76 



Garden and Forest. 



[February 13, 1889. 



The first description of the Kentucky Coffee tree appeared, 

 with a figure of a raceme of the male flowers and of a leaf, in 

 Duhamers"^ri;-es,'"'i.,p. 107,/. 52, published in Paris in 1755, 

 in which it was referred to Bonduc of Plumier, the Guilandina 

 of Linnaeus. It had been introduced into France several 

 years before, as Duhamel speaks of trees already large, 

 although they had not flowered at that time. From France 

 it was sent to England, or, more probably, it reached 

 that country directly from America ; and in 1753 Linnaeus, 

 in the first edition of the "Species Planiarum," referred 

 this tree to his genus Guilandina, calling it G. dioica. 

 Lamarck many years later separated it from Guilan- 

 dina and established for it his new genus Gymno- 

 cladus, changing unfortunately the specific name to 

 Canadensis. One of the rules of botanical nomencla- 

 ture, however, insists that in cases where a plant is 

 transferred from one genus to another it shall retain the 

 specific name originally given to it, provided, of course, 

 that this specific name shall not have been previously 

 given to another plant in the new genus. If this rule, 

 which was established long after Lamarck's time, had 

 been followed in the case of this plant, it would have been 

 called after its removal from Guilandina, Gymnocladiis dioi- 

 cus, the gender of the specific name being changed to 

 agree with that of the generic name. Karl Koch {Dendro- 

 logie, I., p. 5) first adopted the name of Gymnocladus dioicus 

 for our tree, and his lead and that of Baillon [Hisfoire des 

 Plantes, ii., 87) had now best be followed, and the name 

 Gymnocladus Canadensis given up for the less familiar 

 G. dioicus. 



It was believed for a long time that the American species 

 was the only representative of the genus Gymnocladus, but 

 fifteen years ago a second was discovered in China, and is 

 now known to be widely distributed through the central 

 part of the Empire. It is the G. Chinensis of botanists, the 

 Fei-tsao-toa or fat Black Bean of the Chinese, the seeds 01 

 which are largely used by the Chinese women in washing 

 their hair and heads. Very little, however, practically, is 

 yet known of this tree, which has not been introduced 

 into the United States or Europe. 



Our illustration is from a photograph made by Mrs. Win- 

 throp Sargent, of Fishkill. C. S. S. 



[Rosa humilis, next to Rosa Caroliniana, is the most com- 

 mon Rose in the elevated mountain region of Virginia, 

 eastern Tennessee and Carolina. Here, unlike our other 

 Roses, which frequent open situations, it is found growing 

 only in the shade of the forest, generally on steep slopes, 

 and usually in very rich soil. As it appears growing in 

 such situations it is one of the most distinct of all the 

 American Roses, with its very slender stems, sparse, open 

 foliage, and few long, slender spines. C. S. 3".] 



New or Little Known Plants. 



Rosa humilis,* var. triloba. 



THIS pretty freak of our common low Wild Rose was 

 detected by Miss Jennie E. Whitesides, of Harmons- 

 burg, Pennsylvania, in 1881, growing upon a sandy bank 

 near that place, whence it was transferred to her garden. 

 Since June, 1886, it has been in cultivation at the Botanic 

 Garden at Cambridge, where it has for three years perpetu- 

 ated the abnormal character of its petals. Aside from 

 the interest which attaches to it on this account, the figure 

 is also of value as illustrating very clearly the characters 

 which distinguish Rosa humilis from other eastern species. 

 The slender habit, the open foliation, the very slender, 

 straight spines, the narrow stipules, and the nearly con- 

 stant and often free toothing of the outer sepals, are charac- 

 teristic of this species. In this form it is found in the dry, 

 sandy or rocky localities which it prefers, from New Eng- 

 land to the Mississippi and southward to the Gulf States. As 

 in all the species of the group, the pedicels, hip and calyx- 

 lobes are more or less glandular-hispid. And like every 

 other Rose, it is subject to variation. When growing in 

 wetter localities it may be somewhat stouter in habit, the 

 spines thicker at base, the stipules more foliaceous, and, ot 

 course, there may be found anywhere specimens or young 

 shoots with enough of scattered prickles. But it never 

 takes on the taller, stout and bushy growth, and the broad- 

 based, recurved spines of the northern R. lucida, nor the 

 peculiar foliage and densely prickly covering throughout 

 of the R. nitida of New England swamps. ^^S". W. 



* Rosa humilis, Marshall, Arbust. Amer., 136., R. lucida of Gray's Manual, 

 Wood, etc., in part. 



Cultural Department. 



Nerines. 



'X'HESE plants have suddenly come to the front in England 

 -*■ as useful autumn and winter-flowering bulbs. Ten 

 years ago they were scarcely known in English horticulture, 

 only two species, viz., the Guernsey Lily (A'', sarniensis) and 

 Fothergill's Amaryllis (A'', curvifolia) being at that time repre- 

 sented in a few collections. Now, however, eight of the ten 

 species acknowledged by Mr. Baker (Kew) are in cultivation, 

 and, besides these, there are a great many hybrids and im- 

 proved varieties, most of which are of first-rate merit. The 

 principal growers and breeders of Nerines are the Guernsey 

 nurserymen and amateurs. Chief among the latter is Mr. 

 Mansell, who has raised some beautiful hybrids, N. Manselli 

 being the best of all, species and varieties included. Messrs. 

 Henderson, of London, raised some good hybrids about six 

 years ago. Lately Herr Max Leichtlin, of Baden-Baden, has 

 taken an interest in Nerines, and, as is the case with almost 

 everything he takes in hand, he has done much to improve 

 them and make them known. 



Dean Herbert raised about half a dozen hybrid Nerines, 

 which, liowever, appear to have been lost long ago. All the 

 species are natives of South Africa. They do not appear to be 

 abundant in any part, as collectors find a difficulty in obtaining 

 the bulbs in any quantity. The oldest and best known 

 species, A^. sarniensis, was for a long time supposed to be a 

 native of Japan. It was cultivated in Paris as early as 1634, 

 and in London in 1659. ^"^ ^^^^ Channel Islands it has been 

 cultivated at least 200 years, the bulbs being sent to English 

 and other markets under the name of Guernsey Lilies. Tra- 

 dition had it that a ship which had come from Japan and was 

 wrecked near these islands had on board a quantity of the 

 bulbs of this Nerine, which were washed ashore and soon 

 established themselves. But there are no Nerines native of 

 Japan; the two plants known in gardens as A^. Japonica and 

 A'', aurea being species of the genus Lycoris, which is not 

 unlike Nerine, though really nearly related to Zephyranthes. 



The cultural requirements of Nerines are of the simplest 

 kind. The point of chief importance is that of the growing and 

 resting periods. The flower spikes are developed in the last 

 three months of the year, usually just preceding the foliage. 

 Growth continues all winter, usually finishing in April, when 

 the leaves turn yellow and fall off. It is not advisable to re- 

 pot the plants often, a pot-bound condition being favorable to 

 the production of flowers. The bulbs may be allowed to 

 crowd (they produce offset bulbs freely), and a pot nine inches 

 across will often hold as many as twenty bulbs, all huddled 

 together. Under good treatment almost every one of these 

 bulbs will flower annually. In repotting, the whole mass of 

 soil, roots and bulbs should simply be transferred intact to a 

 larger pot. The right time to repot is immediately after the 

 flowers have faded. A light loam, or a mixture of loam and 

 peat, with a little sand, may be used. Whilst making growth, 

 weekly waterings with liquid manure should be given. The 

 temperature at this time ought not to fall below 50° at night 

 nor below 55° during the day ; air should be given on all 

 favorable opportunities. A position near the glass and ex- 

 posed to full sunlight is indispensable. In America, where 

 the winter sunlight is brighter and more continuous than in 

 England, Nerines ought to thrive perfectly. After the leaves 

 have faded the plants should be placed in a dry, sunny posi- 

 tion, exposed to all the summer sunlight, and never watered. 

 The crop of bloom in the autumn is dependent on a strict 

 observance of this point. As soon as the flower spikes show 

 themselves water should be given, and from now till growth 

 is over the soil must be kept moist. 



Seeds are ripened freely, and these, if sown as soon as ripe, 

 ought to produce flowering plants in about three years. All 

 the kinds hybridize freely with each other. Probably, however, 

 the greatest improvement may be looked for from seeds of 

 the largest and best colored seedlings and hybrids already ob- 

 tained. The following are the best of the species and hybrids : 



