208 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



ISO 



under Hymenocallis, and by others under Pan- 

 cratium. They are propagated by offsets, and 

 were introduced in 1800. 



Iso'lepis. From isos, equal, and lepis, a scale ; 

 alluding to the regularity of the scales. Nat. 

 Ord. CyperacecB. 



I. graeilis is a very pretty, low-growing, 

 fine, rush-like grass, cultivated for a basket 

 plant, a purpose for which it is admirably 

 adapted. Propagated by division. Syn. Scirpus 

 riparius, 



Isolo'ma. From isos, equal, and loma, a bor- 

 der; lobes of corolla equal. Nat. Ord. Ges- 

 neracecB. 



A genus comprising about sixty species of 

 ornamental green-house and stove plants, 

 often confused with Achimenes and Gesnera, 

 natives of Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, etc. Flowers 

 often scarlet, golden, or spotted ; leaves oppo- 

 site, often slightly villous. Culture similar 

 to Gesnera or Tydea, which see. 



Isolo'ma (of J. Smith). A name given to a 

 genus of Ferns now included under Lindscea. 



Isona'ndra. Gutta Percha Tree. From isos, 

 equal, and ander, the male organ, or stamen ; 

 referring to an equal number of fertile and 

 barren stamens. Nat. Ord. Sapotacece. 



I. gutta, the species which yields Gutta 

 Percha, is a large forest-tree, growing sixty to 

 seventy feet high, with a trunk two or three 

 feet in diameter. It is a native of Borneo, 

 Ceylon and Malaya, where there are immense 

 forests of this and kindred species. They are . 

 quite ornamental trees, but, from their size, 

 only valuable for the Gutta Percha they pro- 

 duce. 



Isopy'rum. From isos, equal, and pyros, wheat. 

 The Greeks gave this name to a plant resem- 

 bling Nigella, the seeds of which have the 

 same taste. Nat. Ord. Ranunculacece. 



A genus of dwarf, slender, hardy perennial 

 herbs, natives of Europe and temperate Asia. 

 /. thalictroides is a very graceful border plant, 

 with feathery, white flowers, and foliage re- 

 sembling a Maiden-hair Fern. It is of easy 

 cultivation, and is increased by seeds or divis- 

 ion of the roots. 



Iso'toma. From isos, equal, and toma, a sec- 

 tion; the flowers are equal. Nat. Ord. Lobel- 

 iacece. 



A small genus of annuals and herbaceous 

 perennials, formerly included in the genus 

 Lobelia. I. petrcea is a very showy half-hardy 

 annual, with cream-colored flowers. I. longi- 

 Jlora, a native of the West Indies, is a most 

 venomous plant, producing dangerous cathar- 

 tic symptoms. It proves fatal to horses that 

 eat it. 



Isotro'pis. From isos, equal, and tropos, 

 turned; referring probably to the distinctly 

 formed veins in the flowers. Nat. Ord. 

 LeguminoscB. 



1. striata, from Swan Kiver, constitutes this 

 genus. It is a beautiful little green-house 

 shrub, with a soft and slightly downy stem. 

 The flowers are much like those of the Choro- 

 zema, clear orange yellow, with rich, deep 

 crimson, forked veins. It was introduced in 

 1838, and is propagated by cuttings of the 

 young wood. 



Italian Rye Grass. Lolium Italicu.n. 



I'tea. The Greek name for the Willow, applied 



IXO 



to this genus on account of its rapid growth in 

 damp soil. Nat. Ord. Saxifragacece. 



I. Virginica, the only cultivated species, Is 

 a dwarf shrub resembling a willow in habit 

 and foliage ; flowers white, produced in great 

 profusion towards the end of summer. In- 

 digenous in wet places, from New Jersey 

 southward, near the coast. 



Ivory. Vegetable. The hard albumen of the 

 nuts of Phytelephas macrocarpa. 



Ivy. See Hedera helix. 



American. Ampelopsis quinquefolia. 



German or Parlor. A garden name for Sen- 



ecio Mikanloides. 

 Ground. Nepeta Glechoma. 

 Japan, or Boston. See Ampelopsis tricuspi- 



data (Syn. A. Veitchii). 

 Kenilworth, or Coliseum. Linaria cymba- 



laria. 



Mexican. Cobma scandens. 

 Poison. Rhiis toxicodendron. 



I'xia. From ixia, bird-lime; in reference to 

 the clammy juice. Nat. Ord. Iridacece. 



A genus of beautiful Cape bulbs, with nar- 

 row ensate leaves, and slender, simple, or 

 slightly branched stems, bearing spikes of 

 large showy flowers, various in color, and ex- 

 ceedingly attractive when fully expanded by 

 sunshine. These flowers have a salver- 

 shaped perianth, with a slender tube, and 

 six-parted, spreading, equal limb, three sta- 

 mens inserted in the throat, with filiform fil- 

 aments and versatile anthers, and a three- 

 celled ovary with numerous ovules, termi- 

 nating in a filiform style, and three narrow 

 linear con-duplicate recurved stigmas. /. 

 viridiflora, which has large sea-green flowers 

 with black markings at the base of the seg- 

 ments, is a very singular-looking, as well as 

 very beautiful plant. There are many species 

 and some varieties, and the greater part of 

 them are worthy of cultivation. They are 

 half hardy, but with us should be grown in 

 pots in the green-house; about mid-winter 

 they will begin to show their handsome flow- 

 ers freely. When done flowering they should 

 be dried off till September or October, which 

 is the proper time to start them again. They 

 grow well in a light loam with the addition of 

 leaf mould and sand, and are propagated by 

 offsets. First introduced in 1757. 



Ixia'nthes retzioides. A rare and beautiful 

 plant of the Nat. Ord. Scrophulariacece, native 

 of western South Africa. It is an erect shrub, 

 with lanceolate leaves, densely crowded into 

 ternary whorls. The flowers are not unlike 

 those of a Pentstemon, but bright yellow. It 

 grows naturally almost in the water, and in 

 drier places becomes stunted and depauper- 

 ated. Introduced in 1882. 



Ixioli'rion. From ixia, and leirion, a lily ; lit- 

 erally, Ixia-like Lily. Nat. Ord. Amarylli- 

 dacecB. 



A small genus of rare and beautiful little 

 hardy bulbs from Asia Minor. They have 

 simple erect stems, with terminal clusters or 

 racemes of sky-blue flowers, and are propa- 

 gated by seeds or offsets. Introduced in 

 1844. 



Ixo'ra. Named after Iswara, a Malabar deity, 

 to whom the flowers of some of the species 

 are offered. Nat. Ord. RubiacecB. 



