176 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



GRA 



Gravel Root. A common name for Eupatorium 

 purpureum. 



Graveolens. Strong-scented ; having a smell 

 which is unpleasant because of its intensity. 



Grave'sia. Named in honor of C. L. Graves, a 

 botanical collector of Madagascar. Nat. Ord. 

 MelastomacecB. 



A genus of dwarf, showy herbs, natives of 

 Madagascar. The leaves of G. guttata are of 

 a rich dark-green color, profusely dotted with 

 rose-colored spots, arranged in lines It was 

 introduced in 1864. There are several very 

 beautiful varieties of this species. Propagated 

 by cuttings in heat. Syn. Bertolonia. 



Grease Wood. The genus Sarcobatus. 



Great Celandine. The common name for 

 Chelidonium majus. 



Great Laurel. A name given to Magnolia grandi- 

 fiora 



Greek Valerian. The common name of Pole- 

 monium cc&ruleum. 



Green Brier. See Smilax. 



Green Dragon. A popular name for Arisaema 

 Dracontium. 



Green Fly. See Insects. 



Green-house. The name generally given to all 

 kinds of glass structures. For private pur- 

 poses the styles are so varied that it would be 

 useless, in this work to give examples, as in 

 such cases it is always economy to employ a 

 competent green-house architect; but for 

 commercial purposes, in our own establish- 

 ment, we use exclusively the ridge and fur- 

 row style ; that is, the houses are joined to 

 each otlier by a ten or twelve-inch gutter. 

 Each house is twenty feet wide at base, four 

 feet high at the gutter, and eleven feet high 

 at the apex, giving an angle to the glass roof 

 of about thirty-five degrees, which slopes 

 equally to east and west. When green-houses 

 are wanted for forcing Roses or other flowers 

 in winter, it is better not to connect them 

 together, but to make them say twenty feet 

 wide at base, the roof forming what is 

 known as a three-quarter span ; that is, the 

 long slope of the roof, which must face south, 

 is about eighteen or nineteen feet long, while 

 the short slope to the north is six or seven 

 feet, both at an angle of about thirty degrees. 

 The front or south wall should be four or five 

 feet high, and the rear or north wall seven or 

 eight feet high, making the apex from the 

 ground level about ten feet. Our space will 

 not admit of details of construction, for which 

 see our work, Practical Floriculture, pages 76 

 to 105. 



Greens. The common name for Spinach, Cab- 

 bage, Kale, and other leafy esculents. 



Green Violet. See Solea. 



Gre'ggia. A genus of Cruciferce from New Mex- 

 ico, discovered by Dr. Gregg, who died in 

 California through over-exertion in scientific 

 pursuits. G. camporum, the only species, so 

 named from its growing on the campos, or 

 plains, has the habit of a wall-flower, and all 

 its parts clothed with a hoary pubescence. Its 

 pink-and-white flowers are something like a 

 stock (Matthiold), and are borne in loose ter- 

 minal racemes. 



Grevi'llea. Named after C. F. Greville, a patron 

 of botany. Nat. Ord. Proteacece. 



Gill 



An extensive genus of green-house shrubs 

 and evergreen trees, natives of New Holland. 

 The species include lofty trees more than 100 

 feet high, and low-growing shrubs. G. robusta, 

 the Silk Oak, is a magnificent tree, with 

 orange-colored flowers. G. Forsterii is a 

 similar species with bright scarlet flowers, 

 that are produced when the tree is young. 

 The foliage of the species is as varied as the 

 size of the plants ; on some of the trees it is 

 needle-shaped; others have leaves closely 

 resembling those of the Acanthus. Several of 

 the species are under cultivation in the green- 

 house, and are considered acquisitions. Young 

 plants are obtained by cuttings or from seed. 



Gre'wia. Named in honor of Nehemiah Grew, 

 M.D., famous for his work on the " Anatomy 

 of Vegetables." This is an extensive genus of 

 LiliacecB, consisting of shrubs or small trees, 

 confined mostly to the warmer regions of the 

 Old World. Flowers yellow or rarely purple. 

 The wood of the Dhamnoo, G. elastica, is very 

 strong and elastic, and is much prized by the 

 natives for making their bows. Most of the 

 species have a fibrous inner bark, which is 

 commonly employed for making fishing nets, 

 ropes, etc. 



Gre'yia. Named in honor of Sir George Grey, 

 who was Governor-General of Cape Colony 

 when the species was discovered. Nat. Ord. 

 Sapindacece. 



G. Sutherland^ the only species, is a beautiful 

 and distinct moderate-sized tree, found in the 

 mountains about Port Natal. Its foliage is 

 similar to a Pelargonium. The flowors are 

 borne in dense axillary racemes, and are of a 

 brilliant crimson color, giving to the plant a 

 very handsome appearance. Flowering as it 

 does from the old wood, lull exposure to the 

 sun is required to ripen the wood thoroughly, 

 after which a season of rest is necessary, dur- 

 ing which water may be withheld, giving only 

 enough to keep the wood plump. When 

 started into growth, it will flower freely. It 

 was introduced in 1859, and is propagated by 

 seeds, or cuttings of the half-ripened'wood. 



Gri'as. Anchovj* Pear. From grao, to eat ; the 

 fruit being eatable. Nat. Ord. Myrtacece. 



G. cauliftora is a tall, unbranched tree, with 

 leaves two or three feet long, and bearing 

 large whitish flowers, which proceed from the 

 stem. The fruit has much the taste of the 

 Mango, and is highly esteemed in the West 

 Indies, where it is indigenous. The tree is 

 largely cultivated, not only for its fruit, but 

 for its highly ornamental character. 



Griffi'nia. Named after W. Griffin, a patron of 

 botany. Nat. Ord. Amari/llidacrce. 



A small genus of handsome bulbous plants 

 from South America, producing large umbels 

 of beautiful bright purple flowers. They 

 require green-house treatment, and should 

 have complete rest during winter. In March 

 r^pot them, and they will immediately com- 

 mence growth, and will require plenty of heat, 

 light, air, and water. They are increased by 

 offsets ; introduced in 1822. 



Grinde'lia. In honor of David H. Grindel, a 

 German botanist. A genus of Compositce, 

 containing nearly twenty species, found, most 

 generally, in Texas and Mexico. They are 

 biennial, or perennial, suffruticose plants, 

 with branching stems, and yellow flower 

 heads, solitary, at the ends of the branches, 



