 

 int. 1893. Other Amaranthuses are 



