VIOLET. 
596 
and blooming in May and June; the peach- 
leaved, V. persicifolia, a hardy, erect, annual- 
stemmed, cream-flowered annual, about a foot 
high, introduced from Germany in 1817, and 
blooming in June and July; Broussonnet’s, V. 
Broussonetiana, a frame, erect, annual-stemmed, 
blue-flowered perennial, introduced from Tene- 
riffe in 1817, and blooming in June and July; 
the two-flowered, V. diflora, a hardy, erect, an- 
nual-stemmed, yellow-flowered perennial, about 
3 inches high, introduced from Switzerland in 
1752, and blooming in April and May; the spur- 
red, V. calcarata, a hardy, erect, annual-stemmed, 
light blue-flowered perennial, about 6 inches 
high, introduced from Switzerland in 1752, and 
blooming from March till June; the arborescent, 
V. arborescens, a green-house, erect, evergreen, 
pale blue flowered undershrub, about 18 inches 
high, introduced from Spain in 1779, and bloom- 
ing in April and May; the twiggy, V. sarmentosa, 
a hardy, evergreen, blue-flowered creeper, about 
3 inches high, introduced from Caucasus in 1824, 
and blooming in June and July; Kroher’s, V. 
Krohert, a hardy, erect, annual-stemmed, pale 
red-flowered perennial, about 3 inches high, in- 
troduced from Siberia in 1820, and blooming in 
May and June; the streaked, V. striata, a hardy, 
erect, annual-stemmed, striped-flowered peren- 
nial, about 6 inches high, introduced from North 
America in 1772, and blooming in June and July; 
the Canadian, V. Canadensis, a hardy, erect, an- 
nual-stemmed, white-flowered perennial, about 6 
inches high, introduced from North America in 
1783, blooming in May and June, and comprising 
a variety with blue and white flowers; and the 
attenuated, V. attenuata, a hardy, erect, herba- 
ceous, white-flowered evergreen, about 4 inches 
high, introduced from North America in 1812, 
and blooming from April till August. 
_ VIOLET (Catatutan). See Gentian. 
VIOLET (Dame’s). See Rocker. 
VIOLET (Spuruzss),— botanically Hrpetion. 
A small genus of low, evergreen, frame, trailing, 
ornamental plants, of the violet order. Two 
species, the ivy-leaved and the reniform, were 
introduced to Britain in 1823 from Australia; 
and both have a height of only one or two inches, 
_and carry pale blue flowers from May till Octo- 
ber, and love a mixed soil of sand and peat and 
loam, and are propagated by radical division. 
VIOLET (Watzr). See FEaATHERFOIL. 
VIPER. See Appr. 
VIPER GRASS. See Scorzonura. 
VIPER’S BUGLOSS. See Bucioss (VipEr’s). 
VIRGAUREA. See Goupren Rop. 
VIRGILIA. A genus of ornamental exotic 
shrubs, of the sophora division of the leguminous 
order. The yellow-flowered species, V. lutea, is 
hardy, deciduous, and from 15 to 20 feet high, 
and blooms in June and July; and was intro- 
duced to Britain about 37 years ago from North 
America. Five greenhouse evergreen species, 
varying in height from 4 to 10 feet, and mostly 
VISMEA. 
carrying yellow flowers in summer or autumn, 
have been introduced from Africa. All the six 
species are propagated from cuttings; and most 
thrive best in a soil of peaty loam. 
VIRGINIAN CRESS,—botanically Zepidium 
Virginicum. A hardy, annual, salad plant, of 
the pepperwort genus and cruciferous order. It 
was introduced to Britain from North America 
in 1713. Its stem is about a foot high; its leaves 
are like those of water cress, but somewhat more 
bitter; its flowers are white, and have a very 
short style, and naturally bloom in June and 
July; and its silicles have a sub-elliptic form, 
and are emarginate at the top. It is suitable to 
be used in winter and early spring salads; but 
is far less in request than some of the other 
cresses. Sowings of it should be made in light 
dry earth, either broadcast or in drills nine inches 
apart, in the latter half of August or the early 
part of September. The situation for it must be 
sheltered ; and the beds of it should be covered, 
during severe winter weather, with light twigs, 
dry litter, or any similar substance. 
VIRGINIAN HEMP. See Acnipvs. 
VIRGINIAN POKE-WEED. See Puyronacca. 
VIRGIN’S BOWER. See Crumatis. 
VISCARIA. A genus of ornamental, herba- 
ceous plants, of the carnation family. It was 
erected, not long ago, out of the lychnis genus, 
and may be popularly designated rock lychnis. 
Its name viscaria is formed from a word signi- 
fying bird-lime or glue, and alludes to the gluti- 
nousness of the stems. The neglected species, V. 
neglecta, is a hardy, white-flowered, summer- 
blooming evergreen of 8 or 9 inches in height ; 
and thrives in any common soil, and is propa- 
gated by radical division. 
VISCERA. The internal or contained organs 
of the animal body, particularly the saccous and | 
tubular ones situated in the thoracic and abdo- | 
The word viscus is the singular | 
of viscera; and though most expressive when | 
minal cavities. 
used in reference to such hollow organs as the 
stomach or the bowels, may also be applied to 
comparatively solid contained organs, such as 
the lungs, the heart, or the kidneys. 
VISCUM. Sec Mistirror. 
VISCUS. Birdlime, glue, or any other sticky 
semi-fluid; also, a glutinous secretion or sticki- 
ness on the stems or leaves or other parts of 
plants; also, any intestinal organ of the animal 
frame. Viscera, in the last of these senses, seem 
to take their name from the mucous and some- 
what glutinous secretion with which the intesti- 
nal organs are lubricated. See the article Vis- 
CERA. 
VISMEA. A genus of ornamental, tropical, 
evergreen shrubs, of the St. John’s wort family. 
The Guiana wax-tree species and the Brazilian: 
wax-tree species, both about 8 or 9 feet high, 
and carrying yellow flowers from July till Octo- 
ber, were introduced to British collections in 
1824; and the smooth species about 10 or 12 
