170 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



GNA 



in this country that it is certainly one of the 

 most desirable novelties among trees. We 

 have seen it only in autumn, at which time 

 the weeping character of the foliage is not 

 marked, and the outline is distinctly formal. 

 The pendulousness is only in the curl and 

 droop of the young foliage, the branches radi- 

 ating quite rigidly. It is known in China as 

 the water pine, and found principally in the 

 maritime districts. The tree grows from 

 twenty to thirty feet high, and casts its lower 

 limbs as it rises ; so that at maturity its form 

 is like that of the common pear tree, or some- 

 what more slender." Like all others of the 

 tribe, this will thrive in almost any soil, pre- 

 ferring a moist situation. Syn. Taxodium. 



Gnapha'lium. Cudweed. From gnaphalon, soft 

 down ; in reference to the woolly covering of 

 the leaves. Nat. Ord. Composite. 



A genus known as Everlastings. Many of 

 the species formerly included in it are now 

 classed with Helichrysum. There are sev- 

 eral species, hardy perennials, very com- 

 mon in the Middle and Southern States.whioh 

 are the only ones worth cultivating. 



Gneta'cese. A small order of shrubs, natives 

 principally of the tropics. The seeds of some 

 of the species are edible. Welwitschia and 

 Ephedra are the best known genera. 



Gni'dia. The ancient name of the Laurel. Nat. 

 Ord. Thymelacece. 



A genus of green-house evergreens, pro- 

 ducing pale yellow flowers. In habit they 

 resemble the Heath. They are quite pretty, 

 but difficult of cultivation, and are propagated 

 by cuttings. They are natives of the Cape of 

 Good Hope ; introduced in 1768. 



Goat's Beard. A popular name of Spiraea arun- 

 cus and Tragopogon pratensis. 



Goat's-eye. See ^gilops. 



Goat's Rue. See Galega. 



Goat's Wheat. The genus Tragopyrum. 



Gode'tia. Named by Spach, a German botanist, 

 resident of Paris ; it is probably a Latinized 

 proper name. Nat. Ord. Onagraceas. 



A genus of exceedingly handsome and showy 

 hardy annuals from California, growing about 

 a foot and a half high, and producing number- 

 less rosy-lilac flowers. The seeds should be 

 started in the hot-bed in March, and trans- 

 planted into poor soil when danger from frost 

 is over. They require plenty of room ; close 

 planting will draw them up, and weaken them, 

 and rich soil will produce more leaves than 

 flowers. Included by some authors under 

 (Enothera. 



Godwi'nia. Derivation of name not given. 

 G. gigas, the only species under cultivation, 

 is a native of Nicaragua, and belongs to the 

 Nat. Ord. Aroidece. 



From a large tuberous root-stock it throws 

 up a single leaf, with a mottled stalk ten feet 

 high, the blade being very largely and deeply 

 pedately cut. The inflorescence appears at a 

 different time from the leaf, and consists of a 

 stalk about ten inches high, supporting an 

 oblong purple hood-like spathe sometimes two 

 feet in length, which spreads open a little at 

 the top, but elsewhere closely envelops the 

 short spadix, which latter is completely cover- 

 ed with hermaphrodite flowers. The stamens 

 are twelve in number in two rows, and by this 



GOM 



circumstance Godwinia may be distinguished 

 from the nearly allied genus Dracontium. It 

 was supposed to be the largest Arad, both as 

 to leaf and flower known, until the discovery of 

 Amorphattus titanum by Dr. Beccari in western 

 Sumatra. "The tuber dug up by the doctor 

 measured five feet in circumference and was 

 so heavy that ten men could scarcely carry it. 

 From this tuber only one leaf is produced, but 

 what a leaf, to cover an area of forty-five feet 

 in circumference." The leaf-stalk is ten feet 

 high, divided at the top into three branches, 

 each as large as a man's thigh. It flowered 

 for the first time under cultivation at Kew, in 

 June of this year (1889), the spadix and flower 

 stem together reaching to the height of seven 

 feet. 



Goe'thea. Named in honor of Goethe, the cele- 

 brated German poet. Nat. Ord. Malvaceae,. 



A genus comprising four species of ever- 

 green shrubs, natives of Brazil. The well 

 known Pavonia Makoyana and P. Wyoti, are 

 now included in this genus, the latter as G. 

 multiflora. 



Gold-Cups. Ranunculus bulbosus. 



Gold-Dust. A popular name for Alyssum aaxa- 

 tile. 



Golden Chain. Cytisus Laburnum. 



Golden Club. See Orontium. 



Golden Crown. The genus Chrysostemma. 



Golden Feather. See Pyrethrum. 



Golden Rod. See Solidago. 



Golden Thistle. See Scolymus. 



Golden Vine. See Stigmaphyllum ciliatum. 



Gold Fern. Various Gymnogrammas. 



Gold Leaf Plant. Aucuba Japanica. 



Goldfu'ssia. Named after Dr. Goldfuss, Pro- 

 fessor of Natural History in the University of 

 Bonn. Nat. Ord. Acanthacecs. 



A genus of green-house evergreen shrubs, 

 from Silhet The flowers have two deciduous 

 bracts, and are arranged in a head or spike, 

 which, after the fall of the bracts, becomes 

 very loose and straggling. The flowers are 

 funnel-shaped, blue or purple. The plants 

 require to be cut well back after flowering, 

 and are propagated by cuttings. G. am- 

 sophylla, is well known in cultivation under 

 the name of Ruellia. Introduced in 1838. Syn. 

 Strobilanthus. 



Gold Thread. See Coptis. 



Goldylocks or Goldilocks, a common name for 

 Chrysocoma Linosyris. 



Gombo or Okra. See Hibiscus. 



Go'mphia. Button Flower. From gomphos, a 

 club ; alluding to the shape of the fruit. Nat. 

 Ord. Ochnacece. 



A genus of very beautiful tender shrubs 

 from the West Indies and South America The 

 flowers are pure bright yellow, borne in dense 

 panicles. They require the warmest place in 

 the green-house ; propagated by cuttings. 



Gompholo'bium. From gomphos, a club, and 

 lobos, a pod ; shape of seed vessel. Nat. Ord. 

 LeguminoscB. 



A small genus of elegant green-house twin- 

 ing shrubs, found in south and west Australia. 

 Several of the species have been introduced 

 into the green-house, where they produce 

 their blossoms in the spring and summer 



