HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



ABB 



handsome trailing plant, well adapted for 

 rock-work, suspended baskets, or beds, flow- 

 ering freely during the autumn months. 

 Flowers in trusses, like the Verbena, of a 

 rosy-lilac color, very fragrant. They succeed 

 well also in the garden border. Seed should 

 be sown as soon as the ground is in order. 

 They may with profit be started in a hot- bed 

 or frame, and transplanted to any desired sit- 

 uation. 



A'brus. Wild Liquorice. From dbros, soft ; in 

 allusion to the delicacy of the leaves. Nat. 

 Ord. Leguminosce. 



A. precatorius, the only species, is found in 

 India, the West Indies, and the Mauritius. It 

 is chiefly remarkable for its small, egg-shaped 

 seeds, which are of a brilliant scarlet color, 

 with a black mark, indicating the place where 

 they were attached to the pod. These seeds 

 are much used for necklaces and other orna- 

 mental purposes, and are employed in India 

 as a standard of weight, under the name of 

 Eati. The weight of the Koh-i-nopr diamond 

 is known to have been ascertained in this way. 

 The specific name is from precatorius, prayer, 

 the seeds being used for rosaries. 



Absinth. See Artemisia absinthium. 



Abu'tilon. Chinese Bell-flower. Arabic name 

 for a plant like a Mallow. Nat. Ord. Malvacece. 

 A highly interesting genus of free-growing 

 and free-flowering shrubs, excellent both for 

 the green-house and for garden decoration in 

 summer. They produce white, rose, yellow, 

 or orange-colored flowers, all except the white 

 being veined or striped with red and crimson. 

 They grow rapidly when planted in sandy 

 loam, and are readily propagated by cuttings. 



Aca'cia. From akazo, to sharpen, on account 

 of the prickliness of the species first noticed. 

 Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



An extensive group of really handsome 

 plants, many of them assuming in their native 

 positions the character of timber trees; but 

 with us are easily accommodated in a good 

 conservatory, where their bright yellow flow- 

 ers, produced in winter and early spring, are 

 highly ornamental. The species best deserv- 

 ing of cultivation are all natives of Australia, 

 New South Wales, and other temperate re- 

 gions, and are among the hardiest and most 

 easily cultivated of green-house plants. They 

 succeed best when planted out in the green- 

 house, but may be satisfactorily managed in 

 pots, if grown in a sandy loam. Cuttings may 

 be struck in a gentle heat under glass, though 

 young plants are more easily obtained from 

 seed. 



Acae'na. From Akaina, a thorn ; in allusion to 

 the thorns or bristles on the calyx or fruit. 

 Nat. Ord. Rosacece. 



A small genus, natives of Australia and Tas- 

 mania. A. microphylla is a dwarf-growing 

 plant, with dark brown pinnately-divided 

 leaves, growing freely in light soil ; flowers in 

 globular heads in August and September. It 

 is chiefly remarkable for the crimson-colored 

 spines that protrude from the angles of the 

 calyx. Propagation by cuttings. Introduced 

 1854. Syn. A. Novce Zealandice. 



Aca'lypha. From akalos, unpleasant, and aphe, 

 touch. Nat. Ord. Euphorbiacece. 



This genus comprises over two hundred 

 species, widely distributed over the warmer 



ACA 



regions, several being extra-tropical Ameri- 

 can. A. tricolor is a handsome green-house 

 shrub with coppery-green foliage, curiously 

 blotched, mottled, and splashed with red and 

 crimson. It is a native of the New Hebrides. 

 Introduced in 1866. A. Macafeeana, A. Mar- 

 ginata, and others of the hybridized varieties, 

 when well grown have highly-colored leaves, 

 and as they stand the sun well, are desirable 

 for vases, rustic designs, or garden decora- 

 tions. They are increased by cuttings. 



Acantha'ceae. A large order of soft-wooded 

 herbaceous plants with monopetalous axillary 

 flowers. In tropical regions they are very 

 common, constituting a large part of the herb- 

 age. One genus, however, the Acanthus, is 

 found in Greece, and two, Dianthera and 

 Rwllia, are natives of this country. The 

 greater part are mere weeds, but some are 

 plants of great beauty, especially the species 

 of Justicia, Aphelandra, Cyrtanlhera, and 

 Ruellia. For the most part they are mucilag- 

 inous and slightly bitter, and some are used 

 in dyeing. 



Acaiitholi'mon. From Acanthos, a spine, and 

 limon, sea-lavender; referring to its leaves 

 and bracts. Nat. Ord. Plumbaginacece. 



A. glumaceum, the only species of interest, 

 is a dense, tufty, prostrate plant, with needle- 

 shaped leaves and pink flowers, closely re- 

 lated to Statice, and formerly grown under the 

 name of S. Ararati; it is well adapted for 

 rock-work ; blooms in July and August. Na- 

 tive of Armenia. Introduced in 1851. 



Acanthopa'nax. From acanthos, a spine, and 

 Panax ; alluding to the spiny stems andPanax- 

 like aspect of the plants. Nat. Ord. Araliac&.e. 

 A genus of green-house shrubs, natives of 

 Japan, China, and tropical Asia, differing bo- 

 tanically from Aralia, from which genus they 

 are removed. There are about eight species, 

 of which the most desirable are A. ricinifolia 

 (syn. Aralia Maximowiczii) and A. spinosum, 

 better known as Aralia pentaphylla. 



Acanthophip'pium. A genus of terrestrial or- 

 chids allied to Bletia, with large fleshy, tubu- 

 lar flowers growing almost at the base of the 

 leaves. The flowers are rather pretty and 

 fragrant, remaining a long time in bloom. 

 There are, however, so many more desirable 

 orchids that they are rarely seen in collections 

 of these popular plants. 



Acanthophce'nix. A genus of Palms, estab- 

 lished for two species, closely allied to Areca, 

 from the Mascaren Islands. They do not ap- 

 pear to differ from that genus except in habit. 

 The stems are shorter, and the petiole and 

 midrib of the leaves are armed with long fili- 

 form prickles. Introduced in 1 868. 



Acanthorhi'za. A small genus of Palms, 

 closely allied to Chamoerops, from which, how- 

 ever, they differ in having their leaves divided 

 into broad segments, and the peculiar spiny 

 roots which surround the base of the stem. 

 These plants are very ornamental, either for 

 the conservatory or the sub-tropical garden. 



Acan'thus. From akanthos, a spine ; some of 

 the species being spiny. Nat. Ord. Acan- 

 thacece. 



A group of stately ornamental perennial 

 plants, mostly hardy, remarkable for their vig- 

 orous growth and beautiful foliage. It is con- 



