AND GENERAL HOETICULTTJEE. 



37 



ASP 



Aspidi'stra. From aspidiseon, a little round 

 shield; the form of the flower. Nat. Ord. 

 lAliaceee. 



A small genus found in China and Japan, 

 remarkable for producing their flowers under 

 the surface of the earth. They are useful 

 house plants, and are propagated by suckers. 

 The foliage of A. elatiur variegata (green with 

 broad stripes of white) contrasts flnelj' with 

 ornamental-foliaged plants. For the produc- 

 tion of well-marked plants, the pots in which 

 they are grown should be small, and the soil 

 liberally mixed with sand. Introduced in 

 1835. 



Aspi'dium. Shield Fern, "Wood Fern. From 

 oapidMm, a little buckler; the shape of the 

 indusium. Nat. Ord. Polypodiacem. 



An extensive genus of hardy and green- 

 house Ferns. Many of the species are com- 

 mon in moist, shady places throughout the 

 United States. The green-house varieties are 

 mostly from the West Indies. All the species 

 are of easy cidture. Many of them are 

 deservedly popular in the fern-house or shady 

 border. 



Asple'uiese. A section of polypodineous Ferns, 

 in which the simple linear or oblong sori are 

 parallel with the veins, and oblique to the 

 midrib, produced on one side of the veins, 

 and covered by indusia of the same form. 



Asple'nium. Spleenwort. From a, privative, 

 and aplen, spleen ; referring to its supposed 

 medicinal properties. Nat.-Ord. Polypodiacem. 

 This genus, as established by Linneeus, was 

 a very extensive one, and the species exceed- 

 ingly varied. So much confusion existed in 

 regard to it, that modern botanists have 

 divided and sub-divided it ; yet it contains a 

 large number of hardy and tropical species, 

 •many of which are exceedingly beautiful and 

 interesting, and are commonly found in our 

 green-houses. Some of the species have the 

 very singular property of bearing little buds on 

 their surface, from which young plants are 

 formed. It is not an uncommon thing to see 

 fifteen or twenty of these young plants, all 

 perfectly developed, from one to two inches 

 high, on a single frond. They are popularly 

 known as bulb-bearing Ferns. Several of the 

 species are indigenous throughout the United 

 States, and there is scarcely a country in 

 which some of the species may not be found. 



Aste'lma. Strawberry Everlasting. From a, 

 not, and stel/ma, a crown ; in reference to the 

 construction of the fruit. Green-house ever- 

 green shrubs from the Cape of Good Hope. 

 The bracts of the flowers of A. eximium are of 

 a rich rosy tint, and are incurved so as to 

 form close heads,' bearing some resemblance 

 to Strawberries. Ithas been long introduced 

 but is comparatively rare in cultivation. 



A'ster. Star-wort. Michaelmas Daisy. From 

 osier, a star. Nat. Ord. ComposUm. 



There are upward of one hundred and fifty 

 species included in this genus, chiefly hardy 

 herbaceous plants, useful for ornamenting the 

 flower borders in the autumn ; generally at- 

 taining a height of from two to four feet, and 

 producing white, purple or blue flowers. They 

 are easUy increased by separating the old 

 stools. The well-known German and China 

 Asters are now classed under Calliatephua. 



ATA 



The sweet, musk-scented plant known as 

 Aster Argophyllus is now placed under Euryhia, 

 which see. 

 Asti'lbe. From a, privative, and stilbe, bright- 

 ness; flowers not very striking. Nat. Ord. 

 Scupifragacem. 



A. Japonica, sometimes called SpirceaJaponi- 

 ca, Hoteia Japonicaand A. ha/rhata, is a native of 

 Japan, and a perfectly hardy herbaceous plant. 

 The dark green cut leaves form a handsome 

 tuft, from which arise numerous crowded 

 panicles of feathery white flowers. Excellent 

 for forcing in pots, and fine for cutting. There 

 is a variety with variegated foliage, green and 

 yellow, not so vigorous in habit, but in all 

 other respects similar. Propagated by divi- 

 sion. See Spircea. 

 Astra'galus. Milk Vetch. The ancient Greek 

 ' name for some leguminous plant. Nat. Ord. 

 LegimimoscB. 



An extensive genus of hardy annuals, per- 

 ennials, and deciduous trees and shrubs. 

 Many of the species are beautiful plants 

 for the flower garden. They are vigorous 

 growers, and succeed in a well-drained, sandy 

 soil. The genus is widely distributed, there 

 being scarcely a country where it is not indig- 

 enous. The flowers are pea-shaped, and 

 mostly yellow or purple. Several of our na- 

 tive species j^roduce a fruit resembling green 

 plums, that are edible. On the prairies they 

 are called Ground Plums. A. mollissimua, 

 popularly known as "Loco," or "Crazy 

 Weed," is the notorious cattle-poisoning 

 weed of Colorado and California. Cattle and 

 horses eating it show many of the symptoms 

 of drunkenness, and under certain circum- 

 stances the results are fatal. The gum-like 

 substance called Tragacanth is the produce 

 of several species growing in Persia, Asia 

 Minor, and Kurdistan. The gum exudes 

 naturally from the bark in the same way that 

 gum exudes from the bark of Cherry or Plum 

 trees. While many of the species are useful 

 or ornamental, by far the larger number are 

 troublesome weeds. 



Astra'ntia. A genus of UmbellifercB. Native of 

 Europe and Western Asia, containing ten or 

 twelve species. They are hardy herbaceous 

 perennials, with black aromatic roots, and 

 generally white or pink flowers. A. Camiola 

 and A. Major are the most distinct and orna- 

 mental species, easily increased by root divi- 

 sion. 



Astroca'ryum. From astron, a star, and 

 karyon, a nut; referring to the distribution 

 of the fruit. Nat. Ord. PalmacecE. 



A small genus of Palms allied to Cocos, 

 chiefly natives of the Upper Amazon. They 

 have large pinnate leaves, and are armed with 

 spines, sometimes a foot long, and exceedingly 

 sharp. The fruit of some of the species fur- 

 nishes food for cattle and swine. The young 

 leaves of A. vulgare yield a fine thread, from 

 which the best hammocks are woven. 



Ata'ccia. Malay name. Nat. Ord. TaecaceoB. 

 There are few more remarkable-looking 

 plants than A. cristata, sometimes met in the 

 gardens under the incorrect name of Tacca 

 integrifolia. It has a short, conical, under- 

 ground caudex, or rhizome, and produces 

 from this caudex three or four large, oblong, 

 acuminate, purplish-green stalked leaves. 



