AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



109 



CRO 



hard frosts it may be mulched two or three 

 inches with leaves or coarse litter, which is 

 to be taken off as soon in spring as the season 

 will warrant. The mulching, however, may 

 be omitted where it is not convenient to apply 

 it. C. sativiM, which is the type of the 

 autumnal-flowering species, should be planted 

 in midsummer, and it will come into flower in 

 September. All the species and varieties are 

 increased by offsets. Their introduction into 

 British gardens dates back as far as 1600. 

 The named varieties bear very large flowers, 

 and are, in all respects, very great improve- 

 ments upon the older kinds. 

 Crops, Rotation of. See Rotation. 



Crossa'ndra. From krossos, a fringe, and aner, 

 andros, an anther ; in reference to the anthers 

 being fringed. Nat. Ord. AcanthaceoR. 



Beautiful evergreen free-flowering shrubs, 

 with large flowers in terminal, four-cornered 

 spikes. There are five species, one of which 

 is a native of the East Indies ; the others are 

 from tropical Africa and Madagascar. All are 

 of easy culture and may be readily increased 

 by cuttings. 



Cross-Wort. A common name for the genus 

 Crudanella. 



Crotala'ria. From krotalon, a castanet; the 

 seeds are inflated pods, and rattle when 

 shaken. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



This is an extensive genus, and a few of its 

 species are particularly beautiful. The green- 

 house kinds are to be preferred. All of them 

 grow readily in loamy soil, the chief point in 

 their culture being to observe that the young 

 shoots are stopped once or twice in the early 

 part of their growth, in order to counteract 

 their natural tendency to grow upright, and 

 become what is technically expressed as "long- 

 legged." One of the principal discourage- 

 ments in growing these plants is the difficulty 

 of preserving them from tne attacks of the 

 red spider. The annuals are grown from 

 seed, and the perennial kinds are increased 

 from cuttings. The species are pretty gen- 

 erally found from the West to the East Indies. 

 Some of the annuals are found in the Southern 

 States. 



Cro'ton. From kroton, a tick ; in reference to 

 the resemblance of the seeds. Nat. Ord. 

 Euphorbiacece. 



A genus of green-house evergreen shrubs of 

 great beau ty , grown for their variegated f ol iage, 

 they being among the most strongly marked 

 plants in cultivation (yellow and green, some- 

 times red with the other colors). They are 

 readily propagated by cuttings, with a bottom 

 heat of not less than 75, and require a high 

 temperature and full sunlight to develop their 

 markings. Leaf mould is an essential ele- 

 ment in the compost for potting. Water 

 should be sparingly used, particularly in 

 winter. They do best in small pots, and as 

 ornamental plants for decoration, they have 

 no superior. Notwithstanding their great 

 beauty, they are also classed with the eco- 

 nomic or useful plants. C. Tiglium furnishes 

 the Croton oil, a most powerful purgative. (7. 

 tinctorum is used to dye both silk and wool of 

 an elegant blue color. The substance for this 

 purpose is called Tuinsol, and is made of the 

 juice which is lodged between the calyx and 

 the seeds. C. Eleuteria furnishes the Casca- 



CRU 



rilla bark, which has a pleasant, spicy odor, 

 and a bitter, warm, aromatic taste, and it is 

 considered a valuable medicine. The species 

 are nearly all natives of the East Indies, and 

 were first introduced in 1748. Syn. Codiceum, 

 under which genus the large number of culti- 

 vated variegated sorts are now placed. See 

 Codiceum. 



Crow-berry. Empetrum nigrum. 



Crow'ea. Name I after J. Crowe, a British bota- 

 nist. Nat. Ord. Rutacece. 



A genus of beautiful green-house shrubs, 

 consisting of but two species, C. latifolia and 

 C. saligna, both lovely objects when in flower, 

 which is nearly two-thirds of the year. They 

 are in the greatest perfection during the win- 

 ter months. The flowers are lily-shaped, of a 

 beautiful purple, and borne at the axil of the 

 leaves. They are easily propagated from cut- 

 tings, and should be grown in a mixture of 

 leaf mould and loam. Water should be spar- 

 ingly given, or the plants will have a sickly, 

 yellow appearance. Both species are natives 

 of New South Wales, and were introduced in 

 1790. 



Crowfoot. See Ranunculus. 



Crown Imperial. See Fritillaria. 



Cruciane'lla. Crosswort. A diminutive of 

 crux, a cross ; alluding to the leaves being 

 placed crosswise. Nat. Ord. Rubiacece. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous and green- 

 house plants of but little interest. C. stylosa, 

 a native of Persia and the Caucasus, is a low- 

 tufted herb with rose-colored flowers, which 

 blooms during the greater part of the summer. 

 It is a desirable plant for rockeries. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings or from seed. 



Cruciate or Cruciform. Shaped like a cross. 

 A flower is said to be cruciate, when four 

 petals are placed opposite each other at right 

 angles, as in any of the Brassica tribe. 



Cruci'ferae. A large and important order of 

 annual, biennial or perennial herbs, rarely 

 suffruticose. They are very generally distri- 

 buted, but abound most in the cold and tem- 

 perate regions, especially in Europe. They 

 are all nitrogenous (and contain sulphur), 

 pungent, stimulant, anti-scorbutic, often 

 acrid. Not one of them is poisonous, but 

 many are culinary vegetables. The order 

 contains some well-known flowering plants, 

 such as the Stock, Wall-flower, Rocket, 

 etc. Brassica oleracea is the origin of the 

 Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Savoy and 

 Curled Kale. Brassica Rapa is the origin of the 

 Turnip, but the Swedish Turnip is thought by 

 some to be a variety of Brassica campestris, 

 while others think it is a hybrid between B. 

 Rapa and B. Napus, the wild Navew Rape, or 

 Coleseed. Crambe maritima supplies Sea- 

 Kale, which is blanched to fit it for the table. 

 Some plants of the order are pungent, as Sin- 

 apis nigra, Black Mustard, from the seeds of 

 which the best mustard is made ; S. alba, 

 White Mustard, is less pungent. Other pun- 

 gent plants are Lepidium sativum, common 

 Cress ; basturium officinale, Water Cress ; 

 Cochlearia Armoracia, Horse-Radish ; and 

 Raphanus sativus, the Radish. Isatis tinctoria, 

 Woad, yields a blue dye ; and /. indigotica is 

 used as Indigo in China. Cochlearia ojficinalis 

 grows on the sea-shore, and has been used by 

 ships' crews affected with scurvy, and has 



