278 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK Of 1 PLANTS 



NUT 



Pistachia, or Pistachio. The edible seed of 



Pistachio, vera. 

 Poison. The poisonous seed of Strychnos mix 



vomica. 

 Rush. Cyperus rotundus var. Hydra, and C. 



escwlentus. 

 Sapucaia. The seed of Lecythis Zabucajo, 



also, L. Ollaria and L. grandiflora. 

 Sassafras. Nectandra Puchury. 

 Singhara. The fruit of various species of 



Trapa, especially T. bispinosa and T. bi- 



cornis. 



Soap. Mimosa abstergens. 

 Souarl or Suwarrow. The seed of Caryocar 



nuciferum and C. butryonum. 

 Spanish or Barcelona. Corylus Avellana Bar- 



celonensis, also Moraea Sisyrnchium. 

 Vegetable Ivory. Phytelephas macrocarpa. 

 Water. The fruit of various species of Trapas. 

 Wood. Corylus Avellana. 



Nutans. Nodding; inclined very much from 

 the perpendicular, so that the apex is directed 

 downward, as the flower of the Snowdrop. 



Nut-galls. The galls produced by insects on 

 Quercus infectoria. 



Nut-gall-tree. Chinese or Japanese, Rhus semi- 

 alata. 



Nut-grass. Cyperus rotundua, var. Hydra. 



Nutmeg. See Myristica, moschata. 

 American. Monodora myristica. 

 Brazilian. Cryptocarya moschata. 

 Californian. Torreya myristica. 

 Clove. Agathophyllum aromaticum. 

 Peruvian. The seed of Laurelia sempervirens. 

 Plume. Atherosperma moschata. 

 Wild. Myristica fatua, and M. tomentosa. 



Nutmeg-Geranium. See Pelargonium fragrans. 



Nutmeg-wood. The wood of the Palmyra 

 Palm, Borassuajlabelliformis. 



Nut Pine. Pinus monophylla (syn. P Fremon- 

 tiana), and P. Sabiniana, the seeds of the 

 latter are collected in immense quantities by 

 the Californian and Oregon Indians as an 

 article of winter food. 



Nutta'llia. Named by Torrey and Gray, in 

 honor of Thomas Nuttall, of Cambridge, Mass., 

 an eminent botanist. Nat. Ord. Rosacece. 



This genus consists of but one species, N. 

 Cerasiformis, a small ornamental deciduous 

 shrub, of nearly globose habit, branching 

 freely, and producing its drooping racemes of 

 white flowers in great abundance. Easily 

 increased by seeds, or by suckers, which 

 spring plentifully from the roots. Introduced 

 to cultivation from California in 1848. 



Nux Vomica. See Strychnos. 



Nuy'tsia. Fire Tree. Named after T. Nuyts, a 

 Dutch navigator. Nat. Ord. Loranthacece. 



A genus of very handsome shrubs or small 

 trees from Swan River, Australia, remarkable 

 as being the only one in this order of parasites 

 that grows on the ground. From the abun- 

 dance of its brilliant orange-colored flowers, 

 the colonists call it the Flame-tree or Tree of 

 Fire. 



Nyctagina'ceae. A natural order of herbs, 

 shrubs or trees, natives of tropical regions, 

 principally America, with opposite unequal 

 leaves and involucrate flowers. The plants 

 of the order have in general purgative quali- 

 ties ; that of Mirabilis Jalapa (false Jalap) has 



NYM 



the nauseous smell of the true Jalap, with 

 which it was long confounded. The order 

 comprises about twenty genera, and one 

 hundred species. Mirabilis, Bougainvillea and 

 Abronia, are illustrative genera. 

 Nycta'nthes. Sad Tree. From nyctos, night, 

 and anthos, a flower ; the flowers open in the 

 evening. Nat. Ord. Oleacece. 



The only species is a free-flowering shrub 

 or small tree, native of India. The flowers 

 open only in the evening, and drop before 

 morning ; their fragrance perfumes the air at 

 night. The flowers are gathered in the morn- 

 ing and worn as necklaces and in the hair 

 by the native women. As it loses its bright- 

 ness during the day it has received its specific 

 name, N. arbor trixtis, or Sad Tree. 



Nycteri'nia. From nycterinos, nocturnal; the 

 flowers being fragrant during the evening. 

 Nat. Ord. ScrophulariacecB. 



A genus of half-hardy annuals, perennials, 

 or under-shrubs, natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. A few of the species have been under 

 cultivation but they are chiefly plants of little 

 interest. Syn. Zaluzianskia. 



Nycte'rium. A genus now classed under So- 

 lanum. 



Nycto'calos. From nyx, night, and kalos, 

 beautiful; because the handsome flowers of 

 the first species discovered open in the even- 

 ing and fade in the morning. Nat. Ord. 

 Bignoniacece. 



A small genus of twining, shrubby 

 plants, natives of the Malayan Archipel- 

 ago, Assam and Queensland. N. Thomp- 

 soni, the only introduced species is a 

 handsome stove-house climber, with white 

 Gloxinia-like flowers nearly seven inches 

 long. It expands only at night and drops the 

 next morning. It was introduced from 

 Assam in 1868. 



Nymphae'a. Water Lily. From nymphe, a 

 water nymph. Nat. Ord. Nymphozacece. 



This genus consists of beautiful water 

 plants found in lakes, ponds and rivers in 

 almost all parts of the world. N. odorata 

 is the double white Water Lily or Pond Lily, 

 so common and well-known throughout the 

 Eastern and Southern States. Of this species 

 there are several varieties, mostly having 

 pure white flowers, remarkable for their fra- 

 grance. There is, on the Islartd of Nantucket, 

 and also near Barnstable, Mass., a variety with 

 pinkish flowers, and rarely with bright pink-red 

 flowers. They are exceedingly beautiful, and 

 valued highly for their rarity. The cultiva- 

 tion of all our native species in tubs on the 

 lawn, or wherever desired, is attended with 

 but little difficulty. The roots should be ob- 

 tained from their native habitat as early in 

 spring as possible, or at least before they 

 have made much growth. Take any tub or 

 cask, say eighteen inches in depth, put in 

 good rich loam or muck to the depth of six 

 or eight inches, in which plant the roots, 

 barely covering them, and fill the cask with 

 water, replenishing it as it loses by evapora- 

 tion. In winter empty the water and remove 

 to a cold cellar, or protect from hard freezing 

 by a covering of leaves. This is all the care and 

 trouble required to produce flowers almost 

 as fine as are found in their natural homes. 

 Artificial ponds can be made upon the lawn 



