462 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



TRI 



bees obtain a large amount of honey from its 

 fragrant flowers. It is valuable for sowing 

 with other grasses and clovers, as it forms a 

 thick bottom, and increases the yield of hay. 

 It is well suited to lands liable to wash, its 

 long, fibrous roots binding the soil well. T. 

 fragiferum, the Strawberry Clover, is spoken 

 of as a likely plant with which to make a lawn 

 that will remain green during the summer 

 without irrigation in dry regions like cen- 

 tral and southern California. Its stems and 

 branches are prostrate, and spread over the 

 ground. This plant is very tough and hardy, 

 and it produces freely, heads of pale, rose- 

 colored flowers, which resemble ripe straw- 

 berriesa resemblance which is the origin of 

 the specific name. A lawn composed of this 

 plant would not require cutting. Besides 

 these there are a number of other species 

 that have been considerably cultivated, but 

 those named are almost wholly preferred for 

 pasture and hay. Those who are accustomed 

 to consider the Trefoil as only the common 

 Clover of the meadows, will probably be sur- 

 prised to learn that there are nearly a hun- 

 dred and fifty species, all more or less orna- 

 mental. Some of these are perennials and 

 some annuals ; and the color of their flowers 

 varies from dark crimson, and sometimes 

 scarlet, to purple on the one hand, and to 

 white, cream-color, and pale yellow on the 

 other. Some of our dealers in hardy herba- 

 ceous plants have catalogued a few of the 

 more showy species, and highly recommend 

 them for border plants. 



Triginous. Having either three pistils or at 

 least three distinct styles. 



Trigonal. Three-angled, and having three plain 

 faces. 



Trigone'lla. Fenugreek. From treis, three, and 

 gonu, an angle ; the standard of the flower is 

 flat, while the wings spread and give it a tri- 

 angular appearance. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



An extensive gen us of herbaceous, legumin- 

 ous plants inhabiting central Asia, southern 

 Europe and northern Africa. All the species 

 possess a heavy penetrating odor. T. Fcenum- 

 groBCum, commonly known as Fenugreek, is an 

 erect, annual plant, about two feet high, a 

 native of the Mediterranean region, and con- 

 siderably cultivated in India and other warm 

 countries- and occasionally in this country. 

 The seeds of Fenugreek were held in high re- 

 pute among the ancient Egyptians, Greeks 

 and Eornans, for medicinal and culinary pur- 

 poses, but at the present day their use in 

 medicine is confined to veterinary practice, 

 the seeds being given to horses when a tem- 

 porary stimulant is required or desired. It is 

 said to give cattle and swine good appetites 

 and digestion. The seeds have a powerful 

 odor of coumarine, and are largely used for 

 flavoring concentrated cattle foods, and for 

 rendering damaged hay palatable. 



Trili'sa. From trilix, triple ; in allusion to the 

 divisions of the pappus. Nat. Ord. Com- 

 posite. 



A small genus of hardy, erect, perennial, 

 native plants, with purplish or white flower- 

 heads. T. odoratissima, sometimes called the 

 Vanilla Plant, is better known by its old 

 name, Liatris odoratissima. 



Trillia'ceee. A natural order now included as a 

 tribe of Liliacece. 



TRI 



Trilli'um. American Wood Lily. Three-leaved 

 Night-shade, or Wake Robin. From trilix, 

 triple ; alluding to triple parts of the flowers 

 and leaves. Nat. Ord. Liliacece. 



A singular and beautiful genus of hardy, 

 perennial plants, natives of North America 

 and Asia, from the Himalayas to Japan. T. 

 grandiftorum, one of the best of our native 

 spring-flowering plants, is probably the best 

 known species, and deservedly so on account 

 of its large flowers, snow-white when first ex- 

 panded and changing to rosy-pink with age. 

 T. ovatum, a species from the Pacific coast, is 

 as ornamental as T. grandiflorum, the flowers 

 being pure white and fully as large. T. erec- 

 tum, having green leaves with dark purple 

 flowers, is common in the Eastern States. 

 T. sessile has purple flowers and the foliage 

 prettily marked and blotched. The variety 

 T. sessile Californicum is a plant much larger 

 in all its parts, with the marking of the 

 leaves and flowers much brighter in color. 

 This is a very desirable plant and worth cul- 

 tivating for its foliage alone. They succeed 

 best in a moist, shady situation and good, 

 rich vegetable mould. Several of the species 

 are valuable for pot culture, and when grown 

 in this way may be easily brought into bloom 

 several weeks before their usual flowering 

 period. They are tuberous rooted and do 

 not divide readily, but may be increased rap- 

 idly from seed, which should be sown as soon 

 as ripe in a frame, where it may be shaded, 

 or sown in the open ground and slightly cov- 

 ered with leaves. 



Trilobed or Trilobate. Three-lobed. 



Trilocular. Three-celled. 



Trime'zia. From treis, three, and merizo, to 

 divide ; in allusion to the division of the flow- 

 ers. Nat. Ord. Iridacece. 



A small genus of bulbous plants, natives of 

 the West Indies and South America. T. Mar- 

 tinicensis, the only species in cultivation, has 

 bright yellow, very fugaceous flowers, and is 

 seldom seen except in botanical collections. 



Tricecius. Having male flowers on one indi- 

 vidual, female on another, and hermaphrodite 

 on a third. 



Trio'lena. From treis, three, and olene, the 

 arm ; in allusion to the three processes from 

 the base of the anthers. Nat. Ord. Melasto- 

 macece. 



A small genus of pilose, perennial herbs, 

 natives of Mexico, Venezuela and New Gren- 

 ada. T. scorpioides, the only introduced spe- 

 cies, is very similar to Bertolonia in habit, 

 and has curved racemes of pretty, rose-colored 

 flowers. It is propagated by seeds or by 

 cuttings. 



Trio'num. Now included under Hibiscus. 



Trio'steum. Feverwort. Horse Gentian. From 

 treis, three, and osteon, a bone ; three bony 

 seeds. Nat. Ord. Caprifbliacece. 



A genus of coarse-growing, hardy, herba- 

 ceous plants, common in the Middle and 

 Southern States. The roots of one of the 

 species was esteemed by the Indians as a 

 medicine. They are of no horticultural value. 



Tripartite. Divided into three parts nearly to 

 its base. 



Tripetalous. When a corolla consists of three 

 petals. 



