AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



35 



ASC 



A genus of rather curious hardy herbaceous 

 perennials, common in most parts of the 

 United States, usually in rich, moist woods. 

 They are highly esteemed for their medicinal 

 properties. A. Canadense is the Canada Snake- 

 root or Wild Ginger. It is recognized by its 

 single pair of broad, kidney-shaped leaves, 

 and a single large, brownish-purple flower on 

 a short peduncle, sometimes nearly buried. 

 The roots are pungent and aromatic. 

 Ascending. Directed upwards ; as the stem, 



which is the ascending axis. 

 Ascle'piada'ceae. The very large natural order 

 which bears this name is known by its pollen 

 being collected in the form of waxy masses or 

 bags, derived from the separable inner lining 

 of the anther cells, and by the fruit consisting 

 most commonly of a pair of divaricating in- 

 flated seed-pods. Fully 1,000 species are 

 known, for the most part inhabiting the 

 tropics of the Old and New Worlds. They 

 vary extremely in appearance, many being 

 leafless succulents, like Stapelia; others 

 (and they are more numerous) consisting of 

 twiners like Hoya; while another portion 

 consists of upright herbaceous plants, such 

 as Asclepias and Vincetoxicum ; a few are 

 tropical trees. As a general rule the species 

 are poisonous ; an acrid milk which pervades 

 all their parts being eminently emetic and 

 purgative. The genera Stapelia, Hoya, Ascle- 

 pias, Vincetoxicum, Ceropegia and Periploca, 

 are good examples of the order. 

 Ascle'pias. Milkweed. The Greek name of the 

 jfisculapius of the Latins. Nat. Ord. Ascle- 

 piadacccB. 



An extensive genus of tall-growing plants, 

 mostly of a hardy herbaceous character, 

 remarkable for their curious flowers and the 

 silky substance which fills the seed-pod. The 

 most ornamental native species is A. tuberosa, 

 which has fine orange-colored flowers but is 

 somewhat difficult to cultivate. A. Mexicana, 

 white, and A. Curassavica, orange-scarlet, 

 both tender species, are excellent plants for 

 the mixed border in summer; the former is 

 especially valuable for cut flowers. They are 

 all easily raised from seeds. 



A'scyrum. From a, without, and skyros, hard ; 

 that is to say, a plant that is soft to the touch. 

 Nat. Ord. Hypericacece. 



A genus of elegant little herbs and sub- 

 shrubs numbering five species, all of them 

 American with a distribution from the North- 

 ern States to New Grenada. A. Crux Andrece, 

 is called St. Andrew's Cross from the circum- 

 ference of the four pale yellow petals approach- 

 ing each other in pairs, they appear like a 

 cross with equal arms. Collectively they are 

 called St. John's-worts. 



Ash. American Black or Water. Fraxinus 



sambucifolia. 



Black Mountain. Eucalyptus Leucoxylon. 

 Blue. Fraxinus quadrangulata. 

 Cape. Ekebergia Capensis. 

 Carolina Water. Fraxinus platycarpa. 

 Chinese. Fraxinus Chinensis. 

 Common. Fraxinus excelsior. 

 Flowering. Fraxinus Ornus. 

 Gray. Fraxinus Americana var. cinerea. 

 Ground. ^Bgopodtum podograria, and Angelica 



syloestris. 

 Hoop. Celtis crassifolia. 



ASP 



Ash. Jerusalem. Isatis tinctoria, or Reseda 



luteola. 



Manna. Fraxinus Ornus var. rotundifolia. 

 Mountain or Wild. English. Pyrus aucuparia. 

 Mountain. N. American. Pyrus Americana. 

 Northern Prickly. Xanthoxylum Americanum. 

 Oregon. Fraxinus Oregana. 

 Poison. Rhus Venenata. 

 Prickly. Xanthoxylum fraxineum. 

 Red American. Fraxinus pubescens. 

 Southern Prickly. Xanthoxylum Carolinianum. 

 Wafer. Ptelea trifoliata. 

 Water. Fraxinus sambucifolia. 

 White. Fraxinus Americana var. alba. 

 Ash-keys, or Ash Candles. The fruit of Fraxi- 

 nus excelsior. 

 Ash-leaved Maple. Acer Negundo. 

 Asiatic Poison Bulb. Crinum Asiaticum. 

 Asi'mina. Papaw. Named from Asiminier of 

 the French colonists. Nat. Ord. AnonacecB. 



A. triloba, the only species, is a low-grow- 

 ing tree or shrub, common in the Western 

 and Southern States, where it is popularly 

 known as Papaw. The fruit is from three to 

 four inches long, yellowish, and when fully 

 ripe is by many highly esteemed. 

 Aspa'ragus. From a, intensive, and spar- 

 asso, to tear; in reference to the strong 

 prickles of some species. Nat. Ord. LiliacecB. 

 Of this extensive genus of hardy herbaceous 

 and green-house plants, the common garden 

 Asparagus, A. ojficinalis, is the best known 

 species. There are, however, several green- 

 house climbing species, natives of Southern 

 Africa, that have of late years been cultivated 

 for decorative purposes, and well deserve a 

 place in every collection, however small. Of 

 these A. tenuissimus is the most largely cul- 

 tivated as it is easily increased by cuttings, 

 and its foliage is remarkable for its extreme 

 slenderness, and delicate appearance. A. plu- 

 mosus, and its variety A. p. nanus, are most 

 elegant plants, with smooth stems, and grace- 

 fully arching, fine filmy foliage, rivalling the 

 delicate beauty of the finest Maiden-hair Ferns, 

 while their cut sprays have the advantage of 

 much greater persistency than any fern, re- 

 taining their freshness in water from three to 

 four weeks. They also form excellent plants 

 for the green-house, when trained in pots, 

 and are invaluable for cutting. They are un- 

 fortunately slow of propagation being in- 

 creased only by seeds, or by division. They 

 were introduced to cultivation in 1876. 

 The Garden Asparagus, A. officinalte, is a 

 native of Great Britain, Russia, and Poland. 

 In many other parts of Europe it is found 

 growing wild, but is probably an escape In 

 many localities, and is perfectly naturalized, as 

 it is sparingly on our own coasts. The Aspar- 

 agus is one of the oldest as well as one of the 

 most delicious of our garden vegetables. It 

 was cultivated in the time of Cato the Elder, 

 200 years B. C. ; and Pliny mentions a sort that 

 grew in his time near Ravenna, of which 

 three heads would weigh a pound. From 

 these accounts it would appear that there Is 

 nothing new under the sun in the line of 

 Asparagus. Many of our best gardeners con- 

 tend that adaptation of soil, together with 

 thorough cultivation, alone explains the 

 difference in this vegetable, as offered in our 

 markets, but we feel satisfied that there are 



