AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



273 



NEP 



Caledonia, and especially the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago. Nepentties, the only genus comprises 

 upwards ot thirty species. 



Nepe'nthes. Pitcher Plant. From nepenthes, 

 grief-assuaging ; its supposed medicinal qual- 

 ity. Nat. Ord. Nepenthacece. 



Among the many curious forms which 

 abound in the vegetable kingdom, perhaps 

 few arrest more general attention than do the 

 members of this genus. The extraordinary 

 appendage to the apex of each leaf has obtain- 

 ed for it the appropriate appellation of the 

 Pitcher Plant. Connected with the point 

 of the leaf, by means of a long, pendant, strap- 

 like ligament, hangs a hollow tube, sometimes 

 of the color and consistence of the leaf, shaped 

 much in the manner of some antique vase, 

 which will hold from half a pint to nearly a 

 quart of water, and extending over the mouth 

 of which is what may be readily likened to a 

 lid, the whole hanging loosely by the strap be- 

 fore mentioned, and appearing only as though 

 provided by a beneficent Providence to catch 

 and preserve the dews of heaven for the 

 supply of the animal population of the sultry 

 clime from which it is obtained. In culti- 

 vation, the species require very similar treat- 

 ment to what is usual for East Indian Orchids. 

 They are of an upright, slender habit, requir- 

 ing some support to their flexible branches ; 

 and for this purpose light iron rods should be 

 fixed to the pot or basket in which they are 

 grown, and circular hoops afford the easiest 

 means of fastening the leaves and pitchers in 

 their respective places. Turfy peat, with an 

 equal quantity of Sphagnum moss, appears 

 to be the most proper medium for their 

 roots and with a damp atmosphere of about bO 

 in summer they grow vigorously. The neces- 

 sary reduction of heat and moisture in winter 

 must be observed with these as with all 

 other plants. N. distillatoria, the first intro- 

 duced species is still in cultivation though it 

 has been superseded in size and beauty by 

 many later introductions. N. Rafflesiana, 

 like many others has two kinds of pitchers, 

 those on the lower leaves being bladder- 

 shaped, with two fringed wings in front, about 

 four inches long by two wide and beautifully 

 spotted with rich brown ; while those on the 

 upper leaves are less beautifully colored, a 

 good deal longer, and funnel-shaped, narrow- 

 ing gradually to the base where they gracefully 

 curve upward. N. calcarata, N. Hookeriana, 

 N. Northiana, N. lanata, N. Veitchii (syn. N. 

 mnguinea), and N. Rajah with pitchers a foot 

 or more long, are afew of the number of species 

 introduced of late years, while the hybridizer 

 has given us manv varieties of equal, if not 

 greater beauty and interest. The genus is 

 distributed throughout Borneo, Sumatra and 

 the adjacent islands of the Indian Archipelago. 

 Increase is had by cuttings, or by separating 

 the offsets produced near the base of the stems 

 of the old plants ; these should be taken off and 

 potted at once in the manner of mature speci- 

 mens, and if allowed the warmest part of the 

 house, or a brisk bottom heat, they soon es- 

 tablish themselves. To believers in the Dar- 

 winian theory of insect-eating plants, the 

 Pitcher Plants offer a good argument. In 

 nearly all the varieties a fluid is found at the 

 bottom of the " pitchers," that seems to at- 

 tract, and at the same time poison ants that 



NEP 



flock to it in immense numbers, sometimes a 

 thousand being found in a single " pitcher." 

 Mr. William Smith, Superintendent in the Bo- 

 tanic Gardens, Washington, D. C., holds to the 

 belief that the fluid intoxicates the insects. 

 First introduced in 1820. 



Nep'eta. Catnip, Cat Mint. From Nepet a town, 

 in Tuscany. Nat. Ord. Labiatce. 



An extensive genus of hardy herbaceous 

 plants, properly classed with- troublesome 

 weeds. N. cataria, the well-known Catnip, 

 which is regarded as an useful herb, and N. 

 Glechoma (Ground Ivy) have become natural- 

 ized throughout most of the States, until they 

 have become more troublesome than useful. 

 The latter is, however, an excellent companion 

 plant to Vinca minor for covering very shady 

 areas or door-yards in the cities or for grow- 

 ing under trees, or other very shady spots in 

 the country. N. G. variegata, a variety its 

 leaves beautifully variegated with white, has 

 been lately introduced from Japan, and is an 

 excellent and valuable basket plant, and it will 

 probably prove hardy. N. cataria, is now being 

 grown in rough waste places for Bee-food, for 

 which it is said to be valuable. N. Mussini, is 

 an old plant, and was once used a good deal 

 for edgings to borders for which its compact 

 growth well suits it. The other species are 

 suitable only for botanical collections. Syn. 

 Glechoma and Cataria, 



Nephe'lium. An ancient name for Burdock; 

 applied in reference to the similarity of the 

 heads of the flowers and seeds. Nat. Ord. 

 Sapindacece. 



A small genus of fruit-bearing trees from 

 China and the East Indies. N. Litchi, the 

 best variety has fruit nearly round, about 

 one inch and a half in diameter, with a thin 

 brittle shell of a red color, which is quite 

 warty. When fresh, they are filled with a 

 white, almost transparent, sweet, jelly-like 

 pulp ; after they have been gathered some 

 time, the fruit shrivels, turns black, and then 

 bears some resemblance to Prunes. The 

 Chinese are very fond of these fruits, and 

 consume large quantities of them, both green 

 and in the dried state, preserved. 



Nephro'dium. From nephros, a kidney; the 

 shape of the spore-cases. Nat. Ord. Polypo- 

 diacece, 



An extensive genus of Ferns, distrib- 

 uted freely over the warmer parts of the Old 

 and New Worlds, and consisting mostly 

 of species which have more or less the aspect 

 of the common male fern, N. Filix mas. The 

 most familiar species is N. molle, which is 

 everywhere met with in collections of culti- 

 vated ferns as well as among dried ferns from 

 nearly all parts of the world. Many beauti- 

 ful species and varieties, both hardy and 

 exotic, are now in cultivation, and are 

 deserved favorites in all collections. The 

 various genera, however, of this section or 

 group of Ferns, as Polystichum, Sagenia, 

 Aspidium, Lastrea, Nephrodium, etc., have 

 been so mixed up by botanists that no two 

 agree as to which particular genus many of 

 the species belong. 



Nephro'lepis. From nephros, a kidney, and 



lepis, a scale ; referring to the covering of the 



seed or spore-cases. Nat. Ord. Polypodiacece. 



A considerable genus of very handsome 



tropical Ferns. N. davallioides furcans is by 



