THLADIANTHA 



GOUBD OBDEB 



BBYONIA 461 



from the spring frosts. By the end of May or the first week of June, the seed- 

 lings may be transferred to the positions in which they are to flower and 

 fruit. They require plenty of water during the summer, and should be well 

 mulched with rotted manure to prevent evaporation from the soil and to 

 replenish the food taken from it by the gross-feeding roots. 



Gourds have been grown successfully simply by sowing the seeds in the 

 flowering quarters about the second week in May, and in mild localities this 

 method might be adopted to save the labour of transplanting from frames. 



THLADIANTHA.— This genus con- 

 sists of 3 or 4 species of softly downy climb- 

 ing plants with ovate heart-shaped, deeply 

 lobed, toothed leaves, dioecious flowers, 

 and oblong, fleshy, many-ribbed fruits, 

 with hoUows between the ribs. 



T. dubia, the only species generally 

 grown, is a native of India and China. 

 It has tuberous roots and climbing stems 

 which reach a height of 12 to 20 ft. in the 

 course of the season in favourable situa- 

 tions. They are furnished with ornamental 

 heart-shaped, hairy leaves, and in summer 

 produce an abundance of yellow flowers, 

 succeeded by bright red fruits about the 

 size and shape of a hen's egg and covered 

 with downy hairs. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species grows in ordinary soil, and is best 

 against a sunny wall, although almost any 

 position will suit it in milder parts. 



It is rarely seen in fruit, simply because 

 the fact mentioned above is usually over- 

 looked, viz. that the flowers are dicecious, 

 that is, the male and female flowers are 

 borne on separate plants. To secure a crop 

 of the brightred fcuits, therefore, itis essen- 

 tial to have a male and female plant close 

 together, or at least convenient to one 

 another, so that the pollen may be used 

 for fertilising the pistils. The climbing 

 stems die down to the tuberous rootstock 

 every winter. 



Propagation is easily effected by divi- 

 ding the tuberous rootstocks in spring. 

 Seeds may also be sown in gentle heat 

 about March, afterwards pricking out the 

 seedlings and growing the plants on in 

 pots until about the end of May or begin- 

 ning of June when they may be transferred 

 to the outdoor garden. 



BRYONIA (Bbyony).— A genus of 

 slender cMmbing perennial herbs, with 3-5 

 angled or lobed leaves, and small dirty 

 white or yellow flowers usually dicecious. 

 Fruit small, red, black, or green. 



The plant known as ' Black ' Bryony 

 (Tamus communis) is described at p. 884. 



B. dioica. — A hairy slender cHmber, 

 native of the hedges and thickets in Eng- 

 land. It has large, fleshy, tuberous root- 

 stocks, and roundish heart-shaped 5-lobed 

 leaves 3-5 in. across. The hairy greenish 

 flowers ^-| in. across appear in corymbose 

 clusters jfrom May to September, and the 

 female ones are followed by red berries 

 J in. in diameter. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 grows rapidly in any soil, and is very 

 useful for trailing over old hedges, fences, 

 walls &o. Notwithstanding the fact that 

 it is a British weed it is a very ornamental 

 plant both when in flower and in fruit. It 

 may be increased by sowing seeds in the 

 open ground when ripe. Once established 

 in a garden to clamber over rough hedges, 

 fences &c. it may be left to look after itself. 



B. erythrocarpa [Bryonopsis). — An 

 East Indian annual climber often attain- 

 ing a height of 9-10 ft. in the course of 

 the season. It has alternate palmate 

 leaves with 5 oval lance-shaped toothed 

 lobes separated from each other by round- 

 ish sinuses. Both male and female flowers 

 are borne on the same plant, and not on 

 separate ones as in the Bryony. They 

 are yellowish-green, the female (or pistil- 

 late) ones being in due course succeeded 

 by roundish berries, about the size of 

 a Cherry, which are green at first, then 

 striped with white and afterwards deep 

 crimson spotted with white. 



B. laciniosa is closely related but 

 difi'ers chiefly in the berries, which are 

 yellowish-green striped with white, and 

 not so ornamental as those of B. erythro- 

 carpa. 



Culture and Propagation. — Owing to 

 the graceful climbing habit and foliage 

 and the colouring of the fruits, these plants 

 are worth growing among other annual 

 climbers and are useful for covering trel- 

 lises &c. Seeds may be sown in gentle 

 heat in March, and the young seedlings 

 grown on in pots until the endof May and 

 then planted out. 



