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PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS zanthoxylum 



Flowers from June to September, greenish 

 with entire or slightly toothed, boat-shaped 

 petals. 



Culture So. as above. The leaves are 

 sometimes used for seasoning, 



DICTAMNUS {Dittany ; Burning 

 Bush; Fraxinella). — A genus with only 

 one species : — 



D. Fraxinella. — A strong- smelling 

 herb, shrubby at the base, 1-2 ft. high, 

 native of S. Europe, with alternate un- 

 equally pinnate leaves, having 4-5 pairs 

 of finely serrulated leaflets. Flowers 

 from May to July, pale lOao-rose, 

 feathered vidth pin-ple veins. The variety 

 alba has white, unveined flowers, and 

 white stamens with yellow anthers. 

 Calyx 5-parted, deciduous, lower segments 

 longest. Petals 5, the 4 upper ones 

 ascending in pairs, the lower one bent 

 downwards. Disc annular, fleshy. 

 Stamens 10, bent down, free, inserted 

 with the petals at the base of the disc. 



Culture and Propagation. ■ — This 

 plant thrives in light, loamy, well-drained 

 soil, and in partially shaded situations. 

 It may be increased either by seeds sown 

 as soon as ripe, or better still by cutting 

 the fleshy roots into pieces in the spring. 

 The seeds may be sown in cold frames, 

 but very often will not germinate until 

 the following spring. The seedlings are 

 then pricked out into light rich soU, and 

 grown on with one or two removals until 

 they are large enough for the flower border. 

 It takes two or three years to obtain good 

 flowering plants from seeds. The Dictam- 

 nus may also be increased by cuttings of 

 the root about 2 in. long inserted in 

 light rich soil in gentle bottom heat early 

 in the year. They produce good plants 

 quicker than seeds. 



As ornamental border plants, both the 

 red and white forms of D. Fraxinella 

 may be placed in the front rank for the 

 beauty and profusion of their flowers, 

 and the generally beautiful aspect when 

 well established. One of the miost re- 

 markable features of the plants, especially 

 during the flowering season, is the fact 

 that the fragrant oil or resin which exudes 

 from the rusty-coloured glands is capable 

 of being ignited on a dark summer's night. 

 The plant may thus easily be distinguished 

 from all others in the vicinity, not only 

 by this phenomenon, but also by the very 

 strong and at the same time agreeable 

 odour which pervades the atmosphere. 



CHOISYA (Mexican Oeange 

 Flower). — There is only one species in 

 this genus : — 



C. ternata. — A beautiful Mexican 

 shrub 4-10 ft. high, readily recognised by 

 its opposite, ternate, smooth, shining 

 green leaves, full of pellucid dots. Flowers 

 in simamer, white, sweet-scented, freely 

 produced on axillary stalks near the ends 

 of the branches, and reminding one of 

 those of the orange. Sepals 5, mem 

 branous, deciduous, imbricate. Petals 5. 

 membranous, spreading, oblong. Sta 

 mens 10, inserted at the base of the disc, 

 the alternate ones longer. Disc columnar, 

 thick, erect, hairy. 



Culture a/nd Propagation. — This fine 

 shrub thrives in light, rich soil with a 

 south or west aspect, and will soon make 

 a good bush in congenial quarters. It 

 may also be grown against a wall, and if 

 not hacked about too much with the 

 knife its shoots wiU be laden annually 

 with clusters of sweet-scented Orange-like 

 blossoms. 



Ripened cuttings strike freely in 

 sandy soil imder a glass in gentle heat 

 during spring or early summer. Layers 

 may also be made. In the mUd southern 

 parts of the kingdom, as in Cornwall, the 

 Mexican Orange often flowers twice and 

 sometimes three times a year, and will 

 bear several degrees of frost vfithout 

 injury. In such places cuttings may be 

 also freely rooted in cold frames or even 

 in the open border. 



ZANTHOXYLUM (Toothache 

 Tree; Prickly Ash). — This genus is 

 sometimes spelt Xanthoxylum or Xaii- 

 thoxylon. It contains about 80 species of 

 smooth or downy shrubs or trees, with or 

 without spines or prickles. The alternate 

 leaves are unequally pinnate or 3-foholate, 

 and the small white or greenish polyga- 

 mous flowers are borne in axillary or 

 terminal cymes or clusters. Calyx 3-5- 

 cleft. Petals 3-5, very rarely none. Sta- 

 mens 3-5, hypogynous. Carpels 1-5, 

 oblique, 1-celled, becoming dry or juicy 

 fruits when ripe. 



Z. americanum. — This is the common 

 Toothache Tree of N. America. It grows 

 12-15 ft. high, audits leaves are composed 

 of 9-11 ovate and slightly serrate leaflets, 

 the roundish leaf stalks being furnished 

 with prickly stipules at the base. The 

 small whitish flowers are produced in 

 clusters in the leaf axUs about March and 

 April. 



