AND GENEKAL HORTICULTURE. 



269 



NAN 



in a basket with moss and peat, and kept very 

 cool, as it is a native of the higher Andes of 

 western South America." 



Nanus. Dwarf. 



Napiform. Turnip-shaped. 



Napoleo'na. Named in honor of the Emperor 

 Napoleon. Nat Ord. Myrtacew. 



A very singular genus of shrubs, natives of 

 western tropical Africa, whose place in the 

 natural system is a contested point among 

 botanists. " Among the most remarkable 

 plants that have hitherto been discovered ranks , 

 this rare species. It forms a bush about as large 

 as a Camellia, and some idea of the structure of 

 its flowers may be formed when we state that 

 the species has been referred to the natural 

 order Passifloraceue. by some botanists, and to 

 Cucurbitacece by others." Paxton. Whitfield, a 

 botanical collector, brought with him in 1843 

 from Sierra Leone, dried specimens and living 

 plants, one of the latter of which, flowering 

 a few years later, cleared away all uncer- 

 tainty as to its location in the natural system. 

 The propagation of this plant may be effected 

 by cuttings, and in other respects its treat- 

 ment should resemble that of the Gardenia. 



Narci'ssus. Name of a youth said to have been 

 changed into this flower. Nat. Ord. Amarylli- 

 dacece. 



In this genus of ornamental, usually hardy 

 bulbous plants, we have a long list of estab- 

 lished favorites, remarkable alike for the ele- 

 gance, fragrance, and precocity of their 

 flowers. The majority of them will thrive in 

 almost any soil or situation, though they will 

 succeed best in a thoroughly drained, toler- 

 ably rich soil, and if the position is one 

 partially shaded from the hot sunshine in 

 spring, the flowers will retain their beauty for 

 a much longer period than if more fully ex- 

 posed. The hardy sorts, when grown in the 

 open borders, should be planted in September 

 in newly-dug, well-manured ground at a depth 

 of three inches, reckoning from the top of the 

 bulb to the surface of the soil. This will not 

 be too much for any, except, perhaps, the 

 Jonquils, which, from having smaller bulbs, 

 may be placed an inch shallower. When 

 planted in beds and it becomes necessary to 

 remove them to make room for other plants 

 it should be done as soon as their beauty is 

 past. As the bulbs are by no means mature 

 at this time, they should be " laid in " in some 

 slightly shaded place until the foliage is quite 

 withered, when they may be taken up, dried, 

 and stored away until wanted for the next 

 planting season. Narcissi are well adapted 

 for planting in the herbaceous or shrubbery 

 border, or in the grass by the sides of wood- 

 land walks, in open spaces between trees and 

 shrubs, in cemeteries, or in any situation 

 where the flowers may be readily seen on their 

 appearance in spring. The foliage should be 

 allowed to ripen naturally before being re- 

 moved, at which time an annual top-dressing 

 of loam and decayed manure may be applied 

 with advantage. Varieties of Polyanthus 

 Narcissus are very extensively cultivated in 

 pots for green-house decoration, as well as for 

 the use of their highly-fragrant flowers in a 

 cut state. The instructions given for the 

 culture and management of the Hyacinth will 

 be found in every way applicable to the Nar. 

 cissus (see Hyacinth). Of those most com- 



NAR 



nionly grown for forcing, we prefer the follow- 

 ing : Soliel d'or (yellow, with orange cup), 

 Gloriosus (white, primrose cup), States Gen- 

 eral (white, with citron cup), Grand Primo 

 (white, with citron cup), and Grand Monarque 

 (white, with pale yellow cup), with the Double 

 Roman (yellow) and Paper White. Double 

 and single sweet-scented Jonquils, N. Jon- 

 quilla, are very fragrant when in flower, and 

 are well adapted for pot culture, as is also the 

 early variety of the Poets' Narcissus, N. poeticus 

 ornatus. The Paper White Narcissus,^. Tazetta, 

 is forced in immense quantities by the florists 

 of New York and other large cities.and, next to 

 the Roman Hyacinth and Tulip, is the bulb most 

 extensively grown for this purpose. When 

 grown on a large scale, they are planted in 

 boxes of soil four inches deep at a distance of 

 three to four inches apart, and treated as 

 described for Roman Hyacinths. The hardy 

 varieties of Narcissus or Daffodils, of which 

 large quantities are now used, are forced in 

 the same manner, it being imperative for their 

 success that they be well rooted in the boxes 

 or pots before being brought into heat, as, if 

 they are insufficiently rooted, failure will re- 

 sult. To be in proper condition to force, the 

 pots or boxes should be matted around with 

 the roots. The most reliable single varieties 

 for forcing are Trumpet Major (yellow), 

 Trumpet Minor (yellow trumpet and white 

 perianth), Ob vallaris (the famous Ten by Daf- 

 fodil, rich yellow), and Poeticus Ornatus 

 (white) ; of double varieties, Incomparabilis 

 (yellow and orange), Pseudo Plenus, or Lent 

 Lily (yellow and white), and Von Sion (all 

 yellow). Of double whites, Alba plena odorata 

 is the best. For out-doors all of the above 

 are desirable, and in addition many others, 

 such as Horsfieldi, Scoticus, Sir Watkin, Pal- 

 lidus prsecox, Leedsii, the varieties of Bulbo- 

 codium, Orange Phcenix, etc. 

 Nardosta'chys. From Nardos, a sweet-scented 

 shrub, and stachys, a spike ; the Nardus of the 

 ancients was close akin to this plant. Nat. Ord. 

 ValerianiacecB. 



This genus comprises two species of hardy 

 perennial herbs, natives of the Himalayas. 

 The flowers are arranged in dense, small 

 heads, rosy-purple in color. The root is short, 

 thick, fibrous, and very fragrant. The only 

 species introduced is N. Jatamansi, which is 

 now generally acknowledged to be the Spiken- 

 ard of the ancients. 



Narthe'cium. From narthex, a rod ; referring 

 to the flower-stems. Nat. Ord. Juncacece. 



A small genus of hardy herbaceous, Iris- 

 like rushes, well adapted to moist places in 

 the mixed border. N. ossifragum, a native 

 species, produces lively spikes of deep golden- 

 yellow flowers in July and August. It is 

 popularly known as Bog Asphodel. 



Na'rthex. The ancient Greek name given by 

 Dioscorides to Asafcetida. Nat. Ord. Umbel- 

 liferce. 



A genus of tall-growing plants, the most 

 notable of which is N. Asafcetida, a native of 

 Western Thibet, Persia, etc. "It seems cer- 

 tain from the researches of Falconer and 

 others, that this plant produces some of the 

 Asafcetida of commerce, while Scorodosma- 

 fcetida, a gigantic umbelliferous plant, found 

 in the sandy steppes east of the Caspian, as 

 well as some other allied plants, also furnish. 



