ACHLYS 



ACHLYS (the goddess of obscurity). BerberidAcece. 

 Hardy herbaceous perennial. Fls. minute, numerous, 

 spicate, on a slender scape. 



triphylla, DC. Root-stock terminated by a strong, 

 scaly winter -bud : Ivs. 1 or 2 ; leaflets 3, fan-shaped, 

 sinuate-dentate, 2;^ x 5 in. : scape 1 ft. long: spike 1 in. 

 long. Spring. W. N. Amer.- An interesting and deli- 

 cate plant. Int. 1881. 



ACHBAS. See Sapodillo. 



ACHYRANTHES. See Iresine. 



ACIDANTHfiRA (pointed anthers). Irid&cece. Ten- 

 der herbaceous perennials, intermediate between Gladio- 

 lus and Ixia. Lvs. many, linear ensiform, l-l%tt. long: 

 spikes iJ-6-flowered, simple, lax : fls. long-tubed, some- 

 what pendulous : conns roundish, flattened, covered with 

 a matted fiber. — Prop, by seed or by the numerous oorms. 



hlcolor, HocTist. St. 15-18 in.: fls. creamy white, 

 blotched chocolate brown within, fragrant : corms X-1 

 in. in diam. Abyssinia. G.F. 1: 486, 487. Gn. 47:1014. 

 G.C. III. 20:393. Mn. 8 : 11. - Requires a somewhat 

 stiffer soil than the tender species of Gladiolus. May be 

 grown in a tub outdoors during summer, and flowered 

 within during Oct. Several corms in a large pot give 

 good results. Corms should be dried as soon as lifted, 

 to prevent rot. 



A. cequinoctictUs, Baker. St. 3-4 ft., stout, stiffly erect: lvs. 

 strongly i-ibbed: ils. white, blotched crimson or purple within: 

 corms large. Sierra Leone. B.M. 7393. May be a stronger 

 growing and more tropical form of the above. 



W. E. Endioott and W. M. 



ACINilTA (immouafiie, the lip being jointless). Orclii- 

 dAcetB. Stout epiphytes with interesting pendent scapes. 

 Pseudobulbs conspicuously furrowed, slightly com- 

 pressed : leaf-blades smooth, conspicuously veined, 

 plaited and pliable : fls. globose. As a genus it is too 

 near to Peristeria and Stanhopea. The species are 

 rarely seen, as they are less conspicuous in their color- 

 ing than many orchids. They require a warm house and 

 plenty of moisture during the growing season, with a 

 decided rest, to make them flower. Use baskets, not pots, 

 as the flower-spikes are produced from the base of the 

 bulbs, as in Stanhopea, and should have free egress or 

 they will be lost. Cult, by E. O. Obpet. 



Birkeri, Lindl. [PerisUria Sdrkeri, Batem.). Pseu- 

 dobulbs sub-conic, about 5 in. : leaf -blades longer than 

 in A. ffumboldtii : fls. 12 or more, in pendent racemes, 

 golden yellow spotted with brown. Mex. B.M. 4203. I.H. 

 2:44. Gn.54,p.332. P.M. 14:145. 



Hiimboldtii, Lindl. Pseudobulbs ovate, about 3 in. : 

 leaf -blades alsout 1 ft. long, lanceolate, acute : scapes 

 pendent, 2 ft. long ; fls. 6 or more, chocolate colored, 

 about 2 in. in diam. Ecuador, high elevations. Gn. 

 3:11. 



A. chrysdntka, Lindl. Racemes pendent ; fls. golden yellow, 

 with whitish labellum and crimson or purplish column; label- 

 lum furnished with a long, blunt, papillose horn. Mex. — A. 

 cUnsa, Lindl. (A. Warscewiczii, Klotzsch). Fls. subglobose, fra- 

 grant, pale yellow, spotted externally with reddish brown; label- 

 lum yellow, spotted with reddish brown. Costa Rica. — A.JIru- 

 byAna, Reichb. f . Fls. ivory white, in loose racemes ; lip spotted 

 purple.with erect side lobes. New Grenada. — A.sulcata,'B&ich\).t. 

 Similar to A. Humboldtii. Fls. yellow. Oakes Ames. 



ACONITUM 



19 



ACOEANTHSBA (mucronate anthers). ApocynAcece. 

 Tender shrubs, cult, in greenhouses North, and outdoors 

 in Fla. and Calif. Els. with the odor of jasmine, lasting. 



Spect4bilis, G. Don. (Toxicophlcm spectdiilis, Sond. 

 T. Th^nbergii, Hort., not Harv.). Lvs. 3-5 in. long, 

 short petiolate, leathery, elliptic, acute, shining above: 

 fls. numerous, in dense axillary, branched, short cymes, 

 pure white, very sweet scented. Natal. B.M. 6359. E.H. 

 1879:270. G.F. 6:185. G.C. 1872: 363.- Poisonous. The 

 plants ciilt. under this name are said by trade catalogues 

 to have pink or violet flowers. 



venenata, G. Don. {Toxicophloea cestroldes, DC. T. 

 Thimbergii, Harv., not Hort. ) . Fls. white or rose. Dif- 

 fers from the above in the well marked venation of the 

 leaves, its flowers athird smaller, its calyx not pubescent, 

 and its corolla-limb less widely spreading. 



ACONITE, WINTER. See ErantUs. 



ACONlTUM. BanuncwlAcece . Aconite. Monkshood. 

 Wolfsbane. A genus of hardy ornamental, perennial 

 herbs, much used in borders, etc. Many species are 

 planted in European gardens, but only nine have been 

 much used in America. The number of species varies 

 from 18 to 80, with different botanists. Native in moun- 

 tain regions of Europe, temperate Asia, and five in N. 

 Amer. Root tuberous, turnip-shaped, or thick fibrous : 

 St. tall or long, erect, ascending or trailing : lvs. pal- 

 mately divided or cleft and cut-lobed: fls. large, irregu- 

 lar, showy; sepals 5, the large upper sepal in shape of a 

 hood or helmet; petals 2-5, small; stamens numerous; 

 carpels 3-5, sessile, many-ovuled, forming follicles when 

 ripened. The following species do well in any garden 

 soil, but rich preferred; they thrive in open sun, but 

 flowers last longer in shaded places. Aconites should 

 never be planted in or too near the kitchen garden or 

 the children's garden, as the roots and some of the 

 flowers have a deadly poison. Prop, easily by division. 

 Reichenbach Monographia Generis Aconiti, Leipsic, 

 1820, 2 vols., folio. Reichenbach lUustratio Specierum 

 Aconiti, Leipsic, 1822-7, folio. 



A. Moots globular-tuberous. 

 B. Lvs. deeply cut, but not to the base. 



Fischeri, Reichb. (A. ColumbiAnum, Nutt. A. Cali- 

 Mrmjcitm, Hort.). Stems 4-6 ft.: lvs. large, smooth, 3- 

 parted, attractive; segments much cut and divided : fls. 

 numerous, pale blue, panicled, pedicels pubescent; hel- 

 mets hemispherioo-conical. Autumn. N. Amer. and 

 Asia. Int. 1889. B.M. 7130. 



Camm&rum, Linn. {A, decorum, Reichb.). St. 3-4 ft.: 

 lvs. with short, bluntish lobes: fls. purple or blue; pani- 

 cles or loose spikes few-flowered ; helmet hemispheri- 

 cal, closed. July-Sept. Hungary. Int. 1889. A. StorMA- 

 num, Reichb., is a dwarf form of this, with fewer flowers 

 and somewhat fibrous roots. 



uncin&tum, Linn. Wild Monkshood. St. slender, 

 3-5 ft., inclined to climb: lvs. thick, deeply cut into 3-5 

 cut-toothed lobes : fls. loosely panicled, but crowded at 

 the apex ; blue, pubescent, 1 inch broad ; helmet erect, 

 nearly as broad as long, obtusely conical : follicles 3. 

 June-Sept. Low grounds of Penn. S. and W., Japan. 

 Mn. 4: 81.— Much planted now. 



BB. Iais. divided to the base. 



varieg4tum, Linn. Erect, 1-6 ft. : lvs. variously di- 

 vided into usually broad lobes and cut divisions; lower 

 petioles long, others short or none: fls. in a loose pani- 

 cle or raceme, blue, varying to whitish, rather smooth; 

 helmet higher than wide, top curved forward ; visor 

 pointed, horizontal or ascending. July. Europe. A. 

 dlbum. Ait., is a pure white-flowered form of this, with 

 rather fibrous roots. 



AA. Hoots long -tuberous, 

 a. Carpels usually 5. 



Japdnicum, Decne. St. erect, 3-4 ft., smooth : lvs. 

 dark green, shining, petioled; lobes 2-3 times cut, the 

 parts blunt and deeply toothed: fls. large, deep blue or 

 violet, tinged with red, on loose panicles with ascending 

 branches ; helmet conical ; beak abruptly pointed ; fol- 

 licles 5. July-Sept. Japan. Int. 1889. R.H. 1851, p. 475. 

 Var. coeriileus, Hort. Fls. very abundant ; panicles 

 shortened. 



BB. Carpels S or 4. 



Nap61Iu3, Llnn.(.,l. Ta'iXricum, Jacq. A. pyramidAle, 

 Mill.). Tkue Monkshood. Opficinal Aconite. Fig. 25. 

 The best known and most poisonous species, and used 

 in medicine. Sts. erect, 3-4 ft. : lvs. divided to the 

 base, and cleft 2-3 times into linear lobes: fls. blue, in a 

 raceme; peduncles erect, pubescent; helmet broad and 

 low, gaping, smoothish : fr. 3-4-celled. June-July. Gn. 

 12, p. 362. — Very many varieties, differing in shade of 

 flowers, often mottled or lined with white. Var. ilbum 

 is nearly white. Var. bicolor and var. versicolor, much 

 used in gardens for the large blue and white flowers. 

 Reichenbach has divided this species into 20-30 species. 

 AAA. Roots in the form of a scaly, elongated bulb, «r 

 somewhat fibrous. 

 B. Sepals deciduous. 



autumnile, Reichb. Autumn Aconite. Fig. 26. St. 

 3-5 ft. : lvs. pedately 5-lobed: fls. in a simple spike, be- 



