AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



395 



SAR 



purplish streaks, borne in short racemes. It 

 thrives readily in the open border, and is a 

 good subject for the rock-garden. It may be 

 readily increased by seeds or by cuttings. 



Sarcocarp. The fleshy or succulent portion of 

 a stone-fruit. 



Sarcocau'loii. From sarx, flesh, and caulon, a 

 stem ; alluding to the fleshy stems. Nat. Ord. 

 Geramacece. 



A genus of branching, succulent, green- 

 house plants, armed with spines formed out 

 of the persistent and hardened petioles ; 

 natives of South Africa. The flowers are 

 purple, borne on axillary, short-stemmed pe- 

 duncles. They are readily increased by cuttings 

 of the young shoots or by root cuttings; first 

 introduced in 1790. 



Sarcoce'phalus. Guinea Peach. From sarx, 

 flesh, and kephale, a head; alluding to the 

 fleshy heads of fruit. Nat. Ord. Rubiacece. 



A genus of stove-house trees or shrubs, 

 sometimes climbing natives of tropical Asia, 

 Africa and Australia. S. esculentus is an inter- 

 esting climbing shrub, seldom seen in collec- 

 tions, bearing pinkish flowers, in short ter- 

 minal heads, followed by edible fruit about 

 the size of a Peach. It is called the Guinea, 

 Negro, or Sierra Leone Peach, and may be 

 increased by cuttings. S. cordatus, introduced 

 from Australia in 1820, forms a handsome 

 shrub, with broadly ovate or obtuse leaves, 

 softly pubescent beneath and four to ten 

 inches long. Syn. Nauclea. 



Sarcochi'lus. From sarx, flesh, and cheilos, & 

 lip ; in allusion to the fleshy lip or labellum. 

 Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 



A genus of small epiphytal Orchids from 

 Australia and the East Indies. The flowers 

 are white or white and yellow. The species 

 are not usually found in collections. 



Sarcoco'cca. From sarx, flesh, and kokkos; 

 alluding to the fleshy fruits. Nat. Ord. 

 EuphorbiacecB. 



A small genus of green-house, glabrous 

 shrubs, natives of the East Indies, and the 

 Malayan Archipelago. S. saligna, the best 

 known species, has pale yellow flowers and 

 small ovoid or globose fruits. It is some- 

 times cultivated under the name of S. prunl- 

 formis. 



Sarcolo'bus. From sarx, flesh, and lobos, a 

 pod ; alluding to the fleshy seed vessels. Nat. 

 Ord. AsclepiadacecB. 



A small genus of stove-twining shrubs, 

 natives of India and the Malayan Archipelago. 

 The species are seldom found in cultivation. 



Sarcopo'dium. A small genus of Orchids, now 

 included by Bentham and Hooker in Bulbo- 

 phyllum and Dendrobium. 



Sarcoste'mma. From sarx, flesh, and stemma, 

 a crown ; the leaflets of the inner corona are 

 fleshy. Nat Ord. Asclepediacece. 



A genus of climbing or decumbent, leafless 

 shrubs, with slightly fleshy branches, natives 

 of tropical and sub-tropical Asia, Africa and 

 Australia. S. Brunonianum, the best known 

 species, introduced from India in 1872, has 

 bright yellow flowers, and forms quite an 

 ornamental plant-stove climber. Syn. Cynan- 

 chum. 



Sarmentose. Producing long runners like those 

 of the Strawberry. 



SAS 



Sarmie'nta. Named after Mart. Sarmiento, a 

 Spanish botanist. Nat. Ord. Gesneracfce. 



S. repens, the only known representative of 

 this genus, is a dwarf-trailing Chilian herb, 

 very beautiful, and suitable for growing in 

 baskets. It has fleshy, oblong leaves, about 

 an inch long, and numerous drooping, tubular, 

 axillary flowers of a light scarlet color. It 

 requires abundance of water, shade from 

 bright sunshine, and a light position in a 

 moist, cool green-house. Introduced in 1862. 



Sarrace'nia. Side-saddle Flower, American 

 Pitcher Plant, Trumpet Leaf. Named in 

 honor of Dr. Sarrasin, a French physician at 

 Quebec, who sent the first species to Europe. 

 Nat. Ord. SarraceniacecB. 



A small genus of curious and interesting 

 plants common in boggy situations from 

 Maine to Florida. <S. purpurea is found in 

 great numbers throughout the New England 

 States, New York and New Jersey. S. flava, 

 S. Drummondii and S. rubra, etc., being con- 

 fined to the Southern States. They have their 

 leaves folded spirally, in the manner of the 

 Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes. They are of various 

 heights, some being from four to six inches 

 high, while others are nearly or quite two 

 feet. They have no proper leaf stems, but the 

 foot stalk is lengthened in some cases so as to 

 serve the same end. The flower scape is in 

 all the species longer than the leaves ; the 

 flowers are globose, nodding ; colors purple, 

 red or yellow. The curious leaves of these 

 plants are often partly filled with water and 

 drowned insects, which has given them a 

 reputation for usefulness that is to be taken 

 with some grains of allowance. The same 

 may be said of the medicinal properties 

 claimed for them. By crossing, many valua- 

 ble and beautiful hybrids have been raised 

 and are now in cultivation. 



Sarracenia'ceae. A small natural order of 

 curious perennial herbs, natives of spongy, 

 turfy bogs in this country, remarkable for 

 their pitcher-shaped radical leaves. There 

 are only three small genera known Sarra- 

 cenia, Darlingtonia and Heliamphora. The 

 curious New Holland Pitcher-plant (Cephalotis) 

 belongs to the Nat. Ord. Saxifragacece. 



Sarsapari'lla. A name applied to the roots of 

 several plants, more especially to those of 

 several species of Smilax, chiefly imported 

 from South America and Mexico, and em- 

 ployed in medicine. 



Sarsapari'lla, False. See Aralia nudicaulis. 



Sa'ssafras. The name is said to be a corrup- 

 tion of the Spanish word for Saxifrage. Nat. 

 Ord. LauracecB. 



S. officinale, the only known species, is com- 

 mon throughout the United States. In the 

 more northern parts the tree is small, the 

 diameter rarely exceeding eight inches ; but 

 in the Southern States it attains a height of 

 fifty feet, with a trunk more than two feet in 

 diameter. The Sassafras is well known by its 

 aromatic, spicy bark, which has stimulant 

 and sudorific properties, and is extensively 

 used in medicine and confectionery. The 

 leaves are also used in the manufacture of 

 "Home-made beer," and also in some sec- 

 tions as a seasoning in sauces, while their 

 mucilaginous properties render them useful 

 in thickening soups. 



