100 



ARONIA 



ARTICHOKE 



ABdNIA, See Sorius. A. alnifolia, Nutt. = Ame- 

 lanohier alnifolia. 



ABPOPHtrmTM {Oimiter and leaf). Orchid&cece, 

 tribe Epidindrem. Epipiiytes : racemes dense, cylin- 

 drical, erect : Ivs. strap-shaped or linear, on jointed, 

 terete stems : fls. small, inverted ; segments concave. 

 —Orchids of minor importance. Consult Dpidendrum. 



gigant^um, Lindl. Plants robust : sts. about 10 in. 

 high : Ivs. coriaceous, strap-shaped ; peduncle stout : 

 raceme several in. long ; fls. numerous, pink-purple. 

 Mex. — Give plenty of light. 



spic&tum, Have et Le^. Smaller than the above : Ivs. 

 linear : fls. paler. B.M.6022. 



AHROW-EOOT. An edible starch, obtained from the 

 rhizomes of various scitaminaoeous plants, as Maranta, 

 Curcuma, Tacca, Canna. The West Indian Arrow-root 

 is mostly from Maranta arundinacea, Linn. The Bra- 

 zilian is from Manihot utilissima, Pohl. The East In- 

 dian is chiefly from Curcuma angiisiifolia, RoKbg. Po- 

 tato and maize starches are also a source of Arrow-root. 

 Arrow-root is also obtained from Manihot. 



ARTABOTBYS {suspend firapes, alluding to the hang- 

 ing fruit). Anon&ce<e. About 25 tropical climbing 

 Bhrubs, with 3-sepaled and 6-petaled solitary or fascicu- 

 late fls., and shining evergreen foliage. 



odoratissimus, E. Br. Lvs. oblong or lanceolate, 

 pointed, thick, dark glossy green ; fls. brownish, very 

 fragrant: hooks on the peduncles. E. led. B.E. 423.— 

 Hardy in S. Fla. and S. Cal., and somewhat cult. The 

 ylang-ylang perfume is made from the fls. The lvs. are 

 used in native medicine. 



ABTEMlSIA (Ariemisia, wife of Mausolus). Com- 

 pSsitce. A large genus of aromatic herbs and small 

 shrubs, mostly in the northern hemisphere, and most 

 aoundant in arid regions. Lvs. alternate, often dis- 

 sected ; heads small and mostly inconspicuous, numer- 

 ous, and generally nodding, with yellow or whitish 

 florets. In the West, many of the species, particularly 

 A. trtdentata, are known as Sage Brush. Grown for 

 their medicinal properties or for foliage effects. The 

 cult, kinds are perennials, and thrive in the most ordi- 

 nary conditions, even in poor and dry soil. Prop, mostly 

 by division. For an account of the species, see Besser, 

 in DeCandolle's Prodromus, vol. 6, and Gray, in Synop- 

 tical Flora, vol. 1, part 2. 



A. S'eads with two kinds of florets (heterogamous). 



B. Disk-fls. with l)Oth stamens and pistils, but the 



ovary abortive {not producing seed) : style itsu- 

 ally entire. 



DraciSnculus, Linn. Tarragon. Estragon. Herb ; 

 green and glabrous, with erect, branched stems 2 ft. 

 high : radical lvs. 3-parted at the top ; stem-lvs. linear 

 or lanceolate, entire or small-toothed : panicle spread- 

 ing, with whitish green, nearly globular fl. -heads. Eu. 

 R.H. 1896, p. 285. — Tarragon lvs. are used for seasoning, 

 but the plant is little grown in this country. The lvs. 

 may be dried in the fall, or roots may be forced in a 

 coolhouse in the winter. Prop, by division ; rarely pro- 

 duces seed. 



Canadensis, Michx. Herb, 2 ft. or less high, glabrous 

 or very nearly so : lvs. usually 2-pinnate, with filiform, 

 plane lobes ; fls. in a long, narrow panicle, with numer- 

 ous small greenish heads. Wild on banks and plains in 

 the northern part of the country. Int. 1891. 



Jilifdlia, Torr. Shrubby, canesceut, 3 ft. or less high, 

 very leafy, the branches rigid : lvs. filiform, the lower 

 usually 3-parted : panicle long and leafy. Plains, W.— 

 Plant has a purplish, mist-like aspect when in fruit. 



BB. Disk-fls. perfect and fertile: style B-cleft. 

 Kj. JSeceptacle hairy. 



frfgida, Willd. Herb, 8-12 in., with a woody base, 

 silvery canescent : lvs. much cut into linear lobes : 

 heads small and globular, with pale involucre, in nu- 

 merous racemes. Plains and mountains W. Int. 1883.— 



Good for borders. Known in Colo, as " Mountain Fringe," 

 and used medicinally. 



Absinthium, Linn. Wormwood. Almost shrubby, 2-4 

 ft. high, spreading and branchy, white-silky : lvs. 2-3- 

 parted into oblong, obtuse lobes : heads small and nu- 

 merous, in leafy panicles. —Wormwood is native to Eu., 

 but it occasionally escapes from gardens. It is a common 

 garden herb, being used in domestic medicine, especially 

 as a vermifuge. Wormwood tea is an odorous memory 

 with every person who was reared in the country. 



arg^ntea, L'Her. Shrubby, erect : lvs. white-silky, 

 2-pinnate, the lobes linear or lanceolate : heads globu- 

 lar, tomentose, nodding, in racemose panicles ; 1-2 ft. 

 Madeira. — Useful for rookwork. 



CO. Seceptacle not hairy. 



Abrdtanum, Linn. Sodthernwood. Old Man. 

 Shrubby, 3-5 ft., green and glabrous, the st. rather 

 strict : lvs. 1-3-pinnately divided, the divisions flne- 

 flliform : panicle loose, with yellowish white heads, Eu. 

 — Southernwood is grown for its pleasant-scented foli- 

 age ; and it sometimes escapes into waste places. 



Pdntica, Linn. Roman Wormwood. Shrubby, erect, 

 1-4 ft. : lvs. canescent below, pinnatisect, the lobes 

 linear ; panicle open and long, with small, globular, 

 nodding, whitish yellow heads. Eu. — Roman wormwood 

 is used for the same purposes as A. Absinthium, and 

 is more agreeable. Chief source of absinthe. 



vulgiris, Linn. Mdgwort. Herb, erect, paniculately 

 branched : lvs. white-cottony beneath but soon green 

 above, 2-pinnately cleft, with lanceolate lobes : upper 

 lvs. sometimes linear ; heads many, oblong, yellowish. 

 Eu. and northern N. Amer., and naturalized in E. 

 states.— Mugwort is grown for the ornament of its foli- 

 age. There are variegated-leaved and golden-leaved va- 

 rieties. It was once a domestic remedy. Variable. 



Stelleriina, Bess. Old Woman. Herb, 2 ft., from a 

 woody creeping base, densely white tomentose : lvs. 

 pinnatifid, with obtuse lobes • heads large and many- 

 fld., in a racemose-glomerate inflorescence. N. E.Asia 

 and on the coast of Mass. — ^Attractive from its whiteness. 

 Useful for borders. 



Ludoyiciflna, Nutt. Herb, 2-3 ft., white-tomentose or 

 lvs. becoming greenish above : lvs. linear to oblong, the 

 lower ones toothed or parted, the upper ones entire : 

 heads small, bell-shaped, paniculate. Plains and banks, 

 W. Int. 1891. 



aa. Heads with perfect fls . throughout : receptacle 

 not hairy. 



arhiiscula, Nutt. Sage Brush. Shrubby ; a foot or 

 less high : lvs. short, wedge-shaped, 3-lobed, the lobes 

 obovate and often 2-lobed, canescent : panicle simple 

 and strict, often spike-like, the 5-9-fld. heads erect. 

 Plains, W. 



tridentita, Nutt. Sage Brush. Shrubby ; reaching 

 height of 12 ft. , although often only a foot high, branchy, 

 canescent : lvs. wedge-shaped, 3-7-toothed or lobed, 

 truncate at the summit, the uppermost ones narrower : 

 heads 5-8-fld. Plains, W. Int. 1881. t tt ^ 



L. xl. is. 



ABTICHOEE {Cynctra Scdlymus tUmi.) . Compdsitm. 

 A coarse and robust perennial, cult, for the edible fl.- 

 headsandlvs. The fl. -heads are 3-5 in. across just before 

 they open, and at this stage they are cut for the table. 

 The fleshy outer scales and the " bottom " of the head 

 (this is, the receptacle, the florets being removed) are 

 eaten raw or cooked. When the blue florets begin to show, 

 the head is too old for eating. Fig. 144 shows edible heads. 

 For pickling, the heads are often taken when only half 

 grown. The young sts. and lvs. are sometimes blanched 

 and eaten, after the manner of cardoons ; and these parts 

 comprise the " Artichoke salad '' of the markets. There are 

 a score or more varieties in European gardens, but the 

 Globe is the one generally sold here. 



Although the Artichoke is perennial, the plant declines 

 in vigor after it has borne two or three crops. In the N. 

 the plants should be protected in winter with a liberal 

 mulch. Artichokes are of easiest culture on rich soil. 

 As they grow 3-5 ft. high and branch freely, and make 

 lvs. 3 ft, long, they should not be set nearer than 2 or 3 



