82 
THE FLORIST AND POHOLOGIST. 
from the most reliable sources, that it cannot fail to be invaluable to the general 
reader as a work of reference, and useful to the student as well. The vegetable 
products used in the arts and manufactures of this country are so diverse in 
their character, and imported from such distant parts of the world, that infor¬ 
mation is often sought, and sought in vain, as to their origin and uses; and 
not unfrequently those even who import or employ a particular article know 
that it comes from a certain place, and is used for a particular purpose, but 
nothing of the plant from which it is derived. By those, however, who are 
desirous of further information, not the imperfect or even inaccurate informa¬ 
tion too frequent in popular works, it will be found in the pages of the 
“ Treasury of Botany,” for there nearly every plant of economical interest is 
noticed at some length, and even comparatively obscure genera receive a 
share of attention. The scope of the work will be best understood from the 
preface, which states that the object “ was to bring together, into the form 
of a dictionary, a concise account of all the plants concerning which a general 
reader was likely to seek for information ; adding thereto, where practicable, 
longer notices of the more remarkable species, together with such popular 
matter as would give interest to the otherwise dry technical character of 
generic or specific descriptions.” The plan was arranged with the assistance 
of Dr. Bindley, and its execution was superintended by him as far as the letter 
C, after which, owing to his declining health, the whole task of supervision 
devolved on Mr. Moore. The names of the contributors of the several articles 
are well known, and though, of course, we do not pretend to have read through 
a work of such extent, we have, so far as we have seen, found the information 
trustworthy and the style pleasant. The descriptive letterpress of the illustra¬ 
tions of the aspects of vegetation in different parts of the -world is contributed 
by Dr. Seemann; and there are, besides, a useful glossary of botanical terms, 
and a list of the English, French, and local names of plants. 
One extract will serve to give an idea of the information afforded under each 
heading. It relates to the genus Agave, respecting which the erroneous 
popular notion prevails that one of the species, the American Aloe, flowers but 
once in a hundred years. After describing the characters of the genus, Mr. 
Moore says :— 
“ The best known species, A. americana, commonly called the American Aloe, affords a 
very good illustration of the family. This species is almost stemless —that is to say, its tuft 
of massive leaves is seated close to the ground, and they spread out on all sides so as to 
occupy considerable space. These leaves are very thick and fleshy, consisting of hard, firm, 
pulpy matter intermixed with fibres; they are from 3 to 6 feet long, furnished with hard 
spines, both along the margins and at the point. These leaves are very durable, continuing 
to exist for many years. The plants are long in arriving at a mature or flowering age; 
indeed, so slow is their progress, under the artificial conditions in which they are placed in 
our gardens, ds to have led to a popular though erroneous notion that they flower once only 
in a century. In reality they flower but once, the mature condition being attained in a 
longer or shorter period, ten to fifty or seventy years or more, according to the accelerating 
or retarding influences under which, they are placed. Having, however, acquired full growth, 
the plant produces its giant flower-stem from the centre of the leaves, after which it perishes. 
New plants are formed around the base of the old one in the form of suckers. After the 
first appearance of the stem, it grows very rapidly, until'a height of from 15 to 20 or even 
40 feet is reached; and, towards the tip, a multitude of symmetrically-disposed horizontal 
branches are produced, at the ends of which branches are crowded the numerous erect 
yellowish green flowers, by which a sweetish liquid is secreted. The flowering plant remains 
for some weeks an object of interest, the flowers being durable and produced in succession. 
“ The American Aloe appears to have been first introduced to Europe in 1561, at which 
date it is recorded as being in the possession of Cortusus. Parkinson, in 1640, relates that it was 
first brought into Spain, and from thence spread into all quarters, but is silent as to its being 
in England. A plant flowered in Paris in 1663. Mr. Versprit, of Lambeth, flowered one, 
12 to 15 feet high, about 1698, it being then a great rarity. Two were bloomed at Hampton 
Court about 1714. There is a wood engraving extant with the inscription ‘Aloe americana 
