The NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

JANUARY, 1940 The American· Horticultural Society

PRESENT ROll OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS April 1., 1939

OFFICERS President, Mr. B. Y. Morrison, Washington, D. C. First Vice-President, Mrs. Charles D. Walcott, Washington, D. C. Second Vice-President, Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Washington, D. C. Secretary, Mrs. Louis S. Scott, Alexandria, Virginia Treasurer, Mr. Henry Parsons Erwin, Washington, D. C. DIRECTORS Terms Expiring 1940 Terms Expiring 1941 Mrs. Mortimer]. Fox, Peekskill, N. Y. Mrs. Walter Douglas, Mexico, D. F. Mrs. Fairfax Harrison, Belvoir, Farquier Mrs. J. Norman Henry, Gladwyne, Pa. Co., Va. Mrs. Clement S. Houghton, Chestnut Hill, Mrs. Chester We1les, Washington, D. C. Mass. Mrs. William Holland Wilmer, Washington, Mr. Alfred Maclay, Tallahassee, Fla. D.C. Mrs. Arthur Hoyt Scott, Media, Pa. Dr. Donald Wyman, Jamaica Plain, Mass.

HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Mr. James H. Porter, Pres., Mrs. Clement Houghton, American Azalea & Camellia Society, American Rock Garden Society, Macon, Ga. 152 Suffolk Road, Chestnut Hill, Mass. Mr. Frank Harrison, Dr. L. M. Massey, American Begonia Society, American Rose Society, 712 E. Hardy St., State College of Agriculture, Inglewood, Calif. Ithaca, N. Y. Mr. Wm. T. Marshall, Pres., Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Dr. Robert T. Clausen, Pres., P. O. Box 101 , American Fern Society, Pasadena, Calif. Bailey Hortorium, Col. Edward Steichen, Pres., Ithaca. N. Y. Delphinium Society, Ridgefield, Conn. Mr. W. ]. McKee, Pres., Mrs. John H. Cunningham, Pres., American Iris Society, Herb Society of America, 45 Kenwood Ave., 53 Seaver St., Worcester, Mass. Brookline, Mass. Mr. Dick Cook, Pres., Mr. Chas. F. Wassenberg, Pres., Midwest Horticultural Society, American Peony Society, 100 North Central Park Blvd., Van Wert, Ohio. Chicago, III.

SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 1938 Acorn Club, American Fuchsia Society, 1715 Locust Ave., Miss Alice Eastwood, Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa. California Academy of Sciences, Alexandria, Virginia, Garden Oub, Golden Gate Park, Mrs. Joseph P. Crockett, President, San Francisco, Calif. 819 Prince St., Alexandria, Va. Bethesda Community Garden Oub, Mrs. Arthur Hilland, President, American Amaryllis Society, 158 Custer Road, Mr. Wyndham Hayward, Seoretary, Bethesda, Md. Winter Park, Fla. American Begonia Society, California Garden Club Federation, Mr. Frank Harrison, President, Miss E. Marlow, Lib., 712 E. Hardy St., 992 S. Oakland, Inglewood, Calif. Pasadena, Calif.

P ublicatiou Office. 32nd St. and Elm Ave., Baltimore, Md. Entered as second·class matter January 27. 1932. at the P ost Office at B altimore. Md., under the Act of August 24, 1912. Ca lifornia H orticulturai Society, Little Rock Federation of Garden Cluhs, Miss Cora R. Brandt, Secretary, Mrs. H. Roddy Jones, President, 485 California St., 401 Ridgeway, San Francisco" Calif. Little Rock, Ark. Chevy Chase (D. C.) Garden Cluh. Mrs. Paul S. Anderson, President, :vlichigan Horticultural Society, 63 19 Delaware St., Paul R. Krone, Secy., Chevy Chase, Md. H orticultural Building, East Lansing, Mich. Chevy Chase (Md.) Garden Club, Mrs. Rabert Ash, P resid ent, Midwest Horticultural Society, Ashley, Bradley Blvd., Mrs. Walter J. Scott, Secy., Bethesda, Md. 4921 W . Huron St. , Dayton Garden Center) Chi cago, Ill. c/o Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio. Nati onal Capital Dahlia Society, Dr. Charles C. Clark, Pres., Fauquier and Loud oun Garden Club, 21 W. Irving St., IVIrs. \Ai. F . Rust, President, Chevy Chase, Md. Leesburg, Va. New Eng l a l ~d Gladiolus Societ:;, Federated Garden Clubs of Cincinnati and J ames H. Odell , Chairman Ex. Comm .. Vici nity, Wellesley Hill s, Mass. lvI rs. Ca rey-Pratt McCord, Pres id ent, Glendale, Ohio. Northern Nut Growers Association, F'ederated Garden Clubs of Maryland , Dr. A. S. Colby, Pres., Mrs. Gideon N . Stieff, Pres., Urbana, Illinois. Room 300, The Belvedere, Baltimore, Md. Rock Garden Society of Ohio, ::VI rs. F rank Ga rry, Librarian, Forest Hills Garden Club, 5800 Wyatt Ave., :M rs. Victor V. Kelsey, Pres., Ken'nedy H eights. 4720 Linnean Ave., N. 'vV., Cincinnati, Ohio. Washington, D. C. Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, Takoma H orticultural Club, East Boulevard at E uclid Ave., lvlr. Clarence W . Moore, Pres .. Cleveland, Ohio. 135 1 Kalmia St., N. W ., W ashington, D. C. Ga rden Center Institute of Buffalo, Delaware Park Casin o, The Garden Cl ub of Mathews Co ., Buffalo, New York. Mrs. \Iv. H. Reed, Secretary, North, Mathews Co., Va. Garden Centre, % I vcys Store, The Little Garden Cl ub of Sandy Spring, Asheville, N . C. Mrs. 1ifahlon Kirke IV, Pres., Garden Club of Gloucester, Rockville, Md. M rs. N . S. Hopkins, Librarian, N uttall, Va. The Pittsburgh Garden Center, Garden Club of Kentucky, Schenl ey P ark, Mrs. Earl P . Rarold, Pres., Pittsburgh, Pa. Dowling Green, Ky. The San Francisco Garden Cluh, Ga rd en Cll:lb of Virginia, Room 133, Fairmount Hotel, Mrs. T hos. W. W hee lwri ght, Pres., San F rancisco, Ca l if. Buckhead Springs, Va. The Trowel Club, Georgetown Garden Cl ub, Mrs. Daniel B. Moffett, Pres., Mrs. Louis Mackall , President, 3900 Tunlaw Road, 3044 0 St., N. W ., 'Washin gton, D. C. W ashington, D. C. Halten Ga rden Clu b, \Vashington Garden Club, Mrs. \iVm. U. Beury, Pres., :\l1rs. Thomas F. Law, Pres., 120 Taplow Road. 1729 Varnum St., Baltimore, Md. Washington, D. C. Home Garden Club of Denver, \V ood ridge Garden Cl ub. 4864 Tennyson St., Dr. Freeman \Veiss, Pres. , Denver, Colo. 3223 Vista St .. N. E .. Lake Washington Garden Clu b, Washington, D. C. Mrs. Charl es C. i\Iay, Secretary, Room 4422, Worcester Countv Horticul tural Society, White-Hemy-Stuart Bldg., 30 Elm Street, S'eattle, Wash. 'vVorcester, Mass. [ i ] The National Horticultural Magazine

Vol. 19 Copyright, 1940, by THE AMER.l e AN H ORTI CU LT UR.AL SOCIETY No.1

JANUARY, 1940

CONTENTS

Some Eastern Penstemons. MARY G. HENRY ______1 O il Palms in F lorida, Haiti · and Panama. O . F. COOl<-- ______10 The Lava Beds of Idaho. ROBERT M. SENIOR ______36 T he Unusual Grape Ferns. V'; ARRE N C. \ i\TILSO N ______39 Rhododendron Notes: Rhodode·nd?'o'n, Decatros. JOSEPH B. GABLE ______43 R ock Garden Notes: Dwarf Brooms for the Rockery. CARL AND LO UISE STARKER ______44 Some Good Ga'rden Violets. A RTH UR H . OSMUN ______46 A Book or Two ______49 The Gardener's Pocketbook : M O?'aea· ?'(J;m osa. \ i\T . M . JA ME S______54 I p0111,oea lepto ph'ylla. CLA UDE A. BARR ______56 From The Midwest Horticultural Society. ROBERT VAN TRESS: Chama e cy patr is p is·ife r a /' l~b77 11 0 sa ______58 S oph01'a ia,po'nica ______58 V ibU1'1'l-U1n l'hyt ido phy/.lu11'l. ______59 Cot o'neast e1' 1'ace11% fi01'a so 09 a:rica______59 Spat ho d ea campam·ula ta ______59 S ch e ffl e-r a ac tino phylla ______62 B 01%ba X 1'11.aZabalr·icu111, ______62 Pac hi'ra f as tu 0s a ______64 A 11M1'b ocharis hete·rostjlla. CLA UDE HOPE ______66 F iC~bS m ys 01' ensis su b?' e pa11,d ens______70 Lavatem , Loveliness. -(LAUDE H OPE .______72 Two U seful Gasterias ______74 Watering Pot P lants ______74 N a1' cis sus b'/.(.f,b 0 c 0 d·i'bb1n 11'/,011.0 Ph yllus ______76 PIa 11 t N a n1 es ______76 N ymp h oides aquat-icu.111- ______76 Seen in the Catalogues ______77

Publi sh ed qu a ,·tel·ly by T Ile American Horticultu ral Society. Publicnt.ion offi ce, 32nd St. and Elm Ave., Bn.lbimore, Nld. E ditoria,l offi ce, Room 821, Vvashing ton Loan and Trust Building. 'Va,sh­ ingtoll, D. C. Contributions from all members are cOl'di aBy in vited a nd should be sent to the Ed~tor.i a.l offi ce. A subscription to the magazine is included in the Hnnual du es to aU members; to non-members the price is seven ty-fi ve cents the copy. tln-ee dollars a year. [ii 1 The National Horticultural Magazine Volume Nineteen

Washington, D. C. 1940 Copyright AIIl~l'i(·:lJl TT orlieu llllrnl Society, ) OtJ·O H. Pittie'r Fig. 1. Alfonsia in tropical 1,mderg1'owth Some Eastern Penstemons

MARY G. H ENRY

ONE can dig deeply into the beauti­ In large rock gardens penstemons ful Penstemon family, for it is full of are perfectly at home. In the nat ive unusual and splendid plants. habi tat of some of the eastern species F or one reason or another they are they often drape a section of a moun­ rarely seen in our gardens. Chi ef of tain side growing naturally among these reasons is because most ot them rocks, sometim es in crevices, where require v·ery special conditi ons and it is they make delightful ornaments, bloom­ hard to accommodate them. ing so freely that scarcely a leaf is seen Quite overshadowed by thei r bril­ of the green rosette that forms the base liant western cousins, but still suffi­ of the plant. In small rock gardens ciently beautiful to form exqui site and many of them make neat but striking impos ing displays. our eastern pen­ accent material. They all remain in stemons should see the light of day in bloom for a long time. either as cut our gardens more frequently. No fl owers or when they are left on the longer should they "bloom and blush plant. The stalks should be cut as soon unseen" in their native hills and dales. as they cease to be ornamental. in or­ More quiet in their choice of colors, der to prevent too promiscuous seeding. they are infinitely easier to grow. One Their compact root system makes thing is certain, the eastern penste­ them easy plants to transplant. They mons are entirely suited to eastern con­ can even be moved when in bloom if ditions. They thrive mightily in sum­ this is done carefully. mer droughts and winter wet spells. Propagation is readily effected by and there is no doubt that many of pulling off side growths in early spring them will some day be permanent resi­ and l'ooting them in sand in a frame. dents of our gardens. They are also easily grown from During recent years I have grown seed which is freely produced. Growth over a hundred kinds of penstemon is rapid and they bloo l11 the second at Gladwyne. Many of thes·e have suc­ season. ceeded beyond my fondest expecta­ Let us be loyal to our beautiful na­ tions and when they have bloomed ti ve flora. Let us have more of our their wonderful flow ers have given me own treasures gpowing in our gardens. i nfini te pleasure. Above all, let us join our conservation Unfortunately the easily grow n pen­ units and help all we can .t o preserve stemons suffer neglect on account of our preCIOUS fl owers before it is too the reputatl on of the more difficult late. ones. On dry banks where few plants P enste11W I'1 australis bl ooms late in can be made to grow many penstemons May. This is an unusual one because are entirely at home and form very at­ its Howers are invariably (to my tractive drifts. They make ni ce edg­ knowledge) a deep pink with a showy ings to shrub borders when the differ­ brilliant orange hearded "tongue." ent kinds are planted in intormal It is not quite as vigorous as some, groups, the shrubs making an excellent hut in a lightish soil it is an excellent background for thei r tall and airy grower and a very heautiful plant in­ fl ower spikes. deed. When well suited with a porous [ 1 1 2 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Jan., 19·W root run it makes fine, large, long lived member thi s particular plant very well, specimens and is a splendid ornament for while collecting it from its awkward for the rock gard(w. Its height is about situation rather hurriedly, my hunting 15-20 inches. knife, an excellent tool when one is not Penste111,on a~£stml is grows at a low in a hurry, slipped and went into my altitude, near sea level in the coastal hand quite deeply. Penstel'non canes­ plain. in 111 y experi ence, and I have cens seems to thrive on the level ground found it in V irginia, South Carolina, in a fairly heavy clay soil just as well Georgia and Florida. So, though hardy as it did in its home on a well drained here in Pennsylvani a, in all probability slope. it will not succeed as far north as most I have also collected Penstl'lIlOI1 of the fonowing species. w ll escc il s in Kentucky and in Georgia. Pel1ste111on a,rlwl1saJ'/.1'(s is an inhabi ­ All forms seem entirely hardy. tant of the Ozarks that has found its Penstemon digitalis. Because the way to 111y rock garden. It has only fl owers a re white and borne on tall. been here about a year but deserves a stiff stems this is a ve ry valuable plant good reputati·on . It bears white fl ow­ both for garden effect and for cutting. ers with a few purple lines and is an too. There are scarcely noticeable faint attractive plant, but not especially out­ purple lines inside the tube. standing. It is a free and easy grower and can Pel1Ste'l1W'J7 ca.lycos /l s is a very ni ce hold its own in meadow grass. plant indeed, attractive, easily grown I have it doi ng well in heavy moist and can take care of itself in grass. It soil near a stream and also in dry is rather like its close relative, Pen­ ground in full sun. I t has been so sat­ ste11l, o 'J ~ digitalis. except. instead of isfactory and self sows so freely in both bearing white fl owers, the bloss0111s places ,that I have never been able to have a decided lavender tinge, some are decide where it is happiest. all lavender. This plant will stand cO ll side rable I found it growing naturally a few neglect in a wi ld garden and. when re­ miles from 111 y home in a situation simi­ quired fo r that purpose, it wi ll grace a lar to that frequently chosen by Pen­ cboice pe r ~n ni a l border where its hand­ stemol1 dJ:gitahs ) a low meadow in full some white flower stalks are verv wel­ sun with a clay s'Oi !. I have also fre­ co me in June. quently found it entirely happy on a Pel/steniOn dissectus . .A.s we ll as be­ dry bank. ing the most beautiful of the strictly P enstemOJ7 ca.nl'scens blooms May eastern species it is also the most Ull­ 10-25. depending on the season, and is usual in appearance, being the only one the first of these l11entiO\~ed to come in the entire genus of penstemons that into fl ower. bears divided leaves, and they are as The usual color of its blossoms, fine ly divided as a fern ! Oddly enough, which are produced very lavishly on those on the young basal growths are tallish spikes, is pale lavender. but near entire. white and darker fo rms are quite com­ P(,l'Iste1J'I01'I dissect'us also has the di s­ mon. ti nction of bei ng not onily the rarest of The finest form I have seen is a beau­ all this genus, but according to Dr. tiful pale pink one, whi ch I found on a Small. one of the rarest plants in the mountain side in Virginia. It was world! 'Vl hen, a few years ago, I took growin g in dry. stony soil on a steep some pressed specimens in fruit to him slope, in full sun . I have reason to re- at the New York Botanical Garden, he J 3111., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 3

J. deN. He1'/lry P enste11'l.on australis in the 1'ocl? garden at Gladwyne 4 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

f . deN. He1!1'Y Penstemon cal'ycosUos on a dry hillside at Gladwyne Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 5

f. deN. H eH1'3' P enste1'1'bO n dl:gitahs can hold its own in gmss at Gla,dw,)me 6 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 told me he had never seen the fruit be­ some plants which bore Howers in more fore. In his "Manual of the South­ decided colors. My reward exceeded eastern Flora," p. 1203, he says, "cap­ my fondest anticipations, and I now sule not seen." This was published in have growing at Gladwyne this fine, 1933. almost fool proof plant in a number of Dr. Pennell, our foremost authority handsome and striking color f.orms. on penstemons, says it has been found Undoubtedly the finest of these is a only four or five times and I had to v ery deep colored one. The external make a second trip to its home to get portions of the tube are a rich plum additi'Onal herbarium specimens. purple, the mouth of the flower is Its distribution is limited to a very white. The contrast is remarkably at­ restricted area in Georgia, in open pine tractive. The stems and foliage are woods in sandy soil, but it grows there much darker green than usual and are plentifully. In one place I marked off nicely shaded with bronze purple. I a great drift of it 127 feet long! Here have als'o several plants with flowers it formed the main ground cover. that are colored a good pink. A well The flowers of P enste111,on dissectus grown clump of either of these, espe­ are very large and very handsome. cially the former, is an arresting sight They are colored a vivid purple and indeed. white, a showy combination. Fewer These penstemons grow in almost flowers, than most usually carry, are any soil or exposure and can hoId their borne on the very slender, 18-24 inch own fairly well in grass. stems, and they seem almost like a lit­ It comes inbo bloom in late Mayor tle flock of butterflies rising from the early June. ferny leaves, an altoget.her charming P e17stemon pallid $~s. vVhere a more effect. dwarf plant is wanted for the rock gar­ One would think that the cultivation den, this would be a good choice. of this delightful penstemon might pre­ It makes a smaller rosette of foliage sent some difficulties, but such is not than the others. The leaves are a pale the case, for it has been growing hap­ grayish green and the pretty white pily here in Gladwyne f'or about four flowers are carri ed airi ly on slender years. stems. Altogether this is a very pretty I have three plants, one growing on and a graceful plant. the level, one in the rock garden and It grows just as easily as the others. one on a hillside and each is thriving. but being much smaller in all its parts When I planted them, I mixed a li ttle I find it handv to keep it in the rock sand with the soil, but that is all. In garden where it is ea y to keep an eye Gladwyne it blooms in June. on it. It blooms in June. Penstemon hi1'Sutus. Surely this I found this one on a hillside not far penstemon must be almost as hardy as from my home. the proverbial "rock," for its natural Penstemon S11~allii. In spite of its home range takes it well up north into n.ame this penstemon bears the largest eastern Canada. In its usual color flowers of any eastern species except forms, which are pallid lavenders and P enste11'l,on dissectus. They are con­ uncertain whites, it has rather a washed spicuously colored, too, being a deep out appearance. lavender and white. This always seemed a great pity to I first saw Penste11'f.O'i1 S11'Lallii grow­ me, so I set out on numerous occasions ing on a North Carolina mountain side in many localities to see if I could find in a scattered drift of many plants cas- Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 7

Penste'l'/1,on MU1Ta'yanus in the Sou.thern GaTden at Gladwyne 8 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

f. deN. Hewyy Penste11Wn SmallVi cading down a steep slope. It was in P enstemon W herryi was collected by full b100m and its showy flowers made Dr. vVherry in the Ozark Mountains a splendid display. four or five years ago, so it is still quite Its wants are easily satisfied. I have a new plant. it in sandy, well drained soil in full sun It is rather a dwarf grower and bears where it thrives nicely. white flowers. It was named for Dr. Small. My plant, which is thriving nicely, P enste11if,On tub·iflorus. As Dr. Small has been growing in my trial garden li sts this Penstemon in his "Manual of for less than a year, and I do not feel the Southeastern Flora," I am includ­ qualified, as yet, to say much about its ing it in this li st, although it does not hardiness and its adaptability in our come farther east than Tennessee and climate. However, as all my other Indiana. plants from the Ozarks do well here, I To the casual observer it resembles expect this one will, too. P enste11wn digitalis very closely, both P enste1110n MU1Ta'yal1us surely can in flowers and in habit of growth and vie with the best and choicest species in season of bloom. The flowers, how­ that come from the west. It is, indeed, ever, lack t he purple lines and are ab­ one of the most beautiful and one of the solutely pure white. It is, therefore, to most striking plants I have ever seen my mind an even more beautiful plant. anywhere. It seems to be just as hardy and ambi­ Strictly speaking, it is not an east­ tious a grower as that species. erner but it comes so near to being so, It should be included in every collec­ a native of Louisiana, and it is so ut­ tion, although it is not always readily terly gorgeous th8.t I cannot refrain obtainable. from including it here. ] ali., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 9

Penste1n01~ lVhw1'aYG11US bears bril­ plants fairly fl ame one after another. li ant scarlet flowers that are far more I have two lots of this wonderful effective than those of Pe11.stemo1~ To·r­ penstemon and both groups are doing reyi or Penstemon Eato'IVi la.'ncifolius,* well. It seems to be hardy, healthy because they spread widely at the and easy to grow and surely it is beau­ mouth. tiful beyond words. The very pale glaucous green fo li age Of course it is not a "new" plant by in ample rosettes and the pale sea green any means, it is as old as the "poles," stems greatly enhance the vivid red of but the gardening world in this country the flowers and fo rm a perfect setting. is, alas, woefully slow in appreciating The fl owers last long in bloom. They the native treasures that are waiting to open about the end of the first week in be grown in our gardens. June and thickly decorate the three foot Every penstemon I have mentioned stalks, and so for many weeks the has stood prolonged droughts and none has ever been watered, even in the past *Th e description of this variety has not yet bee n published. abnormally dry summer. , I

Oil Palms in Florida, Haiti, and Panama

O. F. COOK

ONLY two kinds of palms, the -coco­ The fresh pulp of Elaeis, from the nut and the date, are widely known as ripe fruits, has a bright yellow color of food value, but a third type, the so­ and an agreeable taste, even in the raw called African oil palm (Elaeis gu,ineen­ state. Many travelers have reported s,is), is rapidly gaining in economic im­ favorably on food cooked with fresh portance and eventually may outrank palm oil in Brazil and in Africa. Mon­ the coconut as the principal source of teiro described "palm chop" in Angola vegetable ·oil in tropical regions. A l­ as "a delicious dish when properly pre­ though generally considered as an Afri­ pared and from the fresh nut." The can palm it may prove to have been a native preparation called " dumboy" in nati ve of Brazil, and its nearest rela­ western Liberia is made by pounding tive, Alfo11sia oleife1'a, is indigenous in cooked cassava roots in a large wooden Colombia, Panama, and the Canal morter till a stiff dough is formed, and Zone. The nature and exteNt of the is eaten preferably with "whayney relationship may be seen fr0111 the pho­ soup" made fr0111 the pulp of fresh palm tographs. nuts, cooked with chicken. It is an ex­ Commercial suppli es of palm oil have tremely palatable and wholesome food, come until recently almost exclusively always remembered with pleasure by fro111 West Africa, but extensive plant­ those who have lived among the native ings of oi l palms are being made in the people. rubber belt of the East Indies, largely Since oil palms and cassava -can be in the Dutch colonies, and a general grown in the Canal Zone and in south­ cultivation of the oil palm through most ern Florida, dumboy and other tropical of the twpical countries may be ex­ dishes might become popular, and the pected, As a palm of the future it is labor of preparing the cassava no doubt likely to be viewed with increasing in­ could be relegated to machinery, like terest and studied from various stand­ the manufacture of ice cream. The art points, botani,c and economic. of making dumboy was described by Tree crops are superior to field crops Collins in the N ati01'IGl Geogmphic in not inviting erosion, and palms have lVlagaz1:ne for January. 1911. advamtages over all the branching types Palm oi l began to figure as a com­ of trees. In southern Florida, as in mercial article in the period of the slave many tropical regions, large tracts of trade, that at first was conducted by waste land now denuded and fire-swept way of Brazil. Even before the discov­ are capable of being utilized with palms ery of America, Portuguese mission­ or other tre,:;:s that protect the surface aries had worked among the natives of aml permit a gradual improvement of the Congo, and the Portuguese colonies the soil conditions. The native palmet­ in Brazil were the first agricultural set­ toes of Florida, more resistant to fire tlements in America. The use of palm and to other extreme conditions than oi l in Brazil apparently goes back to 1110st of the native vegetation, may early colonial times. Martius, the chief serve as an example, since these quali­ authority on the palm flora of Brazil, ties are shared to various degrees by reported Elaeis as growing wi ld along many other kinds of palm s. the coast, and similar reports come [ 101 Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 11

Fig: 2. Elae1:s to compare with Alfonsia 12 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 from Guiana and Venezuela, of the shown in Figure 11 are of unusually African oil palm growing in coast dis­ large size and regular form. The three tricts, but supposed to have escaped " yes" that characterize all the mem­ from cultivation. bers of the coconut family are distinct­ An introduction from Brazil may ex­ ly marked, but located at the end of the plain why the oi l palm, though used ex­ nut instead of at the base. The apical tensively on the Guinea coast in the forami1:la and the separate sexes of the last century was scarcely known in the inflorescences at once distinguish the interior of Africa when .the river sys­ Elaeis subfamily. Separate male in­ tems were explored. It is difficult to fiorescel1Ces and bisexual female inflor­ believe that a palm so well suited for escences characterize the Attalea sub­ native use should not have spread family, whi le in the Cocos subfamily all across the continent during the prehis­ of the inflorescences have fl owers of toric ages if it had belonged to the both sexes. African flora. The oi ly endosperm is a common Palm oil and palm kernels have been feature of all the cocoid palms, but only the chief exports of West African trade a few have, in addition, an outer pulp during the last century. The oi l was that is rich in oil. The so-called peach used mostly for making soap and in palm (Guihelima s peciosa). widely cul­ the manufacture of tin plate, but even­ tivated among the primitive forest peo­ tually methods of reclaiming the edible ples of South America, has an edible oi l were developed. A vegetable butter pulp of a different texture, resembling can be made from the naturally yellow sweet potatoes or boiled chestnuts. oil without artificial color. Varieties with thicker pulp and thinner shells are A N ORCI-IARD TREE IN FLORIDA being selected for commercial planting The most direct interest in oi l palms in the East Indies, and also in the Brit­ is for people who live in southern ish and French colonies of West Africa. Florida, not the "winter residents," but The oil palms are members of the those who remain through the year and coconut family, but form a separate work in their gardens and orchards, tribe or subfamily, not closely related wishing to grow as many of the tropical to the other divisions of the group. The foods as possible, and to learn how to inflorescences are even more compact use them. The fruits of temperate cli­ than those of the Bornoa palm de­ mates are replaced by the citrus series, scribed and illustrated in the October avocados, mangoes, sapodillas, bananas, number of THE NATIONAL HORTICUL­ coconuts, and pineapples. The oil palm TURAL MAGAZINE, but are not enclosed may be added in place of the olive, in hard, woody spathes like those of which is not adapted to the humid cli­ Bonwa and the related genera, Attalea, mate of Florida, or may be viewed as Scheelea, and 01-bignya. The oil palms an alternative of butter and animal fats. have .thin, soft spathes, soon torn into Several advantages over the olive loose, weak fibers. Residues of the may be claimed for the oil palm, in fibrous spathes of Alfo11,sia and Elaeis bearing more promptly and freely, in are shown in Figures 1 and 2, below yielding its fruits in very large clusters the clusters of fruit. that greatly facilitate harvesting, and The nuts of the oi l palms are small er in the fresh oil or fruit pulp being avail· than walnuts, of a short, oval shape, able directly for culinary use. The often flattened or distorted from mutual fruits ripen slowly and remain for sev­ pressure in the fruit head. The fruits eral weeks in condition to use. The oil Jan.,194D THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 13 is reported in Brazil to keep very well colorless oil, distinct from the yellow if bottled while fresh, not becoming ran­ oil of the outer fl esh of the fruit, en­ cid like Afri'can palm oil , whi ch is closing a black nut with a hard shell, handled in bulle like a small coconut. Cracking the nut frees the kernel, the size of a hazel nut, H ARDIER T H AN T HE C OCONUT PAL M covered wi th a wrinkled dark skin, but The oil palm is sli ghtly more hardy pure whi te insi de like the " meat" of than the coconut and able to grow in the coconut, and of similar texture. Florida as far north as O rla ndo, in­ T he kernel oil tastes like coconut oil, stead of being limited to the tropical and is adapted to similar uses. Large secti on below F ort Pierce. An oil palm quant iti es of palm kernels are exported at Coconut Grove, near the P an A mer­ from V"; est Africa to E urope and Amer­ ican Airways, shown at the left of fi g­ ica, in addition to the tra de in the yel­ ure 4, may be the oldest in F lorida, low palm oil. though the palm in a park at O rlando, Both of the oils undoubtedly would at the right of fi gure 4, may be nearly be extracted and used in F lorida for as old. Introductions were received by local food purposes if the palms were the Department of Ag-r icul ture from grown in sufficient numbers, but only the Philippin es in 1899, and from the a gradual utilization of the palm should Gold Coast in 1902, but earl ier intro­ be expected. The local interest must ductions probably were made. be suffi cient fo r small plantings of the Oil palms as ornamentals are not so palms to be made in many places, and stately as the royals, nor so graceful as fo r working out the culinary use of the coconut palms, but in thriving condi­ fresh palm oil. Without such experi­ ti on are very handsome, and give a ence in raising palms and learning the strong impression of tropical luxuri­ ways of using the fruit, commercial ance. Though attaining nearly the same producti on could not be approached on size as the r oyals and the ·coconuts, a practical footin g. P remature efforts oil palms g row more slowl y, the joints of commercial exploitation of new of the trunk being shorter. A dense plants not only invite failure through crown of deep-green foliage is formed, inexperience, but often become serious with more resemblance to the East In­ obstacles in domestic utilization, be­ di an date palm, P hOel1 i% sylvestris, than cause popular interest is di scouraged. to other palms now grown in our south­ GROUP PLANTINGS TO I NSURE ern States. The fl oral specializati ons, POLLINATION with the sexes in separate inflores­ cences, but both kinds produced on the The utility of the oil palm in Florida same individual, are unique among the naturally will depend, as with other palms and of general biological interest. tree crops, on fin ding local conditions Commercial planting of o il palms in where the palms will gr ow well and Florida would be premature, but local yield regularly. Single palms should tests should be made in gardens and not be expected to bear good crops, grounds with palms of other kinds, -t o since the fl owers may not be pollinated. compare their behavior as ornamentals The sexes a re borne on the same palm and determine their fruiting habits. but in separate inflorescences, and these not close together nor developed at the Tvvo OILS FRO M TI-IE SAME PAL M same time with any regul arity that in­ A second kind of oil is obtain ed from sures pollination. Most of the inflores­ the kernels of the oil-palm nut, a clear. cences on isolated fe male palms in 14 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

southern Florida have remained com­ African forest, and the lack of any re­ pletely sterile, but sometimes a few port of its occurrence outside of in­ fruits have developed, or small par­ habited districts in Africa, leave the thenocarps, maturing a little of the oil­ question of nativity still open. As an bearing pulp, and sometimes with a introduced palm it would seem more small seed, but no kernel. In only one likely to be adapted and utilized by case have many fruits developed on an ·fishing tribes along the 'coasts, who use isolated palm. the same village si tes for longer periods Self-pollination, from another inflor­ than people who live in forest clearings. escence of the same palm, is shown to In open country with sufficient rai nfa ll be possible, since occasional fruits de­ the palms are not dependent on hu­ velop on isolated palms, but with three man agency. The oi l palms reported as or four palms together the chances of growing wild in Zanzibar and in Mada­ natural pollination by wind or insects gascar suggest early introductions by are g reatly increased. Hand-pollination the Portuguese, that did not go into becomes more practicable to the extent use among the natives but maintained a that supplies of pollen are obtainable local existence. when required. Also for making a Another species, Elaeis dybowskii, practical experiment in utilizing the was described by Hua in 1925 from fruits, six to a dozen palms should be Libreville in French Congo, but may planted, and in a compact group rather be only a variant form. The leaves are than in a row or an avenue. said to be entire, the fruits subglobose, and the nuts usually 2-celled or 3-celled, OPEN LOCATIONS REQUIRED but such characters may not require the The oil palm is like the cocon ut palm recognition of a distinct species or in­ in refusing to develop without direct dicate a wild state of the palm. Many sunlight. Its practical tolerance of palms have si mple leaves in the juve­ shade may be even less than that of the nile stages or in dwarf individuals, such coconut, on account of the seeds being variations being well known in the co­ much small er and the seedlings less conut palm. The palms in Madagascar able to outgrow competing plants. As were considered by Beccari as a distinct with many other palms, the seedlings species, Elaeis ma.dagascarie17sis, but have simple leaves like blades of grass, his drawings do not indicate an essen­ so that the young palms usually are not tial difference. recognized when they -co me up in yards or gardens, but are hoed or weeded out. OTHER OIL PALMS IN AFRI CA Under fo rest conditions the seedlings Early references to palm oil in Afri ca germinate freely and li ve fo r many naturally have been interpreted as re­ years, but do not grow beyond the lating to Elaeis, but confusion with early simple-leaved stage. Thousands other palms is definitely indicated in of oi l palm seedlings were seen in 1892 some of these cases. and is probable in bordering the native pathways for many others. The natives of Africa extracted miles through a forest belt in the in­ oils from the seeds of several forest terior of Liberia, near the earlier na­ trees, including three palms, H 'yphae­ tive center of Boporu, but none of the llae, B01'assus and Raphia, which also forest seedlings developed. The fresh were tapped for palm wine. Even fruits are carri ed by the nati ves as a Phoenix has been confused with Elaeis, travel ration and the nuts thrown aside. as in Adam's "Le Palmier a Huile," The inability of Elaeis to grow in the 1910. a special work on the oi l palm. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 15

Fig. 3. Foliage of Alfo11sia, kit; and Elaeis, Tight 16 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

The natives of Senegal are said to tap They are planted or allowed to grow the male inflorescences for palm wine, in small groups in several neighbor­ but the photograph on Adam's page hoods in this district, and oil is ex­ 158 shows a dense thicket of date tracted in small quantities for local use. palms. Other localities may be found in Haiti Many names for the oi l palm in lo­ or elsewhere where oil palms are util­ cal African languages have been record­ ized on a limited scale. A photograph ed, as in Dalziel's "Useful Plants of of a large oil palm in Cuba is repro­ West Tropical Africa," but the lists of duced by Beccari in the Pomona Col­ native names for maize and cassava are lege Journal of Economic Botany for even longer, and there is no doubt of May, 1912, but labeled as a native Cu­ these plants being introduced from ban palm, Calyptrogyne S"d/artzi'i, which Brazil. Palm oil and maize ears appear Professor Bai ley recently has illustrat­ together as items of trade at Dixcove ed in the "Gentes Herbarum" as on the Gold Coast in 1750, in "Ex­ Calyptro11011w dulcis. tracts from the Records of the African It is difficult to understand that a Companies," by R. A. Fisher. A Portu­ native food as popular as the palm oil guese settlement was made on the Gold now is among so many tribes along the Coast in the fifteenth century. Afri·can coast was not welcomed and appreciated by the negroes in the \Vest OIL PALMS IN HAITI Indies. The only explanation thus far The failure to utilize the oil palm in suggested is that the palm may not the West Indies, after its introduction have had the status as a food resource in the seventeenth century, is in notable that it acquired later, but may have contrast with its food status in Brazil been a relatively recent introduction and in West Africa. The early writers from Brazil to the Portuguese settle­ who refer to the introduction of the ments where the slave trade developed. palm to the West Indies, as Jacquin, It is known that the contacts of the Sloane, and Hughes, reflect the idea of Portuguese with West Africa during its being of special value for feeding the colonial period were mostly by way the slaves, but it was not welcomed or of Brazil, and that maize, cassava, yau­ adopted among the negroes in the \Vest tia, tobacco, and other plants were in­ Indies as a native African food plant troduced very early from Brazil, and might have been. Its reception cer­ spread gradually among the African tainly was different from the other tribes. African introductions, as okra, Congo Since the natives of Africa had no peas, sesame, and grain sorghums, that domesticated tree crops, an introduc­ still are general favorites through the tion of this nature would be adopted \Vest Indies. Since the palm was intro­ less readily than the field crops. Many duced in several of the islands, its ac­ of the slaves were brought from the in­ ceptance as a food was repeatedly terior, and may have eaten palm oi l tested. for the first time in the barracoons or In Haiti, which was the principal on the slave ships, which would ac­ market of the slave trade, neglected count for a negative reaction in the half-wild oi l palms grow as scattered \Vest Indies. The rancid palm oil has individuals in several places, but only an evil taste and smell that naturally in a single limited area on the north would intensify the prejudice of such coast of Haiti, between Limbe and Port an association. Margot, are ·oil palms in regular use. Another use of palm oil in the slave Jan. , 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 17

F ig. 4. Elaeis at Coconut G'rove, left; 01-lando, right 18 THE NATIONAL HORTI CULTURAL MAG AZINE Jan., 194D trade is stated by Hughes in "The Nat­ that appear to justify the recognition ural History of Barbados," 1750, of a of the genus A lfonsia, proposed by nature that later might contribute to Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth in a prej udice against it. 1815. These authorities named and de­ "This is so universal a Custom, scribed A lfonsia oleifera as a new palm that all the Slaves, brought now from from the Sinu River in Colombia, any Part of Africa to this, or any of which apparently is the same species our neighboring Islands, are always, that grows on the Isthmus of P anama, before they are brought to Market. It is reported from the P acifi c Coast of anointed all over with Palm Oil, Colombia, in the distri ct of Buenaven­ whi ch, fo r that P urpose, is brought tura, and extends northward to Costa from Gui·ney: Being thus anointed. Rica and N icaragua. The name A lfon­ their Skins appear sleek and shin­ sia was to commemorate Alfonso of ing." E ste, Duke of F errara, patron of the poet T asso and a collector of rare T HE OIL P A L M OF P ANAMA plants. The existence of a nati ve oil palm in Structural di ffe rences between E laeis the Canal Zone and the neighboring and A lfo'l1sia may be appreciated by co untries, is not without interest in re­ comparing F igures 5, 6, and 11 with lation to questi ons of foo d supplies on F igures 8 and 9. E laeis has short stipi­ the Isthmus for wartime emergencies, tate, fusifo rm branches on the male in­ or of having palm nuts availabl e to fur­ fl orescence, very short, flattened fe male ni sh fin e charcoal for gas masks. Both branches, with the fl owers and fruits of the oil palms might be planted, si nce confined to one side, a very long ter­ Alfonsia would grow on wet and par­ minal spine, and large spinifo rm bracts tially wooded lands where E laeis would subtending the fruits. A lf011Sia has not thrive. The low trunks of A lfonsia longer and more cylindrical branches, woul d facilitate the gathering of the the male branches not sti pitate, the fr uit d usters, and the landscape wo uld branches of both sexes swollen and remain less obstructed to military ob­ deeply pitted, the fl owers not restricted servation. Although the individual to one side , the terminal spine short, fruits of Alfonsia are smaller than those and the bracts not produced into spines. of E laeis, some of the palms produce T he trunk of A lfol1sia is short and very large clusters. In Alfonsia, as in usually inclined or decumbent, and the Elaeis, vari ati ons with thicker fl esh appearance of the foli age is qui te di f­ mi ght be found, if attention were given, ferent from that of E laeis, on account and might prove valuable. Only 11 of the broader pi nnae and the greater per cent of oil was reported from a tendency ,to droop. A lso, the pinnae of sample of Alfons,ia frui ts analyzed by a Alfonsia have a closer and more regu­ commercial company in 1919, while lar insertion along the rachi s, as shown some of the selected vari eties of E laeis in Figure 3. have a thick pulp that yields more than The specific name E laeis melanococca 50 per cent of oil. apparently is not applica ble to the Pana­ The oil palm of Panama and the ma oil palm. The original description Canal Zone is closely related to the by Gaertne r gives only seed characters, commercial oil palm, and is placed by the shell with a covering of embedded many writers in the same genus, under fib ers, which is true of E laeis, but not the name Elaeis 11'1!elanococca Gaertner , of A lfonsia. (See Figures 10 and 11.) 1788, but differs in several characters Instead of a mucronate apex, Gaert- Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 19

Fig. 5. Elaeis I 'll Brazil, 1'Nal e fiowe7'S, 1wtbtml size 20 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 ner's drawing shows that the seed was to show that Giseke, any more than narr.owed below, the "eyes" being at J a.cquin, proposed to adopt Corozo as the broad end. The name 1'/1belanococca a generic name. Giseke's treatment of is appropriate for the black fruits of corozo is reproduced in Figure 8. The Elaeis, but not for the red fruits of Al­ printing of "Corozo" in italics, and the fonsia. The shells of the Alfonsia nuts absence of a specific name are definite are not black, but rather light grayish evidence that Giseke was not intending brown. The original description states to set up a new genus. that the seeds are white, as occurs in An underlying reason for not adopt­ dried material. ing Jacquin's corozo as a generic name Jacquin described the genus Elaeis in is recognized in Giseke's note, that 1763 from garden palms in Martinique, corozos mentioned by earlier writers at the same time reporting the existence might be different palms. On Giseke's of a similar palm called "Corozo" in page 42 "corozo" appears in a tabular the district of Carthagena, with fruits comparison of Gaertner's classification that were used for the extraction of with that of Linnaeus. Some of J ac­ oil. Figures of fruits and seeds were quin's notes are transcribed, but the given, which leave no doubt that this same designation, "Corozo Caribaeis corow was Alfo11.sia, which still is J acq.", is used, and no species is men­ called corozo colorado on account of tioned. The case of Corozo is in con­ the red fruit. Another corozo described ,trast with that of Avoira, a genus that from the Orinoco in 1745 by Gumilla Gi seke adopts from Aublet and treats had a tall trunk covered with large in regular form, Avoira vulga'?'is and spines, probably Acroco111ia. Gumilla several other species being named. notes two oil-yielding palms, one called Giseke's reference to Jacquin is mis­ "vesirri," with fruits much like dates, leading, since corozo is not given by possibly Oenocarpu,s or ] essenia, the Jacquin as the Carib name of the palm, other called "cunama" or "abay," prob­ but as the name used in the district of ably an Astroca1',)IU1n. Two names for Cartagena, an old Spanish settlement. the Alfo11.sia palm in Costa Rica are In other words, corozo appears as a given by Pittier, on the east coast, "co­ Spanish name of ,the palm, not as a quito," and on the west coast, "palmi­ Carib name. Jacquin's plants were che." The native name "noli" is asso­ largely from Martinique and other ciated with Alfonsia in Colombia, Carib islands, French and Dutch, but though often applied to other palms. many were collected in the Spanish colonies. Corozo is one of the plant ALFONSIA AN AUTHENTIC NAME names that the early Spanish explorers The suggestion of Professor Bailey and colonists carried to the continent that the name Alfonsia, published by from the Vvest Indies, as mamey, papa­ R umboldt, Bonpland and Kunth in ya, guayava, majagua, mani, yuca, ca­ 1815, be replaced by Jacquin's "Coro­ buya, tabaco, caoba, guanabano, j obo, zO," on account of its use by Giseke in mais, manaca, ceiba, tuna, and many the "Praelectiones" of the younger others. The new American plants had Linnaeus, 1792, seems not to be war­ no European names. ranted. Giseke appears merely to have The name corozo appears to have be­ followed Jacquin in recording this coro­ longed originally to the Cuban palm zo from the coast of Colombia as prob­ commonly designated as Acrocomia ably representing another genus, dis­ crispa CR. B. K.), though recognized tinct from Elaeis, but there is nothin

F ig. 6. Elaeis 11'I.ale injlorescence, redu.ced and nat-ural size 22 THE NATIONAL HORTI CULTURAL MAGAZI NE Jan., 1940 under the name Gastrococos, alluding ous feature of the Cuban palm, as of to the remarkably swollen trunk. Dal­ AC1'oco111ia and other related types, gren's "Index of American Palm s" li sts rather robust palms with spiny trunks many genera and species that are called and leaf bas·es, edible fruits, and a sweet corozo on the conti nent. No other fermentable sap. The name "carous­ popular names except "coco" and "co­ sier," recorded by Plumi er in San Do­ queiro" are so widely and casually used mingo in the seventeenth century, in for so many di fferent palm s in so many relation to Bornoa, may be a Fr·ench countries, from Mexico to Peru. version of corozo. Most of the corozos are spiny palms, \ Vhatever its origin, "corozo" evi­ like t he Cuban original, but many are dently spread from the \ Vest Indies as unarmed, even the ivory palm s being a Spanish word, and the various coro­ included. The Century Dictionary ad­ zos of Mexico and other continental mits two uses of corozo: "A palm countries have true ve rnacular names in which bears oil-producing nuts, as the each district where the local languages Attalea cohu11e, etc.," and "Same as are not extinct. Adopting vernacular ivory nut." The Oxford Dictionary names as generic designations is a ques­ gives a misleading impression of corozo tionable practice, though generally ad­ as having a primary relation to the mitted, but casually misplaced names ivory palms : "A South Ameri can tree, should be excluded. A genus Corozo Phytelephas 111aC1'oca1'pa, alli ed to the would be as misleading as a genus palm s," but supported by no reference "Loclls!" or "Roble" would be. to re­ before 1869. The early reference is to place B'yrsoni1Jla or Bignonia. Even if a translation of U lloa, 1760-72, where formally proposed, borrowed names "corozo" is neither an ivory paLm nor like Corozo should not be adopted, on an oil palm, but probably Pyrenogly­ account of the confusion they create. phis, "a fruit larger than dates of an The first essential of a name is that it exqui site taste; and proper for making be distinctive. cooling and wholesome draughts." Several Spanish dictionaries have HABITS 0[," ALFONSIA AND ELAEIS corozo de Guinea as the name of Elaeis. T he habits of growth of A lfonsia are Alcedo's dictionary of South American notably different from those of Elaeis, products, published in 1789, three years the palm somewhat smaller and with before Giseke, says that five kinds of only a short trunk, often leaning or corozo were recognized, one with a prostrate, seldom more than 6 or 8 feet thick spiny trunk, fe lled to obtain palm long. Ela-eis has a thicker trunk, grows wine, and another with marble-hard erect and becomes much taller, often 30 nuts cut into figures of the saints. Ale­ to 40 feet hi gh. Etacis thrives in Li­ many considers "corojo" the correct beria on high sandy beaches exposed form, and mentions a textile material to the sea breeze, or in grav·elly laterite of that name, ·the leaves of the Cuball so ils, around the native villages in the palm yield ing a very strong fiber. coast belt, which have relatively perma­ Although corozo or co rojo is claimed nent locations. A Tfonsia, in Panama and by Pichardo as a native Cuban word. a the Canal Zone is an undergrowth Spanish origin seems possible by way palm, found mostly in swamps or on of "coroza," a word defined in the d:c­ wet clay slope. It is more abundant in tionary of the Spanish Academy as a the coast districts, usually in low woods pointed hood or dunce-cap. The hood­ or partial shade, though able to grow in like, long-pointed spathe is a consp:cu- fu ll sun where the ground is moist. .A. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 23

Fig. 7. Alfansia, ma,t1dr e palm, in Cana.l Zone 24 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Jan., 1940 few isolated slender-leaved individuals fonsia are very short and thin, in ef­ were not i c·~ d in dense second-growth fect rudimentary. forest on the Canal Zone, one of these The frui,ting sections of the female on Barro Colorado Island. branches are notably shorter in Elaeis, The remarkable photograph by H. hardly exceeding three inches, with the Pittier reproduced in Figure 1 shows a terminal spines two inches, the upper mature Alfonsia palm surrounded by branches shorter, but the spines longer, undergrowth of the tropical forest, near while the corresponding spines of Al­ Port Limon, Costa Rica. Several leaf­ fonsi-a are only half an inch long. The bases were cut away in .the fo reground, axis of the female inflorescence is re­ leaving the triangular cross-sections. A markably thickened in both genera, single male inflorescence stands near three to four inches wide with a length the center, with four female inflores­ of nine to ten inches, the axis as thick cences developed as clusters of fruit as the branches are long, a unique con­ bedded in the fibrous remnants of the dition. The swelling of the axis doubt­ spathes. In the foreground are numer­ less serves to separate the branches and ous detached branches of old female in­ affords more room as the fruits de­ florescences. The compact inflores­ velop. cences add to the peculiar, cycad-like Crossing the Canal Zone by rail af­ appearance of Alfonsia, which is very fords an excellent opportunity to see different from any other palm except many Alfonsia palms in their native Elaeis, shown in Figure 2. habitats. Other pinnate-leaved palms T he fo li age of the two palms is com­ that are visible from the train either pared in F igure 3, at the left an Al­ grow much taller than A lfon-sia or are fonsia photographed near Cri stobal, small and slender, with only a few Canal Zone, March 12, 1915, showing leaves. Thriving in dividuals have a the pinnae closely and evenly spaced, rather large crown of leaves as in Fig­ drooping above the middle; at the right ures 3 and 7, but usually are low and a young Elaeis, photographed at Bay­ compact, the general appearance sug­ eux, Haiti, August 19, 1924. The pin­ gesting a cycad, rather than a palm. nae of Elaeis are fa rther apart, uneven­ Only the Panama cohune palm, Schee­ ly spaced, inserted at different angles lea zon(,lIsis Bailey, is more abundant to the rachis, narrow and rather rigid. than Alfo'nsia, and is readi ly distin­ The mature A lfonsia palm with a rather guished by its leaves being much larg­ thick irregular trunk, shown in Figure er, more regular and more erect. 7, stood at F ort Randolph near the Large numbers of Alfonsia pa lm ~ Caribbean shore of the Canal Zone, in may be seen in partially wooded June, 1923. swamps near Colon and in several The structural differences between places farther south, with one of the the .two genera may be appreciated by best displays near the middle of the comparing the inflorescence branches of Isthmus, on open grassy slopes aroun d the two sexes, Elaeis show n in Figures the wireless station at Darien. Other 2,5, 6, and 11 , with Alfonsia in Figures groups appear on the Pacific side, sur­ 1, 9, and 10. The pedicellate male viving in open pastures or on lands that branches of Elaeis and the swollen, are cleared and cultivated occasionall y. deeply pitted, many-fruited female The aberrant specimen with the bi­ branches of A lfon-sia, la:cking the large sexual inflorescence shown in Figure 9, needle-like horny bracts of Elae'is, are was found a few miles east of the city outstanding features. The bracts of Al- of Panama, near the site of a former Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 25

ORO O r: Corozo. r ___- PAL- --- ~ r.- ---.. E. Eu.t erpe. 93 Corozo Carib:'Cis JtI cq U. ohw ii) :/ (' r:l~ () ;:f1iI'C , inl'eriMe cr: lffis techt' I~Jl lnm is, C OI1.0Z0. Sub c~lIIi :-'c ft'ag,uii ;'If I(lIl1 iJ1 t verus t(~ girur 'jJlelt/H , J ACQ ll. alller.p. 2S1. t.1 7 r.! .. _ fmfrtls. t{!r.:!i &. (liudlU'3 ClIte ((,crtl!> . fuhrrnmia tit \·et('.ris Habitat in territoriI,') Carth:lzencnH . PinQ"gt: D/bcc . ,iuriur t:tlllCIl & am:lrior. Lignum Dc h:lc nil c:xfrnc. prretel"l11::lm, ~uod c. ...: ("jus fmttiM I :ll b :c :l ~ I S (:l C'i\c per longttudint:m (Wile , in:' l1& medulla buS" oleum butyrllmquc conficiant A mcric!llli io II fit" r fUJ'lgort bnn'ibns !iI;lllIentis immixtis." R:lmph. I. c. domefti~os ; & cb:l r.lftcr frudllS. iii PrJ p. 4'l . ex_ 2, E. pi(ircr.1• G.l-:I\ ')'=,. p. :l5· r· 9, f· 3· hi!.liws. Ex utroquc ellOi loco n;11::l1i fu fph:ut, hJnc Q ULlIIl hUJI1S tl e tc.>rtlI11,!\cio a CI. GtUl /Uyo e Cotleftionc efte (-:t m . quam fub nomiw.: : Cocos bUlyrncrn Sup. fl:~ill tJ m hOfti Lugdlmo - BJt:w i flltt:t !'it, cJ e reliqlJis plcmcrrtum oefcrib it , - ni li forte. Coco;> bnide:. p:lfCib n» nil t r!\~erc ,pO ~rLlm; nifl J'vl;te fit Ru "1 l' JI rr Gn;:D. T:>: E1U Mdem cum Corozo li t. - n x ~ dl!lTl r­ Pinll/:ga glatJdijornlf s f.. \'. p. 77· ef! CU :'11 L O£Y Ll NQll P.llm:l CH i nomen " Co r o/a tJu lgo;" itN". p. zS3· f:!tc. p. 3.26. gtrm. edit. S A G U S. quelll vide. .,. J. S. P3lml- pin us. G .....:n. T~. P· 27· t. 70. f r. E lJ T F. n "Ii:. Ga:i'tn. Pal~ - pinus LO Lli!! .. adutr;: p. 4jo. DALEClf. ' 83" &I,.[,of, . E UTE IlI'E: globofa G .-l\..R 'rx. CtIlf. p. 24. t.9' / 3. ..fl · t­ Exotici {rofru, j :mt :trboris ramus, cum fr uflibl1S PirulOg:a (\!\'t'fcri,s gIebor;." H U.\,PJt. ambo r. p.38- J fqulI.mo fi:> CI.CS. {n r. pDjJer. 8z. ~. (edi t. in /·5· f >. A. rol .•6 ... p. H - 44') II TrH'ICJJ.S 4- 7- orgybs :'l Illis, cr.l nior 'l Imn Pin:lO l.:um G ,(:rt ~ lis 1 'lciC)r~:IUS , Rami.; (froudib'ls) orgY:llio u:l \' j=<: digi. neri' t: on \· ~l\i t. tum c:ralhs . haG fupra pl:lIli:i. in l'r:l o rifl4 tis. FfJ /i4 j Inter hfls dbtas fi P;1 1t':J.S Lobelii melior ell iJla Cluiii, 18 - :! ~. digieas longn . 3' lat." :'pice acuta. nec ab­ hujus \'ero Deleripcio pr-.t:!b t. f ll Pt!l. (eu ob r~j:t. tit reii qO{lfu rn tvec.ieruill (Pinallg;r.). Racwws fIon(er contra OlQrc:n rdiCJlIarU ll1 (pl.'derum 2.. S. trunco frQndibusque pinnatis Ilipiratis rpino[lS) gCntlilllf. c Crunco ex r.lmilic:1C'jO!h: inl "<: r;ontnt {oHanlill ({r(,.l n. 'T' foiiolis rpinis' incrmiuus, raccmis erettis. d ~tI~) prodit j fiznpl..:-x efr. 5 - 6. pedt$ longlls, \'i~ R1!;'of1':H. ambo I . p. 7:2. t. xvn. dtg lt1lrn ('r~ lTus j iurra ad ::1 . pcdt's nudus , & :t d extre. "TNm(JU r5~20. pedes nltus;orgyi:tm cr:trrus. R am ; ~ ,mum p:l ri<:er. mngnis t:IIIlt:JI ({Jrl:lm~ . in quiblls f'_xfic­ fi ~ti(J n('s circa radicem fpinQ fas h.. 1bct. qu:.e tUm it::!. um caoo: !lorum reliqui:c cOllq,iciuntur , obfefiils , in :am bi llnt I ut nu(q~m inno:de tangi poffir. donee tnlll media tantllm jrufJJls g(-rons. f:li funt /'otur:d;c nucu, a(rus & cr:tIT'u s C:\':lferir. ut nulJum nmplius enmntl m nb rcl0pOlom m . Iohul ", p"clo ",.,jo,,,,, . rupceo," pm. ! apri ,; pati poffit. FrtnttU.r dum prov cnit ad terr::am. libi ob"" o }

Fig. 8. C'iseke} s treat11'Lent of C 01' OZ O agricultural experiment station, at one are represented in each inflorescence, time conducted by H . Pittier. mingled or grouped together, or the female flowers may be confined to a THE SEXES IN SEPARATE basal section of the inflorescence INFLORESCENCES branches, and the male flowers to a An unusual phase of floral specializa­ terminal section. tion is presented by the oil pahns in The fl owers of palms show few spe­ having the sexes in separate inflores­ cializations of shape or color to attract cences, but with the two kinds of in­ insects and facilitate cross-pollination, fl orescences borne on the same plant, but many other floral adaptations may the only familiar example of such a be recognized. Some of the more primi­ specialization being the maize, or In­ tive types, like the palmettoes of the dian corn. The related group of palms, southern States, have perfect bisexual represented by Bornoa, has two forms flowers, and some are speciali zed to of inflorescences, some entirely male the extent of having the two kinds of but those that bear the female flowers flowers produced on separate plants, in also provided with male flowers. other words, are definitely dioecious, In the great majority of palms, the notably the date palms, pacaya palms, flowers of the two sexes are different and ivory palms. in form and structure, but both sexes The plant as a whole is considered 26 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan ., 1940

bisexual if it produces germ-cells of while in a monoecious plant like Elaeis both sexes, although the two kinds of or A lfonsia a series of sex-determina­ reproductive metamers ,that produce the tions is called fo r, in advance of the germ-cells are as defi nitely di ffe renti­ development of the successive inflores­ ated as the sexes of animals. Separa­ cences. Among the synoecious palms tion of the sexes as different individ­ the sex-determinations are deferred uals is the rule among the higher ani­ longer, and are vastly more numerous, mals, while most of the hi gher plants to govern the development of the in­ have the two sexes represented in the dividual fl owers. In the autoecious same individual. The plant has a vege­ groups, a change from one sex to the tative development before the sex char­ other occurs duri ng the formation of acters appear, and the two kinds of each individual fl ower, between the sex metamers of plants, the stamens stamens and the pistils. That the same and carpels, are formed in defin ite se­ palm produces both sexes does not quence and often in definite numbers, mean that no determination of sex takes as in the many regular types of fl owers. place, but requires a more specialized Yet many other plants have the stamens fo rm of determination, capable of fre­ and pistils in separate fl owers, some in quent alternation. separate inflorescences, an d some 0 11 The production of the two kinds of entirely separate plants. Secondary inflorescences in the 111 0noecious palms sexual characters among plants are con­ might also be considered as an alterna­ fin ed to the monoecious and di oecious tion of sex, and from that point of view groups, unless the characters of th e may be wo rthy of special study and fl oral envelopes are considered. comparison with sex-speciali zations in other groups of plants, to learn wheth­ PROBLEMS OF SEX DETER MINATION er the sex-sequences are the same and H ow the ,characters of the internode how the changes are determined or con­ individuals are changed, so that the trolled. It seems not impossible that pronounced and co ntrasted di ffe rences such alternations might be influenced appear in successive uni ts of the same by external conditions or by fertilizers plant, is still unknown. T he sex differ­ appli ed to the soil. I n the event that ences arise through changes of charac­ chemi cal differences between the sexes ters betwee n successive internode­ of dioecious plants can be established, members of the plan t body, apparent­ as sometimes reported, knowledge of ly in the same manner as the changes such reactions doubtless wo ul d assist between di ffe rent ki nds of vegetati ve 111 the studv of sex-di ffe rentiation members. From the nature of the among the palms. plant body, the germ-cell explanation Many writer have placed emphasis of the sexual di ve rsity of animals woul d on prob lems of sex deter mination in not apply to the plants that produce the beli ef that know ledge of this func­ both kinds of sex-metamers on the same ti on might afford a special clue to an individual. Evidently there are diffe r­ understandi ng of heredity. T he fac t ent systems of producing the contrasts that many other characters are joined of the sexual characters. with sex, either in transmission or in In the life of a di oecious plant a si n­ expression, would seem to support the gle determination of sex may be sup­ idea of special significance of sex char­ posed to take place, and that at the be­ acters from the standpoint of heredity, ginning -of embryonic development, as though no general principle of sex de­ with the hi gher groups of animals, terminati on seems to have been estab- Jan. , 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 27

:Fig. 9. Aljons'ia, b·is e,'!:'II£al inflorescence, nat ~t ral size 28 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

lished. It may be said of some of the while a single inflorescence was being sexually differentiated plants, as of the formed, which thus showed intermedi­ many groups of animals, that the sexual ate stages. jn the expression of charac­ characters are the greatest differences ters that 'normally would appear in that appear among the members of the complete contrast, on separate inflores­ same species, and there is the same rea­ cences. The extent of specialization in­ son to expect that ·the study of sex dif­ volved in .the separation of the sexes is ferences among plants wi ll afford addi­ better understood by considering the tional insight into the processes of readjustments that are necessary in heredity. passing from one set of specializations to another. A BISEXUAL INFLORESCENCE To appreciate the interest of such The finding of an Alfonsi.a palm variations, it is necessary to .take ac­ bearing abnormal bisexual inflores­ count of the specializations of sexual cences, has been noted. These inflores­ characters that have developed in the cences are bisexual in having flowers several groups of palms, and of the re­ of both sexes, but not in the manner of lations of these specializations to each Bornoa, since the branches with many other as forming a remarkably com­ female flowers have the male section plete seri es. Some of the palm groups suppress·ed. An inflorescence from ,this remain unspeciali zed, with the fl owers palm , shown in Figure 9, was composed and the inflorescences all equal and chiefly of normal male branches, but alike, while other groups show inter­ a few branches near the base had fe­ mediate stages, leading to extreme spe­ male flowers and fruits. cializations. The sexual differentiation Some of the fruit-bearing branches of the flowers mav be carried to a great were normally male at the tip but· pro­ extent without the sexes being sepa­ duced near the base a few small abor­ ra.ted on different plants or on differ­ tive fruits, while other shortened ent inflorescences, but the greatest dif­ branches went over more completely ferentiation of the flowers and inflores­ to the characters of the female inflores­ cences is in the groups that have the cence, producing normal full-sized sexes on separate plants. The tendency fruits. The cavities shown near the of the sexes to separate and to become base of some of the otherwise normal diverse apparently has worked out in­ branches indicate a slight development dependently in several groups of palms. of the female flowers that normally are completely abortive, but A lfons,ia has FLORAL SPECIALIZATIONS OF PALMS no constriction of ,the branches to sepa­ In other groups of plants much study rate the male flowers from the abortive has been given to floral adaptations female fl owers, as shown for Elae'is in from the standpoint of cross-pollina­ Figures 5 and 6. The normal male tion, and many remarkably speciali zed branches of Alfonsia, shown in natural characters have been described. Dar­ size in Figure 10, attain a length of 8 win and many of his successors have or 9 inches. The female branches are investigated floral specializations from about half as long, but much thicker. the standpoint of evolution; but most The changes from male to female of the palms are wind-pollinated, so characters that normally would occur that the same selective significance is between the formation of successive in­ hardly to be ascribed, to explain the florescences had in this case taken place differences in floral characters. Yet the J an., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 29

Fig. 10. Alfonsia 11w.le a11d female b-ranc/zes, fntits, and n~tts, natuml size 30 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTU RAL MAGAZINE Jan ., 1940 fl oral differences among the palms are S EQUENCE OF S TA MEN S A N D PISTILS directly comparable with ,those of in­ The central location of the pistils, as sect-poll inated groups. a general feature in the structure of Four general ,categories or stages bisexual fl owers, may be interpreted as have been recogni zed in describing the a terminal position on a short deter­ sexual specializati ons of plants, as to minate branch. A succession of differ­ the presence of both sexes or of only ent ki nds of metamers, as bracts, sepals, one sex on the plant individ ual, and the petals, stamens, and pistils, is repre­ manner of association of the sexes when sented in each fl ower, often with sec­ both are present. A ll four stages of ondary speciali zations among the mem­ speciali zation are represented among bers of the s·everal classes of metamers, the different groups of palm s, and may though such di ffe rences are found in be defined as follows : relati vely few cases among the palms. T he pos itional relation of the stamens A ~ £ to eciM£s, havin g the two sexes and pi stils may be taken to indicate represented in the same fl ower, with that the primitive sequence of deter­ the stamens and pisti ls both fully de­ mi nati on was always the same, with \'eloped and functi onal, thus constitut­ the stamens in advance of the pi stils. i:1g a bi sexual or perfect fl ower. T his This morphological reckoning woul d ') rimitive conditi on of unspeciali zed sugge t that all cases of proterogyny, flow ers is represented among the palms where pistils are functional in advance by the palmetto fami ly (S abalaceae) of the stamens of the same fl ower, including the cabbage palmetto of the mi ght be viewed as specializations in Southern States and s·everal related the di recti on of a separation of the genera in tropical America. sexes. S vnoecio ll s, having the sexes in sepa­ The positional priori ty of the sta­ rate' fl owers, but the fl owers of the two mens seems consistent with the idea sexes produced on the same inflores­ that the vegetative meta l11 ers of plants cence. This is the general condition were developed originally from sta­ among several of the larger fa mi lies of mens, and on that assumption the body palms in tropical A merica, as in the of a bi sexual plant might be considered coconut fami ly, Cocaceae, the royal as male to the time of fl owering. On palm family, A C1'istacea,e, and the fi sh­ tail palms, Ge0 1'l om.aceae. *These terms are derived frorn the Greek word oikos, mea ni ng house, used in l'eference to t. he M O1'1O('cio1f s, having the sexes in flowers. The li tel'~ l meanings of the compou nds may assist in associating t.hem with the specializa­ separate inflorescences, but the two tions fO ll nd among the palms. Autoecio'us, mean ­ kinds of inflorescences on the same ing IIsnme hous ing," sign ifies thflt t,he sexes ar e iIi the snme flower ; sYl1oeciolls l "housing togethe r," plant. T he monoecious palms are limit­ that fl owers of the two sexes are associated; mOll ­ oeciO'l.l..s, iCsepal'ate housing," that the sexes ar e in ed to Elae7's and A lfonsia, in the fami ly diffel' ent inflorescences; clioeciou$, '(housing apart," that the sexes ar e on di ffere nt pla nts. C ocaceae, and to a few genera of the The term monoecious often is used to inclu de synoecious, that is. to cover an cases w here the sti lt- palm fam ily, Tri01'teaceae. fl owers fi.l'e of sepa rate sexes b ut borne on the snme plant, U nder th nt terminology, the pa lms Dioeciou.s, having the sexes on sepa­ w ith in florescences bea ring the two sexes of fl ow­ er s could be described as s!l nspa.die and those with rate plants, in addition to the separa­ the sexes in separat.e infi o"es('enres as dispadic. ti on of the sexes in the fl owers and in The term synoeciotl s has bean used in reference to the compositae wh ich have flowers of t,he two sexes the infl orescences. The date palms, in the same head. T he placing of the se..'es in separate inflorescences as in the maize plant is the Phoenicaceae, ivory palms, Phytele­ feature that u suall y receives attention w hen monoe­ ciou s pla nts s, re discussed. Th e monoecious ps,]ms phantaceae and pacaya palms, Ch.a11'l,ae­ are like th e dioecious p a.lms in having two kinds of doreaceae, are regularly dioecious.* inflorescences as well as two kinds of flowers. but th e dioecious palms have two kinds of in dividll nls. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 31

Fig. 11. Elaeis i·nflorescence branch with 11wfiwe frwits) nat~tral size Jan., 1940 32 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE the other hand, it may be argued that the case, since the male fl owers usually a structure built up by the subdivision shed their pollen well in advance of the of conjugating sex-cells is essentially maturity of the female fl owers of the of the na ture of a sex-hybrid, which same inflorescence. The time adjust­ comports with the idea of bi sexual ments determine the possibilities of fl owers as a more primitive condition crossing, whether the sexes stand apart than the separation of the sexes.* or together on the inflorescence. Palms are la rgely wind-pollinated, though SPECIALIZED POSITIONS OF FLOWERS many have fragrant fl owers that attract In the different groups of palms insects. many speciali zed positional relations The tendency in several groups of are shown in diff erent arrangements of palms to restrict the female fl owers to the fl owers of the two sexes, in addi­ the basal portions of the inflorescence ti on to the sharply contrasting differ­ may be ascribed to the more sheltered enoes of the fl ower size, form and position and to readier access to foo d structure. Each of the speciali zed ar­ suppli es through the vascular system rangements may he consi dered as a of the plant. Also, the spreading of different adjustment of the facto rs that pollen by the wind woul d be more ef­ determine the sex of the fl oral rudi­ fective from male fl owers at the ends of ments in relation to thei r position. the branches. Both of these adaptive F lowers of both sexes may be scat­ facto rs would favor the separation of tered over the branches of the same the sexes, through natural election. inflorescence, or the female fl owers may Slower development of the pistillate be confined to the base of the branches. fl owers may make it possible fo r fe­ Each fe male fl ower may be accompa­ male infl orescences to be fe rtil ized by ni ed by two male fl owers, while other pollen from male infl orescences of the male fl owers fa rther up the branch may same plant. A n isolated Elacis palm at be in pai rs or si ngle. T he inflorescence Coconut Grove, F lor ida, produced three of the coconut palm shows an extreme full-sized clusters of fruit in the spri ng reduction in the number of female of 1932, which apparently had been fl owers. Most of the branches have pollinated from a fo llowing series of only one female fl ower, though some fi ve male inflorescences. T he sexes a re have two, while many of the branches said to appear in variabl·e "c\'des" in have male fl owers exclusively. The the East Indian plantations of E lae is.* Central American genus Synecanthus and its relatives fo rm a special group D I FFERENCES DERIVED T HROUGH of palm s characte ri ze d by having the SUPPRESSION male fl owers arranged in longi tudinal T he abnormal inflorescence of A l­ rows al ong th.e very slender branches fOl1sia shows how the monoecious state, of the inflorescence, wi th a single fe­ *See: BUNTING, B ., B. J . EATON, and O. D. V . male fl ower at the lower end of each GEORG I. The Oil Palm in Malaya. Malayan agricultu,·"l Jou"nal 1 5 :330·331. Octoher, 1 927. row of male fl owers. ". . A 'female' cycle, during w h ich only female flowers are produced and which usuall y lasts for It mi ght be supposed that the diffe r­ a pe;- iod of three months, sometimes six months, is ent positions of the fl owers on the followed by a resting period of th ree months, a.n d then a 'male' cycle of about the same length as th e branches of the inflorescence would 'female' cycle. These cycles are not seasonal, and both male and female cycles may occur at the same have adaptive significance in relati on to time on different palms. lnsta"n ces have been re­ co rded in which both mature male and female flow­ fertili zati on, but apparently this is not ers appeared togeth er on the same palm, hu t such occurrences al'e comparati vely rare." *COOK, O. F., and W. 'r . SWINGLE . Evolution A few abnormal indi viduals are reported) w ith of Oell ula,. Strnctures. Bull. 81, Bureall of P lant all the inflorescences of one sex, but the fern aJe I ndustry, 1905. palm s are "i n Yariably stel'ile." Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 33 with the sexes in separate inflores­ while a suppression of the female part cences, could have been reached from of the branch allows the male part to conditions found in some of the syn­ develop. Reckoni ng from a primary oecious palms, those that have both bisexual condition, the determination sexes represented, but with the female of sex is accomplished by the suppres­ flowers restricted to basal sections of sion of the characters of the opposite the branches. The male inflorescences sex. of Alfo11sia have rudiments of female The alternative relations of the sexes flowers at the base of the branches, and on the inflorescence may be determined these rudiments are enlarged and made in the same way as the presence or ab­ visible on the shortened branches of the sence of stamens or pistils in the flow­ abnormal male inflorescence, as shown ers. The general effect of speciali za­ in Figure 9. Complete suppression of tion has been to reduce the number of female flowers on some of the inflores­ determinations of sex and to place them cences and of male flowers on other farther apart in the life hi story of the inflorescences would result in the spe­ plant. The physiological problems of cialization of two kinds of inflores­ reproduction and development doubt­ cences, as in the oil palms. less are simplified by separation of the The female branches of Alfo11sia and sexes. Elaeis are much shorter than the male The development of a stronger branches, no doubt for the reason that terminal spine on the intermediate they represent only the basal portion branches of the abnormal inflorescence of a primitive bisexual branch, the renders them more similar to the male terminal male portion of the branch branches of the African oi l palm, shown being suspended. The branches of the in Figures 5 and 6, and suggests that female inflorescence of Elaeis (Figure the terminal spine character of the male 11 ) are relatively much shorter and the branches in Elae1:s may be a carrY-Elver flowers and fruits on each branch are from the termi nal spin·e of the female much fewer than in Alfonsia. (Fig­ branches, though a metaphanic relation ure 10.) of the spine of the female branches of In the abnormal inflorescence (Fig­ Elaeis to the pedicel of the male ure 9) some of the male branches which branches is an alternative possibility. are adjacent to the female branches are Metaphanic assimilation or interchange shorter and thicker than the normal of characters is not necessarily limited male branches. Also the shortened to sex differences or to strictly homo­ male branches are seen to be thicker logous features. The peculiar spine­ toward the base, and a partial develop­ like bracts that subtend the fruits of ment of female flowers is indicated by Elaeis, as shown in Figure 11 , may be several large pits. The normal male derived from the terminal spine by an­ branches also have rudiments of female ticipation of spine characters in the fl owers at the base, but more complete­ bract metamers. ly suppressed. The male branches of Elaeis appear The normal separation of the sexes more specialized than those of Alfonsia in these palms appears to be accom­ in having a slender pedicel-like base plished by a more complete suppression and a more compact and thicker floral of the sex alternatives than is shown spike, Figures 5 and 6. Rudiments of in the abnormal branches. If the female female flowers are perceptible close to or basal part of the branch develops, the base of the male branches, and these the male or terminal part is suppressed. rudiments are separated from the male 34 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 flowers by the slender smooth pedicel, flower opens, or the fertile carpel may a feature not indicated in Alfonsia. The be much larger than the others, even female flowers and fruits are much less in the bud. numerous in Elaeis than in Alfonsia and are restricted to the outer face of REDUCTION OF I NFLORESCENCES the branch, leaving the flattened inner The sexual specializations of the face naked, as in Figure 11. The thick­ palms are accompanied by simplifica­ er and more cylindrical, deeply pitted tion and reduction of inflorescences, female branch of Alfonsia, shown 111 afforcli ng greater protection of the re­ Figure 10, bears fruit on all sides, at prod ucti ve system. Two courses of least in the upper part. adaptation may be recognized, of in­ SUPPRESSION OF STAMENS AND creasing the size of the protective en­ CARPELS velopes and of reducing the bulk of the As in other g.roups of plants, the inflorescence that the envelope must changes from bisexual to unisexual contain. From the primary stage of flowers presumably are accomplished slight protection of the flowers by nu­ by suppression or reduction, the pistils merous small spathes, progress has been being suppressed in forming the male made to the most speciali zed groups flowers, and the stamens suppressed in that have one or two of the spathes forming the female flowers. Also the greatly enlarged and enclosing all the tendency to suppression in the female rest of the inflorescence to the time of flowers of many groups of palms ex­ fl owering. tends to a more or less regular abortion The enlargement of a few of the basal of two of the three carpels in each of spathes usually has been accompanied the female flowers, so that only one by a reduction of all of the other spathes carpel develops and only one seed is to a rudimentary size. The largest produced. spathes known are only 4 or 5 feet long. In a few groups of palms the three while some of the primi.tive palms with carpels are equal, so that two or three bisexual flowers have compound in­ seeds often are developed from the florescences 10 feet to 15 feet in length same flower, but in most of the sexu­ at the time of flowering. These huge ally specialized palms only one carpel ramifying inflorescences have hundreds of each female flower produces a seed. of small spathes, but the flowers are The fertilization of one carpel has the only imperfectly protected because the effect of inhibiting the development of branches emerge at an early stage of the others, though if none of the ovules development and the fl ower-buds often is fertilized a partial development of all are completely destroyed or sterilized three carpels may take place. In the by unfavorable weather. disease or in­ coconut family the three carpels are sect pests. always represented in the fruit, being On this basis the palms that ha ve the fused together to form a compound inflorescences reduced to a cluster of pericarp, but in most of the Cocoid short simple branches, as in Elaeis and genera only one carpel is fertile, and A lfolHia, would represent rather ad­ only one seed develops. Different de­ vanced stages of specialization. In a grees and stages in the suppression of few palms the reduction of the inflores­ the abortive carpels of the female fl ow­ cence has taken another course, toward ers may be distinguished. The carpels suppression of the branches, and this may be eq ually developed when the may be carried to the point of reducing Jan.,194D THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 35 the inflorescence to a simple axis. Such which remains in place during the de­ cases occur in several groups of palms, velopment of the inflorescence. When some that have flowers of both sexes the flowering stage is reached .the swell­ together, as among smaller members of ing of the inflorescence splits the pro­ the Cocaceae, and also among dioecious tecting leaf-sheath, which then falls off. palms, as Phytelephas and Cha11I£ae­ The spathes of these palms are thin and dorea. membranous in texture, wi,thout chlor­ With the spathes developed to the ophyll , and remain in place only a few extent of affording complete protection days after the leaf-sheath has fallen. to the time of flowering, the sepals and Further examples might be given of petals of .the male flowers are no longer specializations that have accompanied needed, and may be replaced by larger the development of separate sexes numbers of stamens. Such reductions among the palms, though the adap.tive of the floral envelopes have occurred in advantages appear in other features, several groups, notably among the rather than in the differences between ivory palms where the male flowers the sexes. The lack of adaptive signifi­ have only minute rudiments of the cance in specialized sex characters was calyx and corolla, but have stamens by recognized by Darwin as a difficulty in dozens and hundreds. The male flow­ the theory of natural seleotion. Sexual ers of the species of Attalea are too selection was thought to explain the de­ narrow to enclose ,the stamens, and in velopment of sex contrasts among the one of the royal palms, Gorgasia ole­ higher animals, but the plant sexes are racea, the petals are shorter than the beyond the range of such reasoning. filaments, so that the anthers are ex­ Other views of evolution must be truded beyond the petals even before sought through the study of specialized the spathe opens. characters in the various natural orders. In several Oriental palms, as Sea­ The palms are relatively simple plants forthia, Archontophoenix, Lorowta, and and have an obvious unity of plan Eora, the protective functions of the which greatly facilitates the comparison spathes are supplemented and replaced of specialized features in the several by the long, sheath-like base of the leaf, families. The Lava Beds of Idaho

ROBERT M. SENIOR

THE State of Idaho presents a great deep depressions and caves, where, to variety of scenery. High mountains, the amazement of the visitor, ice often some of them 11 ,000 and 12,000 feet, covers the walls. Imagine going from spread over a great part of the country. the surface, where the temperature is Often, at the foot of these mountains, probably over 100 degrees in the shade, one beholds splendid irrigated valleys down into a cave where nothing grows, of 0Onsi·derable extent. Toward the and the thermometer never registers southern part of the State, the moun­ above 40 ·degrees. During the cold tains are lower, and graduall y merge winters, ice usually forms, and remains into a rather monotonous plateau, on possibly throughout the entire summer. which there is practically no rainfall in In one s·ection, black cinders may lie summer, and the grey sage brush (A1'­ on all ,sides, and to the surprise of the temisia tridentata) covers the land as visitor, rising from it, may be found a far as the eye can see. few straggling limber pines (Pinus On this southern plateau there ar-e a ftexili:s) . On the ground, spaced a few number 'Of localities where in ancient feet apart, seldom in large clumps, in times there was considerable volcanic striking contrast to the black cinders, activity, some of it taking place less hundreds, even thousands of tiny than a thousand years ago,-naturally plants, with possibly the whitest leaves a rather recent date in geologic history. to be found in all Nature, dot the land­ In such sections as ehe so-called "Cra­ scape. This plant is a low lVlountain ters of the M'OOn,"-l1'0w a National Buckwheat,-the smallest I have ever Monument, - the effects of volcanic found,-and is called El'iogol1u1n de­ eruptions can be observed in the cra­ pressu1n. Rising about five inches above ters, spatter and cinder cones, bombs the leaves are erect little stems bearing and lava flows. creamy yellow fl owers, often tinged Last year the writer had the oppor­ with red. Some of the seeds of this tunity of visiting a number 'Of localities eri'Ogonum we brought home, and tried subj ected to these ancient upheavals, to raise in a coldframe. They germi­ and to study the vegetation growing on nated, but the ensuing leaves lacked '1'hem. Upon approaching one of these the intense white color of their parents. areas, it looks like an enormous coal Like the Edelweiss, w'hen brought field, interspersed with small daubs of down from its native mountains, and green. If the visit is at high noon in raised in the lowlands, the plant pre­ midsummer, the intense heat u!1d er a sented a rather dingy appearance. brilliant blue sky almost makes the Although we arrived too late in sum­ spectator gasp for breath. The thought mer to see L ewis-ia l'edidiva in bloom, flashes through his head,-"how can we were told that in June it coul d be anything grow in this 'heat blasted found in considerable profusion, and country?" And yet trees, shrubs and that the flowers generally had white herbaceous plants manage to exist,­ petals, whereas those that I had found not in large tracts, but scattered here in other sections were generally ros'e and there over the landscape. color. Conversely Chae17achs Douglasi, In these lava fields are numerous with its grey, finely divided leaves. had [ 36] Jan., 1940 T HE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL 1AGAZI NE 37

Upper left, T he countr)'; upper n"ght, Cha11'l.aebatian"a 1%illefolibt1n; lowel' left , detail of last; lower right, Eriogonu11~ de preSS'bf11'L on lava bed rather rich pink fl owers, whereas else­ affected the color of the flowe rs. where I had only fo und whi te varieties. Although an endless number of No doubt here too the lava soil had penstemons grow in these mountain 38 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

States, I could only find one species on certain of the spec i ·~s, but it seemed to the lava rocks, - namely the white bear a close resemblance to D. N elsoni, flowered P. de%stus,-a plant about fif­ which is also found in the neighboring teen inches high, each flower rather States of Utah and Wyoming. small, but the mass effect rather at­ Of the ferns, the only one encoun­ tractive. This species I have had in tered was a charming woodsia, ]IV. ore­ my garden for a couple of years, but gona, which I had also seen in New whereas it is a firm erect plant in ils Mexico. Here it was growing in the native habitat, here it is inclined to be shady crevi·ces, with so little soil cover­ somewhat straggly, very likely due to ing the roots that one wondered how it the heavier summer rainfall. could possibly sustain life. I find that n1.ost people have the im­ The most common shrub in this re­ pression that the monkey-flowers grow gion is probably Pursh-ia tridentata, a only in fairly damp soi l, which is cer­ rather low bush with yellow fl owers tainly true of those two ye llow monkey­ and small trident like leaves. Philadel­ flowers that we see occasionally in east­ ph%s Lewisi,i, which is the Sta,te flower ern rock gardens, - namely Nl i1111,tlus of Idaho, though rather plentiful else­ Langsd01fi and pri11'f,/'(./oid es; but here where in Idaho as well as in the neigh­ on the lava beds, growing in dry rocky boring States, only managed to exist places, we find a charming low annual here and there in lava crevices. Though mimulus, which I have never seen in having masses of attractive medium any rock garden, namely lJ!l. nan liS, sized flowers, it really cannot compare with its rich raspberry colored flowers with some of the magnificent hybrids and a brownish throat. We brought that we now have in our gardens. back seeds of this plant, and if it The outstanding flowering bush in thrives, it should be a charming ac­ midsummer is one that we found no­ quisition to the rock garden. where else in Idaho, and apparently Anyone who has visited arid regions has no common name, but bears the in our western States has no doubt en­ rather formidable one of Cha1J/O,eba­ countered some species of ll1entzelia, lia;ria Millefoli·ulII. Its interesting leaves which seems able to withstand the long­ are as finely cut as those of any fern, est of summer droughts. On these lava and toward the top of the stems it bears beds grows a species, M. multiflora, large panicles of pure white fl owers. about two and a half feet high, with The stems are very sticky, and no very large li ght yellow flowers and nu­ doubt enable the plant to withstand merous long stamens that give the evaporation of water. If this species rather bushy looking plant an attrac­ could adapt itself to eastern gardens, it tive appearance. Like all these would be a distinct acquisition. Next western men,tz elias, the greyish-green year I shall attempt to raise it from leaves feel rough and hispid to the seed but my hopes of success are not touch. very high. We generally have the impression As we left this country, we looked that delphiniums require a fair degree back over the black expanse of rock of moisture, and yet on these ariel and cinders, and wondered at the hardi­ wastes we came across a few specimens ness of these plants that could resist that had managed to survive. At the the intense cold of winter as well as time of our visit the flowers had al­ the terrific heat and the well nigh rain­ ready begun to fade, so we were not less days of summer. The Unusual Grape Ferns VI/ ARREN C. WILSON

PROBABL your least known native tions which are more difficult to dis­ ferns are the Grape Ferns, or Botry­ cern. chiums. While hiking in the fie lds and Grape Ferns occur all over the woods during summer and fall one can world. The following kinds are native find several species of these interesting to the New England and Middle At­ plants. In the fall it is easier to locate lantic States. Some, depending on the the evergreen Grape Ferns, because at species or variety, are found in other that season the frost has browned the states and countries. grass and brought down the leaves. The giant of the group is the Rattle­ Earlier in the year Grape Ferns are snake Fern, Bot1'ychium vvrginiammL apt to be overlooked; ,their relatively It tS the commonest and the one known small size of,ten causes them to be lost by most persons. Rarely growing in in the mass of other vegetation. sunny places, it is frequent in rich, The Grape Ferns belong to the fam­ moist woodlands. The broad, delicate ily Ophioglossaccae. They, like other fronds, light green ,in color, are often ferns, reproduce by means of spores held a foot or more above the ground. which are borne on modified fronds in The fertile spike arises from the base sporangia (spore cases). These spores of the sterile frond and is some eight fall to the ground, are carried below or ten inches in length. The spores the surface by rain water and germi­ are shed in late Mayor June and the nate there. Small, fleshy bodies (game­ plant disappears within a few weeks tophytes) form and the Grape Fern, as usually, not to reappear until the fol­ we think of it, grows from this under­ lowing spring. ground body. A plant established in a The Lance,leaved Grape Fern, B. favorable location may live for many lanceolat'"t11~ ssp. al1gust 'iseg11~entu.111, years. Although countless millions of with a tongue-twislting scientific name, spores are produced annually, only oc­ is one of our smallest. It is found in casionally does one find the proper en­ damp, grassy woodlands, in most cases, vironmental conditions and escape the and is rather infrequent. This fern numerous mishaps which may occur often grows with the Matricary Grape and finally complete its long and com­ Fern, B. matrbwriaefoliu1'i'!, which is pli cated life cycle. about the same height - fo ur ,to six There are several characteristics inches. The former has noticeably which readilv distinguish Grape Ferns three-parted sterile blades, whereas the from other ferns. They normally put latter tends to be pinnately divided. In out only one frond a year. The spo­ both these species the spores mature in rangia are borne on a separate stalk late June or July. The plants of the which arises from the base of the plant Lance-leaved Grape Fern are visible or, in some kinds, where the sterile until frost cuts them down in the fall ; frond is attached to the stem. The the Matricary Grape Fern almost al­ roots are fleshy and very little ways disappears before this time. branched. These are a few simple dif­ One of the most intriguing and oft­ ferences which anyone can observe: hunted members of the family is the there are also many technical distinc- Adder's Tongue, Ophioglossum vul- [39] 40 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

•

Wa1'1'en C. TlV/han

Upper left, B. dissectum va?'. obliquUq1~; uppe'r ?'ight, B. 1nu,ltifidum1 val'. salaifoliu?1~; lowe?' left, h1M1tat1,we plant of 0 phiogloss~P '1 11, vulgat~w/l"; lowe?' right, B . dissech,ml val'. one1:de·I1Cf . J ail., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 41

Upper, The Oak Fe1'11, in the wr·iter's garden; lower, Two s01newhat differ­ ent fo"l'1'I'1.1 of the C01nmon Grape Fern 42 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE JaJTJ., 1940

/lVorren C. W 'ilson

L eft, Botrychi~£11'/, 11'~ultifidum V01'. sa,za,ifoliu1n; u.pper cente!', B . dissec tum wbth intermediate cutti:ng; lowe?' ce11ter left, B. dissectu1n obliqwu1n; r1:ght, B. dissectu1n; right, B . dissectul1I var. on eidellsis gatu1'1'L. This really tiny fern is quite Grape Fern, is a pobust-Iooking plant rare, but in suitable locations it some­ with light green, leathery fronds. The times forms large colonies. I have s·egmel1lts of its blade are decidedly seen it only a few times, always among rounded; in B. dissectnm they tend to the grasses of a damp meadow or pas­ be more pointed. The !cutter is called ture. Its single, yellowish-green un­ the Cut-leaved Grape Fern and is per­ divided frond and odd fertile spike are haps the most beautiful of them all. very difficult to locate, unless one Sometimes in extreme forms its fronds crawls about on hands and knees. The present an almost frilled appearance, Adder's Tongue reaches maturity in they are so finely cut. B . dissectum var. June or July and then withers until the obliqu.u.m, the Common Grape Fern next season. (which, by the way, is not so common In this regi{)n there are two widely as i,ts name indicates) , is similar but distributed 's pecies of Grape Ferns has less divi ded blades. B. d1·ssectu.1n which are "evergreen"-B. 1nu.ltifid~111 '~ var. one'idense has even fewer divisions, ssp. salaifoliu1n and B. dissectu1% (and These four Grape Ferns are fre­ its varieties). The former, the Ternate quently found together, or very near Jan., 194{) THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 43 each other. Old sterile fields and pas­ group. There is such a wide variation tures, dry or moist woodlands, and in the cutting of the fronds and oonse­ swampy places are common habitats for quent intergrading of the forms that all but the var. oneidense, which is con­ the problem of separating them is both fined mainly to moist, rich woodlands. a hopeless and a useless task. It takes This variety and B. 11if,u,ltijidu11if, usually ,con.siderable practice and much pa­ keep their green color throughout the ti,ence to learn only the three kinds year, the others often become bronzy in here mentioned ! the fall. All of these ferns vary in Note - The scientific names of the height fr0111 a few inches to a foo t or Grape F erns discussed in this article more. The spores of the Ternate fo llow the nomenclature used by Dr. Grape Fern are released in August R. T. Clausen of Cornell University. and September; those of the other For more detailed information about kinds are shed a month or ,two later. these ferns consult Dr. Clausen's "A The botanists have long disputed Monograph of the Ophioglossaceae," among themselves as to the proper sci­ Memoirs of the T orrey Botanical Club, enti·fic names for the B. dissectH111 Vol. 19, No.2, 1938.

Rhododendron Notes

CLEMENT GRAY BOWERS, Editor

R. "Decati'os)) = (R. decorum X R. with yellow shadings in the throat or "Atrosanguine~£11I[,)) ) sometimes with a carmine spot deep in This is one of those hybrids in which the tube or again with pure pale cream the unexpected has happened. When a or creamy white tinting the entire blos­ highly prized seedling of R. deCO'r~£m , som. So perhaps it is just as well that received in 1924 from Prof. C. S. Sar­ none of the deep colors did come gent of the Arnold Arboretum first through as all of these are pleasing. flowered here in 1929, its sweetly fra­ In fact we have another early flower­ grant, Regal lily tinted blossoms were ing sort SGmewhat like the first one we crossed with pollen of the red flowered described ("Boule de N eige" X For­ Catawbiense hybrid R. "Atrosangui­ tunei) except that it is a much more neum" in the hope of obtaining some vigorous open grower with larger more highly colored trusses - and perhaps open clusters of slightly deeper color fragrant also. tints. The seed was sown in January 1930 R. decoru-11'i is unfortunately quite and I had not long to wait for these bud tender but this hybrid has had extraordinarily precocious seedlings be­ some of its buds injured in only one gan to flower in 1932 and have been at winter since 1932 so it would appear it ever since. Nevertheless they have to quite possible of cultivation in those yet to produce a single deep colored parts of the Eastern U. S. where the corolla of any shade, all-and hundreds Catawbiense varieties succeed. have flowered-are palest pink to white JOSEPH B. GABLE. Rock Garden Notes

ROBERT MONCURE, EditOT

D'Waa'f Brooms fo?' the Rocke1'Y for this by staying small and keeping CARL AND LOUISE STARKER well within bounds. It makes a dense If you are looking for a delightfully mat of creeping stems, well clothed in easy shrub for the rockery, one that tiny, deep green leaves. It prefers to will perform beautifully regardless of stick closely to the ground, but is very heat or drought, by all means let me obliging in adapting itself to the con­ recommend anyone of the dwarf tour of rocks ·in border or rockery. It brooms. I have found them invaluable has deep yellow flowers which are not for use in that crucial spot at the top so freely produced during the blooming of the rock garden where the hose just season in Mayas those of most of the 'Won't reach, as well as on a dry, rocky other brooms, but it continues to pro­ bank which seJ,dom gets any spr'inkling duce a few flowers off and on all except that supplied by Nature. through the summer and well into the The dwarf brooms take on many fall. I have had it in .the same place different shapes; some are rounded, in my rockery for ten years, and it upright bushlings, while others are hardly seems to grow any larger, al­ creepers which hug the ground with though its mats are thicker than when earnest determination. In the ten years it was planted. that I have been trying out the various Genista Villarsii has semi-prostrate, types, I have found varieties suited to brownish woody stems, from which almost every situation in the rock gar­ spring many grayish green, twiggy den, and they grow so slowly that I branches. The color and quality of the have had to move very few of them. foliage suggests some of the smaller It is hard to imagine a more strik­ leaved evergreens, gone very dwarf and ing and colorful display than that open in character. It is very slow staged by the brooms during their growing, and after several years has flowering season, and when they are produced no flowers for me, although out of bloom, they retire modestly the blooms are yellow. This plant is into the background, their neat, incon­ very choice and rare on account of its spicuous foliage making a charming slow growth and difficulty of propa­ foil for the other flowers. g2tion. The fact that brooms are placed un­ Genista. deCU-111.bens lives up to its der two classifications, Cytisus and name very well indeed, as it is a Genista, need not bother the ordinary sprawler of the most confirmed type. gardener in the least. The distinction The prostrate stems are well clothed in is a purely botanical one, and rather oval leaves of a deep, smooth shiny obscure at that. So far as his purpose green which lie in overlapping rows is concerned, he can call them all throughout their whole length. This brooms and go right on enjoying them. choice little plant is very slow growing: Genista pilosa, the most nearly ever­ plants two years from cuttings are still green of the smaller brooms, is very so small that it is very easy to lose s],ow growing, and takes i·ts time about them in the nursery bed. The flowers establishing itself in the garden and are yellow. getting ready to bloom, but it makes up Cytisus hil'su.fu,s decumbe11s. This is [ 44] Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 45

Ceo. C. Stephensoll Ge11ista dalmatica another very low growing broom. The brooms, but is very valuable on account stems, well adorned with rather hairy of the great numbers of deep yellow ieaves, lie flat on the ground, with the flowers which appear in racemes at the ends turning up just a little, although ends of the branches in late May. It is on the edge of my pool, the leafy very striking when placed at the top of branch tips just brush the surface of the rockery or rock wall. the water. The abundant stems form Genista tinctoria fiore-plena. This a dense mat of grayish foliage, which, double form of the Dyer's Greenwood in the course of seven years or so, wi ll is much lower growing than the single make a plant two or three feet across sort. It makes a quite regular plant. and not more than six inches high. At Its lush stems, adorned with many blooming time, which is in early May, shiny, bluey green leaves erupt into the brilliant yellow flowers appear in double yellow fl owers in late spring. such masses as ·to completely hide the Cytisus luwensis is the most desira­ foliage. They are borne stemless upon ble of all the brooms in a number of the trailing branches, so that the plant ways. It is the only one of the dwarf looks like a shining golden carpet. brooms with cream colored fl owers, Genista sagittalis is a semi-upright and its graceful, weeping habit makes it plant which wi ll attain a height of very des irable for use at the top of the twelve inches. It has deep green foliage rock garden or wall, where it can cas­ of a curiously flattened character, al­ cade over a large rock and be seen to most like that of a cactus. It grows the best advantage. It makes a rather rather faster than most of the dwarf loose. decumbent plant with neat, deep 46 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 green branches, with very few leaves. most other brooms, it has the very In early May when the fl owers appear, great merit of blooming late, and pro­ it turns into a fountain of bloom, every ducing its fl owers over a long period of stem down to the tiniest twig covered time. It is a very slow growing plant. with the showy, creamy blossoms. It Ge11,ista. radiata. A very stiff, twiggy, requires no care or pruning, although airy bush, bearing its few small leaves the longest branches may be nipped in the axils of the wide-spreading, stiff without disadvantage to the plant. In green branches. It gives a light, yet ten years it will make a plant a foot rigid character to the graceful, upright and a half high by three feet wide. bushes not found in any of the other CytiS1,£S PU1·p~we~£s. This is a some­ brooms. The bright yellow blooms a re what taller plant of looser habit than produced at the ends of the branches in the preceding. Its arching stems make May. an airy, open bush, whi,ch, after a num­ Genista dallllatica turns itself into a ber of years, may grow to be eighteen very hedgehog of a bush, whose many inches high and three feet across. The short, spiny twigs suggest those of a leaves, wich are borne in groups of gorse plant. This is a very good plant three, are much larger than those of to use for discouraging wandering most brooms. The orchid lavender dogs. The brilliant yellow blooms are fl owers, too, are unusual in brooms, borne in dense racemes at the very tips which nearly always have yellow of the branches, and make a most glo­ blooms. They are borne all along the rious show in mid-May. stems in May. C·ytisus B eallii makes a rounded. Cytisns Ardionii makes a pleasant, open bushling with pleasant green rounded small bush which grows very stems very sparingly embelli shed with slowly, reaching an ultimate height of tiny gree n leaves almost too small to eight inches and a width of a foot. The be noticed. The brilliant yellow fl ow­ g,reen stems are well provided with ers, which are large in comparison with hairy leaves, which are qui te large in the size of the plant, are put forth in comparison to the size of the plant. The late Mayor earl y June. lower stems li e on the ground, but Jewlli11gs Lodge, Ore. curve upward at the ends, and as the other branches are fairly upright, the Some Good Gardell Violets whole plant takes on a globular shape, with its base resting on the ground. ARTHUR H. OSMUN The golden yellow fl owers, which a r,2 The average gardener's regard for crowded on the ends of the branches, the violet as garden material is usually appear in groups in April or May. based on some disastrous experience Genista h01'1'vda is a dense, silvery with the coml11oner vari eties which bushlet, in which the leaves have trans­ deluge the ground with cleistogamic formed themselves into sharp spines, seed and whi ch, uncontrolled, are a which may be quickly felt by the ad­ nuisance generall y. miring passer-by, who stoops to pat the It is unfortunate t hat the resultant apparent softness of the deceitful plant. biased opinion of the native violets de­ It is to this characteristic that the plant ters us from tryi ng some of the more owes its rather di sagreeable name. It desirable varieties, for there are many is a very attractive small shrub, and, that are choice material and rival most while its deep yellow fl owers are not perennials for utility, foliage and quite so freely produced as those of bloom , and these are so legion that for Jan., 1 9 ~ O THE NATIONAL HORTI CULTURAL MAGAZINE 47

Violets in the 1'OC!? ga1'den U ppey, Viola papilionarea; ceNte1', V. pedata alba; lowe1', V. rostrata 48 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Jan., 1940

Viola pTimulifolia

one to choose the best ten or twenty the adunca type, it has no synonyms, would simply refl ect that one's prefer­ its br·onzy green foliage carries well ence. However, here are a few that are through the year, the fl ower is of good outstanding in many ways, all are size in li ght shades of purple and lav­ choice garden material and simple of ender ; given clear leaf mold in a half culture. shady nook it will reign there like the Considered by some a pest, Viola queen it is. stTiata is one of the best; as a ground In the East we have few desirable cover it is unsurpassed, as it throws yellow violets, quite our best one being ou.t long runners of heavy foliage; by V. pubescens, the downy violet; it is a keeping these runners cut back it makes ha;ndsome flower and has good foliage a compa·ct mass of pleasing dark green but it soon dies down and disappears leaves carrying well above them what after blooming though a great joy in is probably the handsomest of the vio­ its brief life. lets both in form and coloring, a deep I find very few who have attempted cream with purple stripe on the lower V. p1'i111,.ulifolia in their gardens and petal; it has the longest fl owering sea­ yet it is one of the simple violets to son of any perennial we know, from cultivate and is beautiful and interest­ April :to December, and not its least ing; given a mixture of sand and leaf desirable attribute is that it has no moId in semi- shade it will form a mass choice of soils and prospers equally of roots and a good clump of lobate­ well in sun or shade. lanceolate fo li age with small white Little known but well deserving of a fl owers on long stems. pla;ce in every rock garden is V. ros­ V. samea is an albino form of V. trata, the long spurred violet ; though of pallllata var. c/.lcullata and is without Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTlCULTURAL MAGAZINE 49 color pigment in root, corolla or flower; for massed planting or heavy border it is a handsome thing but its cleisto­ work ; if one is careful to keep the gam.ic seed must be controlled for gar­ cleistogamic seed capsules cut off it den culture . . will become a handsome specimen V. Macloske':yi is a beautiful little plant. visitor fr·om the far northwest; found V. canadensis is a lovely thing; tall, originally in the Mount Hood region graceful, branching with distinctive fo­ about 1890 and named for the late Pro­ liage, it carries well its choice large fessor George Maclosky of Princeton white blossoms which are underlaid University, it has been little known with purple, giving them a pinkish since; originally confused with V. pal­ tinge, and with a large yellow eye. It lens, it has been established as a dis­ is an adornment for any sort of garden. tinct species especially in its leaf form, Eight of a hundred or more avai l­ that being nearly round; its flower is able species is not a very large propor­ similar to that ·of V. blanda and it re­ tion but if one succeeds in establishing quires about the same general culture. these in the garden one will have had a V. papilionacea alba can be either a variety of interesting and worthwhile delight or an insufferable pest. Its im­ experience that will no doubt whet mense white flowers with a pale blue one's appetite for a wider knowledge of center borne in great profusion above this entrancing family. heavy foliage which carries well through the year make it unexcelled Plainfield, N. f.

A Book or Two

Old Fashioned Flowers. Sachaverell anecdotes ·of searches f.or oId plants Sitwell. Illustrated by John Farleigh. and names of those now obtainable, 193 pages. Chas. Scribner's Sons, w.ith a plea for a world wide search for New York, 1939. $6.50. lost varieties; but the book is far more than a mere compendium of plant The publication of this English book names. The accounts of cultivation is peculiarly appropr.iate at this time and development of certain groups of when there is a renascent interest in plants by artisans and their preserva­ many old fashioned flowers. The book tion in remote cottage gardens is most opens with a chapter on the Jacobean interesting. Although everyone may Florist and gardening in the Parkinson not agree with Mr. Sitwell's comments epoch and doses with a chapter respect­ on ,the merits of the plants and gardens ing the Nineteenth Century Florist. In­ of past generations, there is much food tervening chapters are devoted to Au­ for thought in them. Mr. Sitwell seems riculas and Primroses, Tulips, P.inks wedded to the ideal that past eras in and Carnations, Roses, Fuchsias and narrower fields possessed a definite miscellaneous garden flowers such as unit, style and purpose in life and its Scented Geraniums, Stage Dahlias, many phases which is missing today; Ranunculus and Vi,olas. Names of energies and thoughts have been so many old varieties are li sted and the spread over such a large field that defi­ circumstances surrounding their origin, niteness and balance have been lost par- so THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 tially. Be that as it may, this is not a of Lily Field Day, Helen M. Fox, List book to be hastily read, laid aside and of Names of Hybrid Lilies, A Sim­ fo rg'Dtten, but one to be placed on a monds, The Propagation and Estab­ convenient shelf and delved into and lishment of Lilies, M. Amsler, Lilies at enjoyed again and again. Mount Stewart, The Marchioness of The 12 colored lithographs and nu­ Londonderry and A Beginner's Diffi­ merous black and white sketohes by culti es P. A . Craig complete the ar­ J ohn Farleigh are in the style and ticles. spirit of the subject matter. The litho­ These are followed by reports of graphs might be termed Victorian meeti'ngs, dinners, correspondence and (without scorn), and probably pur­ the like and then the book returns to posely so. , "'hile they lack some of articles, short pieces and records quite the lightness and liveliness of some as important as those before the salt, older fI'Dwer prin ts, they are faithfully including two very interesting articles interpretative of an era and possess in­ on Fri·tillaries, the pictures for one of dividuality of a restrained type. They whi'oh arouse one's greediest appetite are suitable fo r framing if one dare and really overshadow most of the lily desecrate the book by removing them. pictures. The entire format, including the cover, harmonizes well with the subject mat­ Birds i17 th e Garden and How to At­ ter. The appended cultural notes by tract Them. Margaret McKinney. various horticulturists respecting some Reynal and Hitchcock, Inc., New of the plants is helpful. However, the York, 1939. 349 pages, illustrated. value of a book of thi s character would $5.00. be still more enhanced by the addition of a well documented bibliography. This is a large and handsome book R. C. M. with clear print, and handsome pic­ tures, many in color. It is written with The Lily Yem--Book, 1939. P ubli shed the zeal and affection that li fts any by the Lily Committee of The Royal book above the company of its fellows. Horticultural S'Dciety of Great Brit­ Although there is much in the book ain, London , 1939. 183 pages, illus­ that will concern the gardener who trated. 6j. wants to attract birds, it is primarily a bi rd book and the plants described and This volume, the eighth 'Of the series, li sted are thos·e which provide food and fo llows worthily in sequence. It is dedi­ shelter for permanent resident and mi­ cated to the late E. H. Wilson with a gratory friends. T he garden devised pleasant note on his life and works. for them will be a pleasant but not a The articles that foHow are : very showy place. Lilies at Estavan Lodge, Grand This reviewer likes plants better than Metis, Province of Quebec, Canada, by birds and takes the ministrations of the Mrs. R. W ilson Reford, is an extended latter gratefully, li stens to thei r songs account of garden experiences. with pleasure, watches their antics with E uropean Lilies of the Isolirion Sec­ amusement but sti ll feels that they have tion, by Dr. Fred Stoker, is all that olle a lesser place in his affections. It would expects of this writer. be unreasonable to expect even so ex­ On the Stigma of L. Myriophyllum cellent a book as this to overcome his Franchet by A. D. Cotton, L ili es ill prej udices. To all others it will be My Garden by E. N. Mull et, Report welcome and he, doubtless shamed. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 51

Ca1'olina Gal,aens. E . T. H . Sheffer. GI'owing Plants i1t N~£tl'i e nt Solutions. The University of North Carolina Wayne Turner and Victor M. Hen­ P ress, Chapel Hill, N. c., 1939. 317 ry. J ol1n Wiley & Sons, Inc., New pages, illustrated. Garden Club Edi- York. 1939. 60011, $3.50. Much has been written of late in re­ Other states ,have already seen the gard to the recent development of old publication of ,chronicLes of their gar­ principles long known but not turned dens, old and new, surviving or re­ to general commercial practice. s·tored. To that array is now added this This book is a>dd·ressed to the com­ volume on the gardens of the Carolinas. mercial man rather than the amateur It is a handsome book, affably written gardener but all of us can read it with with enough of history and personal vivid interest. The chapter headings­ intimacy to please the general reader A General View of N utrient Culture, and to excite, alas, that modern pest, Commercial Advantages, Converting the general gardener visitor. Since it from Soi I to Nutrient Culture, Small is plainly stated when the gardens are Scale N utrient Equipment, Chemi stry open to the public, perhaps the intru­ and Mathematics of N utrient Solu­ sion of the unexpected visitor can be tions, Sources and Quantiti es of Salts ov·ercome, but it seems a little sad that Used, N utrient Solution Formulas we who li ve elsewhere can learn 01 the F undamentals of P lant Physiology, Es~ character and flower of local garden sential Elements and Their Functions styles only by coming in . in Growth, Testing Nutrient Solutions, Diagnosing Deficiency Symptoms, Gen­ eral Cultural Conditions-give the out­ Iudging the Amateur Flower Show. line of the treatment. Mrs. J erome W. Coombs, Chairman for The National Council of State Magic Gardens. Rosetta E. Clarkson. Garden Clubs, Inc., 30 Rockefeller The Macmillan Company, New Plaza, New Y or k Ci ty. 72 pages York, 1939. 369 pages, illustrated. (2nd edition). $.50. $3.00. The amateur fl ower show is usually The preface begins: "This is not the . one public activi,ty of even the merely an 'herb book' but is meant to smallest garden club and furnishes an be rather a foundation book for any arena for infinite labor, much anguish gardener and still of interest to the and not a little ecstasy. Labor is al­ general reader who likes the thought of ways reduced by good planning, an­ a garden or who loves to dream of the guish is always tempered by knowledge gardens ,of long ago." Such a pro­ and understanding, ecstasy iii made val­ gram yields the author much latitude uablechiefiy by a safe measure of the but apparently she has not been tempt­ spirit. As one who has, in times past. ed into many sidepaths. Much that is labored vainly, suffered absurdly and here has been touched upon-much has perhaps gloated unreasonably, it is a been known before as is inevitable to p1easure to recommend this useful and any reader who has, like Mrs. Clark­ lucid booklet to all those who feel that son, read widely and omni vorously of flower shows must go on. No more old books. temperate or discreet help could be For those who have not or cannot, wished. it wi ll be a delight. It is recommended, 52 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 19:0

Three Acres and a Mill. Robert Ga­ penhagen, 1938, Sisyrinchiums by Ed­ thorne Hardy. The Macmillan Co., ward Cahen, Notes from Italy by Ltd., New Yo,rk, 1939. 361 pages, Countess Senni. illustrated. $4.00. It is quite a different book from our American bulletins and just as local in This is a very pleasant book. It has its character. to do with the record of twelve years of gardening in a charming spot, en­ A9'ound the Year in the Ga1'de12. F. F. riched, as all gardening should be, by Rockwell. The Macmillan Company, human experience and vision and in New York. New Edition, 1939. 350 this case enlivened by adventures of pages, illustrated. $3.00. plant collecting in places not so far removed from the author's home as to A very neat and useful "what to do be breath-taking or world stopping, but now" sort of garden book which con­ forei'gn enough to be valuable in expe­ cerns itself with operations and man­ rience and in plants collected. The re­ agement as the first interest and plant viewer's enthusiasms are doubtless aug­ materials second, is this new edition of rnented by the many varied reports of Mr. Rockwell's original opus. It is narcissus-collecting in the wild. based upon t he calendar year of and It is always a periLous thing to shape apparently for New York City. a book about anyone facet of one's life, The dosing paragraph of Mr. Rock­ but it seems to this reviewer that the well's introduction gives the best ad­ author comes off very well indeed, par­ vice, "Let the gardener, then, read thi s ticularly in that field of emotional re­ book with a diligent eye for such ad­ actions which we may admire as much vi·ce and suggestions as he can apply or as little as we like without having to his own problems, but without any actually to waUow 1n his raptures. attempt to follow it blindly, for the real work, like the profit there may be (ten The h 'bS Year Booll1939. Published by dimes saved is a dollar earned!), and The Iris Society. The Hon. Editor, the pleasure there is sure to be, must R. E. S. Spender, Chetwold, Yetmin­ belong to the gardener, and cannot be ster, Dorset, England, for the So­ put between the covers of a book" ciety. 114 pages, illustrated. Harmony in Flower Design. Arrange­ After the first pages given over to ments by Isabel T. Ackerman, Rose the business matters of the Society, the B. H ouskeeper, and Emma E. main articles are: Irises for the Bog Thacher. Photographs by William and Water Garden, by G. Dillistone, G. Houskeeper. Dodd, Mead and The Sibirica Group-Recent Additions Company, New York, 1939. 115 by R. E. S. Spender (N.B. ho,rticul­ pages, illustrated. $3.00. tural varieties, not species), Petit Iris,es by F. Wynne Hellings, Some This is a book of arrangements, well New Varieties by R. E. S. Spender, photographed on one page and dis­ Iris Colour Associations by Louisa F. cussed on the page opposite with a Pesel, An Iris Odyssey by S. L. Pilk­ most important section of text at the ington, Notes on Iridaceae II by N or­ end in which the photographer has his man J. Hadden (Hesperanthe, Ixia, say and says it well. Lapeyrousia, Libertia, etc.). This anri The arrangers are more concerned That by Chas. E. F. Gersdorff, Iris as with bringing to the attention of the Grown in the Botanical Garden in Ko- reader the fact that they must "see Jan., 194D THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 53 beauty" than anything else. Nothing This is a much more valuable book could be more admirable and for the than its companion volume issued about most part they have succeeded well. a year ago. Like that book it is well Although they claim to be as free as illustrated. It has a similar spread of possible from styles, twenty-nine of minute color illustrations taken from their forty-eight plates obviously stem the exquisite color reproductions in from the Japanese style, very temper­ SuccIJtlents by A. J. van Laren, a few ately modified and often to advantage. larger color cuts from the same book To this reviewer, the arrangements and some original color photographs descendant from E uropean work are by the editor. The black and white less arresting. There is nothing that cuts are numerous and for the most really touches upon the ,truly stylized part splendid. design of the present day. The essential plan of the book is the No matter what one thinks may be outlining of the plant families that can in or out, no one can find fault with the be discussed under the title with illus­ authors' attitudes and aspiration. In trations to suggest the great diversity short, this is a "must" book. of forms that are available in each case. In this the editor has had the assistance New Pronouncing Dictionary of Plant of many, but conspicuously of Messrs. Names. Compiled by E. R. Robinson. J. R. Brown, Alan White, Boyd L. The F lorists' Publishing Co., Chi­ Sloan and G. W. Reynolds. names cago, Ill. , 1939. 64 pages, 25 cents. familiar to anyone who has already Orders may be placed through our discovered the succulent wo rld. secretary. There is a brief chapter on general This pocket size booklet is intended cul ture but cul tural remarks are to be "as a handy reference hooklet on pro­ found in the sections devoted to each nunciation and spelling ..." In com­ plant. As before the background of piling it, special reference was given to experience seems to be Californian, ex­ the second editi on of 'Webster's New cept fo r the discussions of the Liliaceae International Dictionary and L. H. which come from South Africa where Bailey's "How Plants Get Their aloes, gasterias, haworthias and their Names." It is clearly printed, with li ke have headquarters. The problems simple indications of accent and sound­ of the grower whose plants must spend ing, as well as good definitions that their entire lives in pots is not much mi'ght be longer if the book could have mentioned, with the attendant problems been larger. Should be very useful. of insect ·control that presumably are a little more trying than those of the per­ Succulents fO?' the A 11l/,ateu1'. Arranged son who works out-of-doors. and Edited by Scott E. Haselton. It seems difficult to beli eve that any The Abbey Press, Pasadena, Cal.. person susceptibl e to the beauties of 1939. 167 pages and index, illus­ these plants with their numerous forms trated. Paper back, $1.00, cloth. and patterns could resist becoming a $2.00. collector after readi ng th is book. The Gardener's Pocketbook

M oraea ranl,osa l See page 55] 11110raca 1'Mnosa (and the variety also) has the most striking and inter­ This is a new bulbous Moraea from esting root system of any bulbous plant South Africa with some v·e ry interest­ ing characteristics. It grows along I have seen. To begin with, there are streamsides and likes plenty of water. two disti nct kinds of roots on each Blossoms appear during May and June plant-one of soft, fibrous roots grow­ in Santa Barbara. T he flower stalk is ing downward in a normal way, and from four to six feet high and has many one of hard spinous roots growing out­ branches. T he flowers are borne on wards and upwards in such a way that the tips of the branchlets and are co l­ it forms a kind of prickly basket-work ored an amber yellow except for an around the base of the stem. Scientists oval at the base of the falls which is would call the ones growing down­ lemon yellow, surrounded by dark blue. wards "positive geotropic roots" and There are also dark spots in the claw. the spi nous ones forming the basket The blossoms are about two and one­ work "negative geotropic roots." There half inches in diameter and resemble is no true basal corm such as we find in those of M oraca polystach'ya except in M.. polystachj,a. Nearly every node on color. the entire fl ower stem has a group of The pbnt presents a striking appear­ corm lets. At the base of the plants, in ance when in bloom. Th ~ branch lets the axils of the leaves, some of these are thin and wiry enough to be almost cormlets are fai rly large and will bloom invisible at a little di stance and the the first year that they are planted. fl owers look like yell ow butterflies flut­ The spinous roots are very stiff and tering among the green branches of the wiry and each lateral root ends in a Hower stem. The individual blossoms sharp point. This area is fo ur to five open about 11 a.m. on a sunny day and inches in diameter on a full sized plant last twenty-four hours, with a new and is always tightly packed with vari­ group opening each morning. The ous sized corms borne on short stem green leaves are at the base and are branches - starting with one or two not very conspicuous. flattened ones about one inch in diam­ There is a variety which was sent .to eter, several roundish smaller ones me under the name of NI. 1'G.7'IWsissi11W more or less flattened and as manv as which has gli stening golden-yellow a large handful about the size of a flowers with dark spots on the claw, grain of wheat. Most of the larger and smoky li nes on the back of the fa lls. ones (comparatively few in number) It blooms about one month later than germinate readily and bloom the first the type. M. ra1nosa sets seed freelv, season after being planted. I have been but this vari ety never does. The Di­ growing both forms of this moraea five rector of the National Botanic Garden seasons and have never had more than at Kirstenbosch does not recognize the a very few of the smaller corms ger­ darker colored fo rm and says that there minate-in fact so few that they might is only one kind, whi ch is known as as well be thrown away. However, I M. 1'a11~ OSa , and yet I received the orig­ have found that almost all of them will inal stock of both colors from South germinate readily, and several bloom Africa. the first season, after being treated with [ 54) Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 55

[See Page 54] 1l!! 01'Ge a 1'am osa 56 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 ethylene chlorhydrin at the rate of habit I had learned and the recorded three to five cubic centimeters in a proportions and weight of the immense sealed one quart container for four to tuberous roots in old plants led me to 11 ve days. * The seed fr0111 the lighter select a very small one for digging. colored form germinates freely and Such a one as seemed suitable had but often produces a small fl ower spike in two or three stems a fo ot or so in one season. These seedling corms are length. Its situation was a dry sandy always round- one-fourth to three­ valley free from stone, and the time eighths inch in diameter. late fall when the plant had become These two moraeas are probably like quite dormant. . most South African bulbous plants in For the novel adventure of foll-owing that they are presumably not hardy the root to its depths tools for what­ out of doors in any but the milder cli­ ever excavating mi ght be required mates. A number of retail dealers were provided, pick, shovel and post­ listed M. ?'amosa. this season and trial hole spade. The last, with long narrow will soon ·establi sh their limits. In the blade. dished from side to side and localities where they will grow out of round-tipped, proved to be the only one doors, they will be a di stinct addition needed other than a small coffee can to the garden. They are large e n o u ~ h held in the hand for scooping up loose to make bold accents in the border soil. The crown of my little plant, an without crowding the smaller plants. inch below the surface, was inconspicu­ They do not need to be dried off for ous, merely a union of the dark reddish several months as do the other bulbous brown stems with the light brownish moraeas. such as M . glallcopis and M . rootstock and a few low excrescenc,es polystach'va. from which might develop future buds. The flow ers cut well and make a The rootstock caliper was about three­ dainty arrangement in themselves. The eighths of an inch and uniform to a individual blossoms last only one day, depth of fourteen inches 'where it rather but succeeding groups open daily for a suddenly widened into the tuberous week or ten days when cut. portion. with a thickness of nearly two 111 nraea ?'a1nosa and its darker co l­ inches and a length of fifteen. From ored form are two of a large group the lower slightly more tapering end whi·ch will prove more and l'n ore useful the root continued directly downward, as we become acquaint·ed with it, and with one or two small spreading the indivi duals b@co me available. branches. , W. M. JAMES At the surface the soil was sandy but Santa Barba1'a, Cal~f. · compact. At eighteen in ches it became nearly pure sand and continued so, on .~ I P01110 ea lep tophylla [See page 57] down. In the narrow hole which had been made it was at last impracticable Knowing and admiring the bush to work so ,the root was severed at morning glory at the roadsides and forty-eight inches, its diameter still failing in one small effort to bring it to greater than a lead pencil. the garden by means of seeds, the time The planting was likewise an experi­ came when I determined to attempt ment, the so il of my garden being a moving a plant. Something of its root heavy clay that runs into shale at twen­ *Hasten in g the Germ in ation of Dormant Gladi­ ty-four to thirty inches, while sand, or olus Cormels with Va,pors of Ethylene Chlorhy drin. F. E. Denny and Lawrence P. Miller. Contribu­ gravelly and gritty soil are Ip011wea tions from Boyce Thompson I nstitu te, Vol, 6, No. 1, 1934. leptophylla's native media. Here, a Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 57

J p01noea leptophylla, post-h ole auger making a hole eight red in the throats, is spectacular. Flow­ inches wide was sunk its length, and a ering begins in early July and often smaller pit made below with the spade there are blossoms after mid-Septem­ to accommodate the root without bend­ ber, even under intense drought. It ing. The re-fill was half and half sand wo uld be in teresting to know wh:lt size and day, sifted, carefull y tamped the the tuber has attained . A root pre­ full depth, and watered. served at the University of Nebraska Doubtless a requirement of the bush weighed eighty pounds when fresh, and morning glory is a " dry" subsoil, and there have been rumors or weights granted this it is accommodating. My above a hundred. charge has thrived through four sea­ The native range of 1. leptophylla is sons and grown to moderate size, with the plains states from Montana and fifteen principal stems from the crown, South Dakota to New Mexico and a spread of forty-eight inches and a Texas. This is mainly high country, height of twenty. The apparent height relatively dry grassland, more or less is less, fo r the slender terminal alkalin e. Yet, as I have noted, the spe­ branches and narrowly lanceolate, very cies descends in "glades" along the un-morning glory-like leaves of light Cimarron Ri ver in Oklahoma to an g].ossy green present an airy rather altitude of fourteen hundred feet, where than a dense mass. Its sustained pro­ the rainfall, or possibly ground water, duction of fine large trumpets of pur­ supports neighboring groves of large plish pink, deepening to glossy purplish trees. As far as I know the depth of 58 T HE NAT IONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

permanent moisture op ment bescent. A particularly noteworthy between fil#em and squanosa. It has quali ty of this tree is its late blooming slender branchlets of soft, fea thery ap­ seas'on. The cream colored fl owers are pearance, bearing tiny needle-like, produced at the end of every shoot in bright green fo li age, whitened on the erect terminal clusters 6 to 9 inches lower surface. The habit is conical, long and appear in August. In winter with ascending branches, forming speci­ it has a di stincti ve appearance due to mens of dense texture when sheared the green color of the young wood. into formal shape. The P lume Cypress Another valuable characteristic is its Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE S9 ability to withstand drought, retaining their full size, about 6 feet tall and 8 to its leaves and their rich green color in 10 feet in diameter. the driest seasons. As an avenue tree White flowers cover the spreading for city use or as a specimen shade tree branches in June and are followed by in the yard it is equally useful and coral-red berries which contrast viv­ beautifuL It requires a thoroughly idly with the gray green leaves. The drained soiL fruits are relatively large and abun­ dantly produced, remaining until late in autumn. ViburnU111 r hytidop h yllu11~ Cotoneasters are not tolerant of Another of my favorites among the shady, moist si tuations. To thrive they lesser known ornamental shrubs is Vi­ want a sunny exposure and a well burnum, rh,)Jt7'dop hyllu1Q1, the leatherleaf drained so iL viburnum from Central and \¥ estern ROBERT V AN TRESS China, the only. hardy viburnum which is evergreen here. The shrub reaches Spathodea ca1'Jlbpamdata P. Beauvois a height of ten feet with stout upright " [See .page' 60] branches, tomentose when young . . It is a distinct and striking plant due to its In Dr. J. F. Rock's "The Ornamen­ bold lustrous foliage. The leaves are tal Trees of Hawaii,'; this handsome 3 to 6 inches long and a.bout 1 to 2 tree native to ,tropical Africa is called inches broad, on a matured plant, dark the Fountain Tree, a name said to be green and strongly wrinkled above with given it in India, where it is cultivated brownish colored hairs coveririg the un­ as an ornamental, because the unex­ der surface. panded Howers "contain a quantity of My plant has not Qloomed yet, but water." .. the flowers are said '.'to be yellowish Our illustration gives an idea of the white, developed in fall and blooming inflorescence with the brilliant green in June. The berries, ripening in Sep­ buds in the center incurving like a great tember and October, are red at first, chrysanthemum and the outer flow ~r s changing to a lustrous black As with expanded with heavy-textured petals ­ other broad leaved evergreens, s·ome of intense orange red, edged with gold­ shade from the winter sun is needed to en yel10w. The tree itself is "Ve ll flll_r:­ prevent browning of the leaves. ni shed with odd-pinaate leaves tl~at make a noble settin'gfor these brilliant terminal inflorescences. Cotoneaste1' mcemifio1'a S0011g(wica . A much better illustratipti is given The large family of cotoneasters has in the ever-useful . Cu-rtis" Botanical many members of hi gh value for land­ Magazine (t. 5091 ). The author of the scape planting, including several ever­ accompanying text points out that gree,n vanetles. They vary greatly in Beauvois' original illustrations were habit and attractiveness, and rely more quite inaccurate, excusably so since his upol'). the brilliantly colored fruit than fi eld sketches had been',_ destroyed by their flow ering ability for decor~ti've . fi're· and his drawings and notes were e#ect. I made again from fragmentary herba­ I have grown several varieties and rium materiaL The author regrets have found C. mcemifiom soonga7'i-ca that in England (where it must be to be the most ornamentaL They like grown under glass) it "is the mi sfor­ an open situation where they can reach tune of this plant that it does not bear 60 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

[See Page 59] S pathodea ca1npamrlata Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 61

H. F. Loolllis [See Page 62 ] Schefflera act-inoph'ylla 62 " THE 'NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 its blosson~s ~I:;til the tree' h ~~ a{t'ained Scheffiem actinophylla [See page 61] coi~~1.cier~bl 'e ~ize>; , Hi ': meqlib~s also This again is a spectacular plant on tha.L S(J~illacl1er i· M,r.hb). ' des~ b';bed ' the account of its beautiful foliage, which tree ':: as ' B.i~~~6~~ia ., J% lip,i~~r.C/!. ,~a , l;am.e , is quite large eilough to he conspicu­ that .Jells ' l1iuc'I:" t~ , the fa ynuap) . spoke ous, and ' of a pattern unusual among of the fI ,o\vel::=; ,. ~ ·:a:~ ' l ~rge as the largest our familiar native trees. The indi- tulip,f" l .;.. .. , ~. ,>: " . vidual leaves which appear to be almost T~e f!.owe I;S., . ~re really gorgeous in­ two feet .across are radially compound dividl'ually, -deel)ly salver-shaped with with shortish peduncles and long leaf­ fiv;e !lobes div.i~d~d slightly as if in two lets of a shining dark green color. The lips'! The .0utsIde of the co rolla and illustration gives a clear idea of the the 1nside ' ot: the lobes are deep rusty, plant, which is about twenty feet high. crirl~son, the' cup a little lighter. The sinUfi.te.margJns ot the lobes

I-J . F. LooIII is [See Page 62 ] B011/vax 1I!alabariculll 64 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

an ignominious fate for flowers of a Pachira jastu,osa [See page 65 1 noble tree that in its native India Although native to Mexico, this tree reaches a height of over one hundred like many other tropical plants has been feet, if it were not f.o r the fact that there carried about somewhat, so that it may the falling flowers are gathered and appear among the horticultural notes eaten. of other countries than its own. The Since one of the features required of strange appeaTance of its flowers had ornamental plants in Florida seems to probably led more than one traveller to be that they be as unlike any know n take or send home seeds, particularly northern plant as possible and as as­ in those early days when conservatories toni shingly different as possible, t hi s were more common than now, and tree with its erect trunk covered with when collections of important exotics warty spines that also line the branches, were really collections and not just as­ its huge dull red fl owers in mid-win­ sortments of the most showy plants ter, and its later leaves large and pal­ among the most showy genera. mately compound, should fill the bill. The lush young growths push up vigorously and give the tree ,the same In Macmillan's "Tropical Gardening sort of look one finds in the free growth and Planting" (p. 83) its fl owering of youn g paulownia, to name only one season is given as January-February northern tree with vigorous annual and in Florida trees seem ,to keep this shoots. schedule. That reference also tells that Its unusual characteri stics and beau­ the "Red Cotton Tree" produces a ty made it a favorite in old conserva­ wood that is used fo r the manufacture tory collections and these same beauties of tea boxes (p. 218) and fo r the commend it for planting in warm areas building of out-rigger canoes (p. 83). in this country, especially those free There have been at least ten intro­ from all frost and moderately warm. ductions of this species through the It is a deciduous tree as it grows in Division of Plant Exploration and In­ the Plant Introduction Gardens at Co­ troduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, conut Grove, Florida, with flowers that U . S. Department of Agriculture, rang­ begin . to appear at least before the ing from 1901 to 1936 with seed from leaves) ' in February and March. The varying sources, many from cultivated illustration shows the amazing fl ower buds with fo ur petals, dark colored trees. From the notes of the Division, without. closed in a cylinder about the one gathers additional data. This tree stamen masses but b reaking open revo­ makes a large trunk with a buttressed lutely to show the almost white inner base, bears branches carried in hori­ surfaces and releasing the huge brush­ zontal whorls. The inner bark yields a like mas of stamens. rose-tinted with good ·fiber sui table for cordage; the yellow anthers, the whole almost a foot seeds yield the so-called silk cotton, too across. short and too soft to be spun but eager­ The handsome leaves, suggesting ly used for stuffing pillows and for gun those of the horse chestnut but more cotton. The fl ower buds are eaten as leathery in texture and with smooth a pot herb. margin s, are fine enough in their OWll What t houghts one might have look­ right. ing up into the branches of this foreign They somewhat overshadow the tree. fruits, whi'ch resemble in size and Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 65

H. F. Loomis [See Page 64J Pa.chira fastuosa 66 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

shape small cacao pods, containing edi­ pinkish tube, and usually with a pink ble nuts the size of hazel nuts and with ;ine on the lobes. As they age, usually i'the flavo,r of peanuts." 111 the course of two or three days, they become dull rose over all. They pos­ A11'b1%Ocha1,is hete9'ostyla [See page 67 ] sess a mild, sweet fragrance. <.' i Some time ago, some matute bulbs The leaves are poorly shown in the under the name of Crinum a11111!LOcha­ photograph, unfortunately. As the koides weTe obtained from the Mt. plant had only temporarily .been placed f lgon Nursery, Mt. Elgon, Kenya CoL 111 the pot, they are not iT). their natural positions. As a rule, they along 011Y, South Africa. They were potted spre~d the surface, usually to a length of 25 ~nd kept in the greenhouse for two years, but they could not be induced to' cm., instead of, standing erect. They flower. Finally, with the hope of stimu­ are glaucous green, almost silky in tex­ rating them, they were planted outside ture, with finely serrulate margins. The withered tip is characteristic; it results ~or a summer season. This move was from the fact that each' "season for at ~ewar.ded by considerable quantities of "flowers, throughout the summer. Sev­ least several years, the old leaves grow eral bulbs flowered two or three tim~s. out anew from bulb is about 10 C111. in diameter. It is heavily clothed with li o'ht brown q species whi·ch has been found only Ol~ b , the slopes of Mt. Elgon, where, in cer­ papery coats. Offsets seem to be pro­ fuin a:reas, it is said to be common. "'It duced rather freely under cultivation. i~ quite ne\;", having been named in In culture, A11'!1'I1.ocharis heterostyla ~932.1 So far as can be ascertained seems very easy. It has flowered freely the only illustrations of it are Ito b~ through the summer without particular fpund in the article reviewed below. care. The bulbs have been overwin· ~ The accompanying photograph is tered dry without difficulty. Since it ri.atural size and from it one may obtain comes from regions of relatively little I110St of the characteristics of the flow­ , rainfall, it is capable of withstanding a ers. It ought to be noted that the l1l11- great deal of drought and, presumably, bel sometimes has as many as "18 flow­ high temperatures. It seems to require ers. As may be seen, the filaments are full exposure to the sun. Unlike so erect, only little exserted from the many South Africans, it grows its throat of ~he perial:lth tube. The style leaves in the summer, thereby greatly IS always 111cludecl ev·en though it elon­ extending the area within which it may gates 'as the flower ages. To the extent be cultivated with the proper attention. that this condition, rather than true As in most Amaryllidaceae, the seeds heterostyly obtains, it may be said that must be sown reasonably soon after the specific name is incorrect. The maturity. At the current rate of growth fresh flowers are creamy white with a of the seedlings, it seems that four or five years may pass before they reach 'Bullock. A. A. K ew Bull. of Misc. Inform ., p. 505. 1932. maturity. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 67

Lilian A . Gue·rnsey [See Page 66 ) Ammocharis heterostyla 68 THE NATIONAL H ORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

As an ornamental, it must be admit­ Schweickerdt fo r reasons to be given ted that the plant is not hi ghly exciting. below. With the exception of Ker­ \ i\T here it may be naturalized and Gawler,3 whose note on the subj ect was grown in quantity, it will be well worth ignored, it appears that no botani st having for its reappearing fragrant prior to these two has recognized this summer fl owers. As a pot plant it will identity. have no value unless a way be fo und to As an inc1dental matter it is pointed induce regular fl owering. \ i\T ere it not out that "Boophone" is the proper for this, it mi ght be a very useful sub­ spelling fo r the genus we know as B u­ ject on account of its size and propor­ phane. It is ex plained that the word is ti ons. derived properly from the Greek for The appearance of a paper entitled "ox" and "n1urder," not from "toad" "A new conception ·of the genus Am­ as Marloth thought. ( Fl. South Afr. mocharis H erb." by E . M ilne-Redhead 4 :115. 1915. ) and H. G. Schwei.ckerdt2 really Concerning the genus Ammocharis prompted the writing of this brief note. Herb. , it is said that most of the trou­ This paper call s attention to some seri ­ ble has resulted from the fact that in ous taxonomic errors, some of which herbarium specimens a number of im­ date back to L 'H eritier and the younger portant characters are obscured, and Linnaeus. F rom the hi story set down, from the lack of adequate material, it would seem that the whole gamut of ei ther living or dried, in H erbert's day. errors has been run, from mismatching Two species were recogni zed by H er­ leaves and fl owers to sheer gross negli­ ber t : A. coranica (K er-Gawl. ) H erb. gence in attention to taxonomi c de­ and A. fa lcata (Jacq. ) H erb. Baker tails. The complexity of the situation considered the fo rmer synonymous which arose has scarcely been equalled. with the latter on the basis of several The authors, in a very painstaking, rather unnecessary errors. H e stated tecii,o.us task, have managed to clear up that the fruits and seeds were un­ the matter, but not until about six known , yet in the key to the genera in genera and almost innumerable species hi s H andbook of the Amaryllidaceae, have been aff ected. No attempt will he places it on the basis of its fruits be mad e to detail the whole story here. and seeds ! Furthermore, he suggested H owever, there are several interesting that K er- Gawler in Curtis's Botanical parts that deserve mention, even Magazine (t. 1443. Bntnsvigia falcata) though they do not bear directly on the had mismat,ched the frui ts of Brunsvi­ subject. F or example, it is shown that gia with the fl owers illustrated. Yet Ama1'yllis longifolia L has been erro­ Ker- Gawler was the only one who had neously confused with the plant which correctly diagnosed the material! botanists have called Crin'um longi­ Throughout the taxonomic hi story of folium,. Because of this misident ifi ca­ thi s group of plants, arbitrary treat­ tion, the latter must be called C. b~d b 'i­ ment seems to have been the rule. One spennum (Burm.) Milne-Redhead et begins to wonder if this is true of mos t Schweickerdt. A111,[brylli'S lO1'!.0folia is of the botany we are taught to venerate. shown to be the same as A1w/,1nochm,is If we must fo llow the rules strictl y, a falcata (Ja cq.) H erb. of modern bot­ situati on like the one detailed here anists ; but this is now called Cybistetes causes far more trouble than it de­ longifolia (L) Milne - Redhead et serves. How much better it would be if

' The J ou rn",l of Ihe L in nean Society of London . 3CUI·tis's Botanical Magazine. t. 1 4 4 3. Bru?1s, 52 :159-197. October, 1939. vigil. f"Zcata. 1 812. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 69

fl. F. L oo lllis [See Page 70] Ficus 1'1I,)lsOreJ1 sis r (' palldells 70 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE ] an., 1940 one might fo llow;IZer-Gawler, who, in­ ferred are those Ahican species which stead of chal~ging the names, says: "We produce distichot\s, biflabellate1y ar­ have restored to each the synonym that ranged leaves that continue elongation belongs to it, without attempting to through several growth periods, dying disturb specific dominations by which back each season to the top of the both are at this time universally called bulb. Such leaves (described in detail and understood." above) are commonly truncate-erose at As to Herbert's treatment, the au­ th-e tip with dead tissue adhering, fre­ thors suggest that had he seen complete quently falcate in shape, and they fre­ herbarium material, he probably would quently li e flat on the ground. not have considered the two species as The .genus Cybistetes (from the congeneric. On ~ the basis of much Greek for "tumbler" because the fruit­ mor·e adequate material assembled from i ng umbels become detached and tum­ the herbari a of the world and support­ ble aboLit in the wind) is closely related ed 'by observations of living plants, to A1n1lLocha.1'is and from it is to be dis­ Miln~-Redhead and Schweickerdt have ti ngui shed by its declinate stamens, concluded that A 11't11Wcha1'is fa.lcata perianth making an angle with the (A.11wryUis longifol-ia L) is generically pedicel, pedicels elongating in fruit, distinct from A. comnica. The former capsule dry, strongly ribbed, the ribs they called Cybistetes longifol-ia (L) perslstlJ1g. There is only one species Milne-Redhead et Schweickerdt. (cited above). There will be many, In the genus A11111wcha,ris t hey p.Jace undoubtedly, who wi ll not accept this five species, fou r oL,which were for­ as a distinct genus. Be that as it may, merly included in Cl'ill,um under a maze the work stands out for its scholarship, of names. Because of the complexity depth and thoroughness. No stone has of the situation, it would be out of heen left unturned in their efforts. place to detail all of the changes here. T here has been no work in this family Suffice it to say that: ( 1) A1%11'LOCharis in recent times that can approach it in cocc ~nPa Pax is reduced to A . cora11ica t hese respects. and on tl1,at account only (Ker.-Gawl. ) Herb. ; '\'(2) Cri11~t1j1, a11~C it must com mand more than passing 1nocha.1'oides Baker, .5..tenoli1'ion Elliotii notice. CLA UDE HOPE. Baker, and sevel'al othe1's of Baker's species of Crinu1'n have been reduced to Fic1,ts 1n'),s01'el'ls'is sll.brepa·nde·l1s (Viall. ) A. Tinneana (Kotschy et Peyritsch ) King [See page 69] Milne-Redhead et Schweickerdt (ac­ cording to the authors, this same plant There seem to be endless species of has been introduced to cultivation in Fints that have come into cultivation the United States under the name of without any likelihood that we have C1'inum pa1'V~t1n Baker4 ) ; (3) Cn'mt111 even skimmed the surface and as in hdte1'ostylu1n Bullock becomes A. many another large gel1 us there are h ~ te1'ostyla (Bullock) Milne-Redhead members that are certainly the poor re­ et Schweickerdt; (4) Cri'l'lu11'L anqolense lations of the others. The edible fig of Baker and C. c~wvifoli$t11'b Baker be­ history and legend is the best known come A. angotensis (Baker ) Milne­ member, Fic/,ts carica,) with F. elastica Redhead et Schweickerdt; (5) C1'inU11~ the rubber plant of home and florist and Ba~m~ii Harms becomes A. Ba~m"ii F. 1'epel1s the greenhouse creeper as (Harms) M ilne-Redhead et Schweick­ runners up. erdt. The crinul11S that have been trans- For the Florida garden, one need not 'JHe l'b el'tia II: p. 31·32. 193 5. limit his choice to such but does need Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 71

Claude Hope [See Page 72] Lavatera, Loveliness 72 T H E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 194U watch lest his whole place be dwarfed few aeri al roots, clinging close to the by some swift-growing tree with inva­ trunk. sive roots and showering leaves. Among these huge trees are many that are di s­ Lavatem, Loveliness [See page 71] tinguished by handsome evergreen fol­ It is a pleasure to turn up an old gar­ iage, usually of dark green color and den flower of real merit once in a while, shining surface. The lesser details are particularly if it is one that has suf­ often even more interesting and there fe red neglect by gardeners, and more is scarcely a species or fo rm that does particularly if it is one of easy culture. not produce a pattern of fo li age and J ust s uch a plant is L avaterG Loveli­ twig that is not beautiful. ness, the annual mallow. Last spring, For this reason the illustra"tion given seeds of this were purchased, along here was made from a photograph with those of a few other unfamiliar taken into the fo liage mass to show the annuals, with the idea of appraising dull yellow velvety fruits ti ght again st them as garden plants. U nder the cir­ their large evergreen leaves marked cumstances, it was scarcely to be ex­ with a pattern of light green vein s. pected that any of the plants, much less The plant was first raised from seed the old ones. would be sufficiently good and planted largely as a win dbreak, a to warrant high praise. It seemed ob­ purpose that it fi lled excellently since vious that there must be so me obj ec­ the rather dry rocky soil fi lled with tionable feature, either in the plant or lime did not appear to be an ideal loca­ its cultural requirements, that di scour­ ti on for many other plants. Here it aged gardeners from growi ng an old, grew slowly at first with branches well long-known garden annual. T o judge down to the ground in contrast to its by the resul ts of one season's trial, such habit in its native co un try where in the was not the case with the present sub­ foothills of the eastern and southern jec.t. parts of India it is said to make a fin e Lava/era Loveliness is a plant of the tree with relatively few aerial roots and easiest culture. T he seeds are suffi­ these hanging close to the trunk. ciently large that direct so wing in the In the Annals of the Botanic Garden open, where the plants are to grow, is of Calcutta ( 1 :20 [1887J), King re­ preferable. Near \iVashington, D. C , duces \ Valli ch's original species to a the seeds were planted in late April ; form of F. 111ijlS0rens-is with the note germination was prompt, and the vig­ that it di ffe rs from the type chi efl y in orous seedli ngs grew off without any the larger oft en narrower leaves, with reversals. The plants began to fl ower more nerves at the base and in lateral in late June . and from then until mi d­ pairs, the differently shaped frui ts and September there was a very satis­ various minor points. factory showing of fl owers. He points out that the fo rm "is not T he accompanying photograph is found in Southern India, but replaces about one-third natural size. The in­ the other two at the base of the East­ dividual fl owers, therefore, measure ern H imalaya, in the Khasi H ills and about three inches across. The color in the Burmese hill ranges at elevation is an unusual shade fo r a mallow, a of from 1,000 to 2,000 ft. It grows to clear ri ch pink without the usual sug­ be a very large tree." The older trees gestion of magenta. It is enli vened by in the garden have developed well and carmine veins which become broader appear to be falling into their native at the base, sometimes merging into a pattern with a well-developed trunk and dark blotch at the base. Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 73

The plants reach a height of about lee Burpee began offering seed of this three feet under ordinary conditions, variety in 1917, as La.vatem splendens but they may be forced to a height of Loveliness. W ithout doubt this is L. six feet. It has been grown and rec­ t1'i11'l,estris Sple1'bdens. At the same time, ommended as an annual hedge by the seed of a vari ety alba was offered. English. 'With its rapid grow th and (This is still avai lable from some seeds­ strong basal branches, it should be very men.) Later, this was replaced by the suitable for that purpose. The upright­ white-flowered variety P ttrity, which, pyramidal plants are usually compact, unfortunately, seems unavailable now . and freely branched at the top. The Engli sh sources remark that crimson flowers are mostly soli tary in the axils and purple vari eties occur, neither of of the leaves but they are borne very which is available now in the U ni ted freely. As evidence, the photograph States. A vari ety Sunset, also pink, is may be considered as a fair sample of offered by several seedsmen. Surely all the plant's free-flowering character­ of these are worthy of a trial. istics. CLA UDE HOPE. As a mallow, it is unusual in another respect. It is said to make a good cut C1'yptanthus as House P lants. flower ; those who have tried it say that the fl ower buds continue develop­ Occasionally one yields to an impulse ment for several days after cutting. In and buys a plant that he has no special The Garden, Volume 51 , page 212, use for just to satisfy hi s curiosity. 1897, its use in this fashion is particu­ Such was the case here' for among- th e: larly emphasized. In Better H O11ltes piles of little plants, cactus seedling, and Ga1'dens for February, 1940, it re­ cuttings, sanseverias, crassulas and th ~ ceives well merited praise by a middle­ like that lay on a gift shop table were western gardener who menti ons its various plants that looked more or less value as a cut fl ower. li ke little pineapple tops. A sample of The variety belongs, undoubtedly, to each was gathered, taken home, potted the species, L. tri1·"I.est1'is L. variety in a soil rather rich in humus and set splende1'ls Hort. A handsome color on the shelf where they soon let it be plate is that in Curtis's Bota'l'Iical Mag­ known that they were the thirsti·est of azine, t. 109, 1791. There, it is said all the inhabitants. Several proved to that Parkinson wrote of it as the be merely fo rms of C. acaulis which are "Spani sh Blush Mallow ." In The GClJr­ ni ce enough, forming crowded rosettes den, Volume 53, page 62, 1898, there of fo liage variously tinted with dull rose is a good color plate and a brief his­ and bronze; one was C. B euclzeri with tory. It is a native of the Mediter­ clear green leaves variously marbled ranean region, and was introduced to with white and the third was C. b1:vit­ England in 1633. The Engli sh seeds­ tat MS. This in spite of its description men, Sutton and Sons, apparently in­ has made a short stem, well furnished troduced the vari ety Loveliness in 1914 with recurving leaves of pale bronzy as a variety of L. rosea splende11s. L. green lined with darker bands, all tinted 1'osea is considered a synonym of L. with dull roses. After two years, the t1'1:l'JII,e s tl'is . plant shows no sign of fai li ng vigor and A brief search, prompted by curi­ has made as little demand as one could osity, disclosed that the firm of IV. A t- ask. 74 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940

Two U seful Gasterias

ON THE offi ce window ledge are two shelf. A ll so far have show n the typical gasterias that have been very conspicu­ stalk with pendent fl owers, shaped like ous among their fellows for a slower bird's heads and tinted in green and rate of growth, keeping well within the salmon pink with touches of yellow. As bounds of a three-inch pot, Gaster1:a the fl owers are somewhat translucent dic ta and G. nitens. There is no evi­ the color through them is very lovely, dence to suggest that the latter should when sunlight falls on the fl owering always remain sn1lall , but the short shoot. crowded growth of the fo rmer promises Although it may be recorded else­ well fo r a long life in a small pot. Since where. we have seen no exact reference gasteria s are among the best of suc­ to the amount of cold that these plants culent plants for the window ledge, will stand. This is a factor that many these two need a special word. Per­ an indoo r gardener would like to know . so nall y I prefer the fo rmer, which is O ur window faces south from a room, one of the spiral forms, twisting about a that like others in offi ce buildings is short axis, with crowded leaves not often too hot fo r comfort. The window much over two and a half inches long. is left open all summer and well into Many small plants sprout from about the autumn, then is closed in part but the base of the sta1k, that can be left to not enough to prevent ~ draft of cold develop in place or can be taken off and air that blows across the plants. So started as new plants. In the latter far the only sign of injury that has ap­ case the small plants are so slow in peared has been the appearance of growth as to seem almost like imita­ blotches that are more like burns than ti ons. anything else. More careful and more All gasterias have rather thick leaves frequent washing of the leaves than had usually of dark green with vari ous been the practice, seems to have brought maL-ks and mottlings which lie flat on this to a close, as if caused by soot or the surface in some species or are raised dirt injuries . like particles of dull pearl. E ach of these species have blotches on the sur­ W ATERI NG POT P LANTS face of the leaf brilliant and clear in the Two useful tricks were learned from newest leaves and growin g duller as Mr. Bates of ivy fame. One was the the leaves age. Some of the oldest practi ce of putting a small fl at stone on leaves on our plants which have lived the surface of the soil , in the pot; or on the sill for tlearly two years are now even two or three. Then when water­ almost soli d green. il1 g from a small can, without a rose. All gasterias fl ower but the gardener the stream of water can be played on who can grow them out of doors or who the stone and will not di sturb the sur­ can give them large pots in the green­ face level of the soil. hous·e has the advaL1 tage of better The other was the use of a rubber grow th and freer fl oweri.ng. Neither plant sprinkler in place of a small wa­ of these plants has fl owered as yet but tering can. It is often quite as easy to others of more ample habits have fl ow­ take a small bucket of water to the ered even in the confines of the window plant shelf as to carry a small watering Jan., 1940 THE NATIONAL ,HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 75

Courtesy The A 'mold A-rb oretll.'!71 [See Pages 58, 591 Uppe1', Sophom japoniWi, the Chinese Schola1' T1'ee; lower, Cotoneaste1' rac e1n ifio1'a soo11[ja1'ira 76 THE N ATIONAL HORTICULTU RAL MAGAZI NE Jan., 1940

pot. T o dip in the sprinkler is easy and that the Latin names are not just as to let the water fl ow gently from the euphoni ous as any we might suggest. sprinkler to just the right level in the What could be nicer than Schefflera ? pot is easier still. W e fi rst decried the It moves easily on the tongue, has no practice and then adopted it. The slow­ di ssonances, no awkward combinations er fl ow, often allows a better judgment of consonants. W hy may it not sli p of the rate of absorption and prevents into our language as gently as zinnia or overflowi ng. petunia? A re we so unwilling to make the adventure of an occasional new N a1'ciss~~s bulbocodium 11'bonophjillus word? O r do we prefer to confuse the Among the many plants that do not issue with names of our own invention, seem to know when wi nter is over is like children in a fairy tale? th is charming hoop-petticoat narcis­ \ iV hat a pleasant name is Bomba:c sus for Algiers. The grassy leaves be­ ma.laban·cu11'!! It has a rather pompous gin to appear in late autumn and the sound, bombax ! And malabari cum , fl ower buds soon show in the bases. mouth-filling and immense? When the snow melted from our frozen If one went on, he might even say January (1 940) several fl owers were that had he time, he might invent a revealed ruined by the ice and a fair very catalogue of pleasant sounds, with number of buds that look as though much toc0111m end their entrv into our only one or two warm days would harsher mother tongue beside mere ex­ bring them to opening. pediency. F or the gardener who lives in a cli­ mate not subj ect to these trying or­ NY11'lpho'ides aquaticU,1% deals, this should make a true winter I n one of the catalogues that li sts fl ower. Here the tenure of its stay is plants for the aquarium there is offered possibly problematical, although the a "banana plant that grows fr0111 the leaves do not show any particular 111- seed of the snowflake lily. " This is a Jury as yet. truly interesti ng statement and one that piqued our curiosity. A n inquiry at P LANT NAMES the local pet shop provided the plant. The mouth-fi lling name of the last a curious affair with a bunch of tuber­ item will serve well enough as excuse ous roots that looked not unlike a hand for several acid words on thi s subj ect. or two of green bananas in miniature It is a particularly fi ne case since, as with one or two leaves not unlike those everyone knows a narcissus is always of a tiny water-lily. Inquiries among a narcissus but sometimes it is also a botani cal fri ends soon brought the ad­ daff odil and also a jonquil. ditional info rmati on as to the real iden­ T hi s plant belongs to the group that tity of the plant, the name given at the has a special name. the hoop-petticoat head of this item. The plants that were narcissus, with a third name that sug­ purchased fo r observation were not left gests that it has but one leaf, a state­ to fl oat aimlessly like under-water para­ ment not always true. So far as I know chutes in the aquarium, but were no one has proposed to rechristen this, planted in small pots and set in a deep but it may come any day. pan of water so that only about two F or the plants that are named in thi s inches of water stands above their magazin e, that have no names in E n­ crowns. The leaves have righted them­ gli sh, none are invented as no one on selves and more have pushed out to the staff has the temerity to suggest spread near the surface with somewhat J an., 1940 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 77 the carriage of those of a small nym­ the bowl wo uld add another type to the phaea. H ow long it will be before they selections. can really get into the full flu sh of T here are now several li sts of vari­ growth that they might have in the eties of the large-flowering clematis hy­ open, where the fl owering will be more brids that are amazing improvements important than anything else, remains over the small li stings that were our to be learned. regular fare only a few years ago. Hellebores were once hard to fi nd SEEN IN THE CATALOGUES and expensive to purchase. Now they Catalogue shopping is a dangerous are much easier to discover but are still pleasure but one that is rarely avoided among the expensive perennials. This by the gardener. The li sts are coming is easily understood when one considers in now and as always are full of in­ how slow they are in propagation and teresting plants in far greater numbers how capricious they may be in estab­ than anyone could afford, either in li shing themselves. purse or in garden space. L 'jJC01"is squaJI1'1,i,g em which still ap­ F or years, we have had available pears in trade as A 1'I ~(ltry ll is H allii is an­ tigridias in reds, yellows and in mixed other useful plant that is becoming colors whi ch usually turned out to be available again and within reach as well. mixtures of reds some on the yell ow There was a time when this could be side of red, some on the pink side. Now had, neighbor to neighbor, then ecli pse, it is possible to purchase all of these then exploitation and now again general and several other forms. There are circulati'ol1. two white varieties, one pure whi te and F rom the same part of the world that one white with yellow in the central reports the ipomoea in this issue comes bowl. These are exquisite forms and a delightful li st of native plants which even if they seem a little less robust in include among other things, several their growth are well worth the extra native phlox species Phlox alyssifolia, care to keep them going. Thel- e are a1'bdicola and H oodii all of whi ch sound also yellows, one with a red-spotted as if they might make useful variants central bowl and one without any other from the more common eastern species. coloring. These too are well worth There are many other things of value adding to the mixture or to plant alone. in the same li st but the one we are As yet we have not handled any of the meant most to see is Verbena bipin... several reds and pinks that have beel1 natifida_ The species verbenas have separated as clonal varieti es, but if they been having a place in the sun of late, are any lovelier than the variants that which is interesting since the garden can be had in a good mixture, they fo rms have also had a going over. The must be beautiful indeed. F or some catalogue says the color is "brilliant years we have grown a seri es of seed­ blue lilac" whi ch sounds very suspicious ling red forms selected from a mixture when appli ed to any verbena. because of real or fancied variations in T he habit is that of most verbenas, the mottling of the bowl. As fa r as we a more or less prostrate mass of stems can tell, without having made actual from which rise the typical verbena photographs, these variati ons are ap­ head in steady procession from "late proximately uniform from year to year, May until steady freezi ng forces a halt." so that in time one might build up a N ow that the forms and variants of stock in which the darkest fo rms which our eastern spi derwort (Tradescantia come from the confluent blotchings in virginia11a) are becoming the center of 78 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1940 attention and use in shady gardens, it same characteristics with scented flow­ may be that some of the other species ers. may have a little attention. Two are The list of heaths and of heathers listed in the same catalogue with th~ continues to increase so that the wish­ verbena and the phloxes. ful can have almost as many named In another catalogue are listeci sev­ forms as if he were living abroad. The eral hybrids of P1-Mnu.la Ju.liae which descriptive notes speak feelingly of did not appear in the notes in the RDck glowing carmines and luminous reds all Garden section. It is to be hoped that of which mayor may not be accurate some member will buy them all and get but will assure deeper colors than some in a report to Mr. Moncure. of the older forms. Kal111'1:o psis L eachia11a which was Roscoea ca·u.tiloides also li sted long described and illustrated long ago in ago in our pages, makes it bow in the our magazine, is now appearing in West and in the same li st one may find many cataJ.ogues and one gives a rather offerings of the roots of some of the more intimate picture than we were perennial nasturtiums. Readers of able to offer then. It is a most attrac­ English books and visitors to those gar­ tive small shrub with showy pink flow­ dens will recall the beauty of the small ers. but brilliant scarlet flowers of Tl'opaeo­ Lovers of daphnes will be pleased to tum specios"//1/1. No one seems to know see a li st in which Blagayana, collina, exactly how much frost or cold this dauphinil:, genllwa, lGi«r eola.) nea p oli­ species will tolerate, so doubtless some tana, petraea and petraea grandiftora enterprising Easterner will have to are listed in additi on to the few species make that contribution to our garden that we all know. Not all of these are lore. T. podophyll!fll/. is listed in the of equal interest in the garden and not same catalogue and this apparently IS all are equally showy but all have the less hardy than the fi rst mentioned. Jan., 194U THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 111

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The American Iris Society, since its organization III 1920, has published 76 Bulletins which cover every phase of iris growing and should be useful to all gar­ deners. The Society has copies of many of these Bulletins for sale. A circular giv. ing list of contents of all available Bulletins, price, etc., may be secured from the office of the Secretary, Howard R. Watkins, 821 Washington Loan & Trust Bldg., Washington, D. C. In order to dispose of surplus stocks of some numbers we offer 6 Bulletins (our selection) for $1.00. Through an endowment given as a memorial to the late Bertrand H. Farr the American Iris Society is able to offer free to all Garden Clubs or Horticultural Societies the use of our traveling library. This lil1rary contains all books ever published on Iris and a complete file of the bulletins of this society and The English Iris Society, and miscellaneous pamphlets. The library may be borrowed for one month without charge except the actual express charges. Organizations desiring it should communicate with the nearest of the following offices:

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THE AMERICAN DAFFODIL YEARBOOKS 1936, 1937, 1938

THE AMERICAN LILY YEARBOOK 1939

No good gardener should be w ithout these . They represent mile­ stones in the horticu ltural progrE!ss of our cou ntry You w ill be sur­ prised and plea sed. The Daffodil Yearbooks are only fifty cents each , postpaid-and the Lily Yearbook w ith its 59 illustrations is only one dollar, postpaid. Address-ThE! Secretary,

THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 821 Washin'gton Loan and Trust Building, Washington, D. C.

RARE BULBS COLORADO NATIVE PLANTS of Amaryllis, Iris, Lily, Arum and other families N ursery grown, of proved horticultural worth as well as st a ndard sorts, Our tn. catalogs tell how to gTOW them everywhere. We bu y or exchange for rare bulbs. Clivi as and other l'al'e Amaryll is our specialty. . Special offer: A Clivia in bud for $1.50 postpaid. Grower and Originator CECIL HOUDYSHEL ~~ Dept. A .H ., La Verne, California P. O . Box 46h Colorado Springs, Colo. The American Horticultural Society

INVITES to membership all persons who are interested in the devel· opment of a great national society that shall serve as an ever growing center for the dissemination of the common knowledge of the members. There is no requirement for membership other than this and no reward beyond a share in the development of the organization. For its members the society publishes THE NATIONAL HORTICUL' TURAL MAGAZINE, at the present time a quarterly of increasing impor· tance among the horticultural publications of the day and destined to fill an even larger role as the society grows. It is published during the months of January, April, July and October and is written by and for members. Under the present organization of the society with special committees appointed for the furthering of special plant projects the members will receive advance material on narcissus, tulips, lilies, rock garden plants, conifers, nuts, and rhododendt"ons. Membership in the society, therefore, brings one the advantages of membership in many societies. In addition to these special projects, the usual garden subjects are covered and particular attention is paid to new or little known plants that are not commonly described elsewhere. The American Horticultural Society invites not only personal memo berships but affiliations with horticultural societies and dubs. To such it offers some special inducements in memberships. Memberships are by the calendar year. The Annual Meeting of the Society is held in Washington, D. c., and members are invited to attend the special lectures that are given at that time. These are announced to the membership at the time of balloting. The annual dues are three dollars the year, payable in advance; life membership is one hundred dollars; inquiry as to affiliation should be addressed to the Secretary, 821 Washington Loan and Trust Building, Washington, D. C.