ADESMIA. 



4 



AERIDES. 



mon Monkshood, with intensely dark- 

 blue flowers, the root of which has fre- 

 quently occasioned death, from having 

 been eaten by mistake instead of 

 celery; A. author a, the wholesome 

 Wolfsbane, with very handsome yellow 

 flowers, and the root of which, 

 though poisonous in itself, is said to 

 be an antidote to the poison of the 

 common Monkshood ; A. ochroleu- 

 cum, with pale yellow flowers, which 

 are more curious than handsome, and 

 A. septentrionale, a beautiful plant 

 with dark purple flowers tipped with 

 green, a native of the Carpathian 

 mountains. All the species will grow 

 to the height of three or four feet in 

 the open air ; but they may be 

 dwarfed and rendered bushy by grow- 

 ing them in very small pots, and 

 frequently shifting them into others, 

 gradually getting larger, till they are 

 about to flower, when the pots may be 

 set out on a lawn or terrace, or plunged 

 into the open ground. 

 Aconite, Winter. — See Era'nthis. 



AcT.ffiA. — Ranunculacece . — Little 

 British and European plants with 

 white flowers, and black berries, 

 which are poisonous. The English 

 name of the genus is Bane-berry ; but 

 the only British species is called Herb 

 Christopher. It requires a shady 

 situation, and a calcareous soil. 



A'cynos. — Labiates. — A perennial 

 plant somewhat resembling thyme. 

 A. vulgaris, the only ornamental 

 species, is a native of Europe, not 

 above six inches high, and of easy 

 culture in any common soil. 



Adam's Needle. — See Yu'cca. 



Adenocarpus. — See Cytisus. 



Adeno'phora. — Campanulaceos. 

 — Perennial plants with blue bell- 

 shaped flowers, resembling the Cam- 

 panulas. They require to be planted in 

 rich but light soil, and are easily killed 

 by much moisture. Natives of Siberia, 

 and propagated by division of the root. 



Ade'smia, Dec. Legurninbsce. — 



Herbaceous plants and shrubs with 

 yellow pea-like flowers, growing freely 

 in the open air in any common soil. 



Adia'ntum. — Cri/ptogamia. — 

 Maiden-hair, a kind of fern. 



Adlu x mia. — FumariacecB. — A 

 climbing biennial, with pinkish 

 flowers like those of the fumitory. 

 It is a native of North America, and 

 will grow in any common soil. The 

 seeds should be sown in autumn, 

 and the young plants kept in pots in 

 a greenhouse or frame, for planting 

 out in spring. Thus treated, and 

 trained to a trellis or wire frame, 

 they will begin to flower in June, 

 and will continue producing abundance 

 of flowers during the whole summer. 



Ado^nis. — Ranunculacece. — Her- 

 baceous plants with showy flowers, 

 natives of Europe, of easy culture in 

 any common soil. The most orna- 

 mental species are A. vernalis, the 

 spring-flowering Adonis, a perennial 

 with bright yellow flowers, which is 

 quite hardy, and is easily increased by 

 division of the root; and A . autumnalis, 

 the common annual Flos Adonis, or 

 Pheasant's Eye, with dark crimson 

 flowers. All the species will grow 

 in any common garden soil ; and the 

 annual kinds should be sown in 

 autumn, as they will stand the winter 

 in the open air, — or in February or 

 March, as they are a long time before 

 they come into flower. The seeds 

 will keep good several years. 



.ZEchme v a — Bromeliacece. — Parasi- 

 tical stove-plants, natives of the West 

 Indies, with leaves like the pine-apple, 

 but producing their flowers (which 

 are red and green, with bright scarlet 

 bracteas,) in spikes. The fruit is a 

 bright blue berry, and very orna- 

 mental. 



^Eci'dium.— A kind of fungus which 

 is sometimes found on the leaves of 

 plants belonging to the genus Pyrus. 



Aeride v s. — Orchidacece. — Stove 

 ephiphytes, natives of the East 



