212 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



K. 



KAD 



Kadsu'ra. The Japanese name. Nat. Ord. 

 Magnoliacece. 



A small genus of half-hardy evergreen trail- 

 ing plants, with white or yellow flowers. Na- 

 tives of Japan. Some of the species are under 

 cultivation, but are not of special interest. 



Kaempfe'ria. Named after Kcempfer, a German 

 naturalist. Nat. Ord. Zingiberacece. 



A genus of East Indian herbaceous peren- 

 nials, with singular tubular-shaped flowers, 

 that appear before the leaves, from very short 

 steins. K. Oilbertii has tufted, oblong-lance- 

 olate, dark green leaves, slightly undulated, 

 and bordered by a-broad and very conspicuous 

 band of white. A very attractive and desira- 

 ble variegated plant, introduced from Moul- 

 mein in 1882. The roots of some of the spe- 

 cies have an aromatic fragrance, and are used 

 medicinally and for perfumes. 



Kaffir Bean Tree. See Scholia. 

 Kaffir Lily. See Schizostilis. 



Kaki. The Japanese Persimmon. See Diospy- 

 roa. 



Kale. See Borecole. 



Kala'nchoe. The Chinese name of one of the 

 species. Nat. Ord. Croasulacece. 



A very pretty genus of succulent plants, 

 natives of tropical Africa, but also found in 

 tropical Asia, at the Cape, and in Brazil. They 

 do well in a light sandy loam, and produce 

 rather large flowers, usually in many-flowered 

 paniculate cymes, the color being yellow, 

 purple, or scarlet. The leaves are fleshy, 

 opposite, sessile or petiolate, entire, crenate, 

 or pinnatifid. They are very interesting 

 plants, and worthy of a place in the green- 

 house. K. acutifolia has divided, bronzy 

 leaves, and altogether is a beautiful plant, and 

 is propagated readily from cuttings placed in 

 sand. First introduced in 1781. K. carnea, a 

 recent introduction from south Africa, with 

 delicate pink flowers, blooming during the 

 winter months, is of easy culture, is very 

 floriferous, and succeeds well in ordinary 

 green-house temperature. The flowers are 

 borne in large clusters, are of a wax-like con- 

 sistency, and last a long time in perfection. 



Ka'lmia. Named after Peter Kalm, a Swedish 

 botanist. Nat. Ord. EricacecB. 



A genus of evergreen shrubs, growing from 

 four to ten feet high, common from Maine to 

 Georgia, usually found on mountain sides or 

 dry waste places, but sometimes also along 

 brook sides. K. latifolia, Calico Bush, is the 

 common Laurel of the United States, and is 

 certainly one of the most beautiful of ever- 

 greens, whether we regard the deep verdure 

 of its foliage or the abundance of its exquis- 

 itely elegant, delicate pink, rose, or nearly 

 white flowers, produced from May to July. It 

 is generally supposed that this shrub cannot 

 be transplanted from the woods with any cer- 

 tainty of success, but this is a mistake. Take 

 the precaution to prepare a bed or border, 

 with a soil as nearly like the one you find 

 them in as possible, and which is usually 



KEN 



composed, in a great measure, of leaf-mould ; 

 take up plants of a small size, being careful not 

 to cut the roots, and not to let them get dry, 

 and get them into the border as soon as pos- 

 sible after taking them up; then cut well 

 back, and very few will fail to make elegant 

 plants, which will flower freely the second 

 year. After one removal they may be taken 

 up and shifted as often as desirable, with as 

 little difficulty or danger as any of our border 

 shrubs. K. anguutifolia, Sheep Laurel, or 

 Lambkill, is a dwarf-growing, narrow-leaved 

 species, with smaller flowers, but of a bright 

 crimson color. The leaves are generally sup- 

 posed to be poisonous to sheep and lambs ; 

 hence the two common names. 



Kalosa'nthes. A synonym of Rochea, which 

 see. 



Kansas Gay Feather. See Liatrispycnostachya. 



Kara'tas. A genus of Bromeliacece, comprising 

 about a dozen species of herbaceous peren- 

 nials, natives of the West Indies, tropical 

 South America, and Brazil. They are gener- 

 ally rather coarse, long-leaved, spinous plants, 

 though K. Innocentii and K. speclabilis are 

 very showy species. They are of easy cul- 

 ture. Syns. Nidularium, Bromelia, etc. 



Katherine's, St., Flower. Nigella Damascena. 



Kaulfu'ssia. In honor of Frederic Kaulfusa, 

 M.D., Professor of Botany at Halle. Nat. Ord. 

 CompositcB. 



A small genus of beautiful little hardy an- 

 nuals from the Cape of Good Hope. The 

 flowers are of various colors, blue, rose, white 

 and violet, somewhat resembling an Aster. 

 This genus is now called Charieis, K. amel- 

 loides being known as C. heterophylla ; the 

 name going by priority to the following genus 

 of Ferns. 



Kaulfu'ssia. A very distinct genus of Ferns, 

 found in India and Java, with thick rhizomes 

 and coarse terminal fronds. The fronds of 

 K. cesculifolia, the only described species, are 

 like a Horse-chestnut leaf, and the under 

 surface is dotted over with copious stomata- 

 like pores. Closely allied to Marattia. 



Kauri, or Kawrie Pine. See Damarra Australia. 



Keel. When the mid-rib of a leaf or petal is 

 sharp and elevated externally it is'called a 

 keel. 



Keferste'nia. A synonym of Zygopetalum. 

 Kenilworth Ivy. See Ldnaria. 



Kenne'dya. Named in honor of Mr. Kennedy, 

 of the firm of Lee and Kennedy, celebrated 

 English nurserymen. Nat. Ord. Leguminoace. 

 A genus of free-flowering, evergreen green- 

 house climbers, remarkable for their beautiful 

 racemes of pea-shaped flowers, which are of 

 various colors, scarlet, blue, purple, pink and 

 variegated. They are highly ornamental, and 

 useful in the green-house for cut flowers ; and 

 are increased readily by cuttings of short side 

 shoots, well hardened. Introduced in 1824 

 from New Holland. 



