Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/279

267 PALMS AND FERNS.] H O R T I C U L T U R E 207 color, Dayaiium, Harrisiannm, insigue Maulei, locvigatum, Lowii, uiveum, Sehlimrni, Stonei, and superbiens. Dendrobium. Epiphytal : U. aggregatum majus, Aitisworthii, barbatulum, Bunsouiic, chrysotis. chrysotoxum, crasslnode, crystallinum, Devonianum, Falconeri, fimbriatum oeulatum, fonnosuiii giganteum, lituiilorum, uobile, Paxtoui, pulchelluni, suavissimum, and Wardianum. bemlrvchiluni. Epiphytal : D. liliforme and glumacoum. Disci. Cool terrestrial : 1). graudittora and Ban ellii. Epidendrum.Epi phyia.l : E. dichrpmum, Frederic! Guilielmi, ibaguonse, macrocliihun, neinoralo niajus, and vitellinuni niajus. Lculia. Epiphytal : L. anceps, autuninalis, cinnabariua, elegans, harpo- phylla, majalis, I errinii, pnrpurata, and superbieus. Liinatodes. Terrestrial: L. rosea. Jsycaxte. Cool epiphytal: L. Skinneri, with its many variations. Mandecallia. Cool epipliytal : M. Davisii, Harryana, iguea, Lindeui, tovarensis, and Veitehiana. Mesosfinidhun.Cool epiphytal: M. sanguinenin and vulcanicum. Miltonia. Epiphytal: M. spectabilis, with its line variety Moreliana. OdontojlosiHuii,. Cool epiphytal : O. Alexandra (crispum), Andersonianuni, citrosinuin, cirrhosuin, grande, Ilallii, Insleayi, nienibrauaeeuin, Pescaturei, Phalajnopsis, Roezlii, triumplians, vexillarium. Oncidinnt. Epiphytal : O. anipliatuin niajus, Barken, crispum, ciienllatum, curtum, macrantluini, Marshallianum, omitliorrhyiichuui, roseum, Papilio inajus, sarcodes, and varicosuni Rogersii. J egcatoi ia. Epiphytal : P. Uayana, lamellosa, Roezlii, and Wallisii Phajus. Terrestrial : P. grandifolius and Wallichii. Phalcenopsis. Epiphytal : P. amabilis, grandiflora, and Schilleriana. Pleione (Indian Crocus). Epiphytal : P. Hpokeriana, humilis, lagenaria, innculata, pneeox, Reicheubauhiana, and Wallichiaua. Ilenanthera. Epiphytal : R. coccinea and Lowii. Saccolabiuiii. Epiphytal : S. ampullaceum, Blumei niajus, curvifoliuni, guttatum, niiniatuin, and retusum. Sobralia. Terrestrial : S. macrantha splendens. Sophronitis. Epiphytal: S. grandiflora. Stanhopca. Epiphytal : S. granditlora, insignis, oculata, and tigrina. Thunia. Terrestrial : T. alba and Bensonife. Trichopilia. Epiphytal: T. crispa, marginata, suavis, and tortilis. Vanda. Epiphytal : V. Catheartii, ciurulea, courulescens, suavis, and tricolor. Zygopetalum. Epiphytal: Z. Caution, Mackayi, maxillare, and rostratum. alms. 112. PALMS, while quite young, form cliarming ornaments for the drawing-room and the dinner table. When more fully developed, and long before their full growth is attained, they are among the best ornamental foliaged conservatory plants. For the most part they are stove -plants (75 to 80), but after the growth is matured, many of them thrive for some time in the temperature of a dwelling house. They are of very easy cultivation, but require plenty of water and thorough drainage. The soil should consist of equal parts of loam, peat, and vegetable mould, with abundance of sand, and they thrive best in comparatively small pots. See PALMS. The following is a selection of useful species : Acaiithnphcenix. Pinnate: A. crinita and Herbstii. Acanthorrhiza.aM-leKveA : A. stanracantha and Warscewiczii. Arena. Pinnate: A. alba, aurea, lutescens, and rubra. Astrocaryum.Piim&te: A. acaule, Mnrumuru, and rostratum. Attalea. Pinnate : A. funifera, nucifera, and speciosa. liaetris. Pinnate : B. baculifera, integrifolia, and simplicifrons. Brahea. Fan-leaved : B. ftlamentosa (a Californian species, having the edges of the leaf -segments developed into long threadlike pendent filaments) and B. Roezlii. Calamus. Pinnate, and exceedingly handsome as young plants, but after wards assuming the habit of climbers: C. adspersns, asperrimns, ciliaris, Flagelluni, Imperatrice Marie, Jeiikiusianus, melanocheetes, palembanicus, plinnosus, and viminalis. Caryota. Pinnate : C. Cumingii is the dwarfest of the species, bipinnate, the leaves from 3 to 6 feet lonir ; C. urens. Ceroxylon. Pinnate : C. andicola is a majestic species. Chamtxdorea. Pinnate, and well suited for indoor decoration during the winter months : C. Arenbergiana, desmoncoides, elegans, Ernesti-Augusti, glancifolia, graminifolia, microphylla, and Warscewiczii. Ckainasrops. Kan -leaved, comparatively dwarf, and admirably adapted for decoration : C. excelsa, Fortune!, humilis, and Martiana. Cocoa. Pinnate : Shade-loving plants, some of which are most charming, especially C. Bonneti, elegantissima, plnmosn, and Weddelliana. Ci/[&amp;gt;hok ntia. Pinnate : C. gracilis and macrocarpa (Keutia Lindeni). Euterpi.finnoie : E. editlis Gfononi t. Pinnate : Small -growing and nearly all very handsome while young, especially (1 con.;e$U elegans, gracilis, macrostachys, Martiana, Porteam, pinniht, and Schottiana Ififo/ihori)! 1 . --Pinnate: II. amarieaulis, indiea, and Verschaffeltii. Jitfaea. Pinnate: the Chilian J. spectabilis is highly decorative, and may be grown in the open during summer. Kentia. --Pinnate : K. Baueri, Belmoroana, Fosteriana, snpida, and Wend- landiana are ornamental greenhouse palms. iMtania. Fan-leaved : L. aurea, Comniersoni, and rubra. Liemtlii. Fan-leaved: L. acutitida, elegans, and peltata. Liowfo/ua. Fan-leaved, and of robust constitution : L. altissima, anstralis, Hoogeiidorpii, olivicformis, and sinensis (Latania borbonica). Malortim. Pinnate, dwarf elegant palms, well adapted for table decora tion : M. gracilis and simplex. Martinazia. 1 innate, with singular erose leaflets: M. erosa, grauatensis, and Lindeniana. Oiicoxperiiift. Pinnate: O. Van llontteanuni, a splendid plant for exhibi tion purposes. On&amp;lt;t&amp;lt;l.m. Pinnate, and while young beautiful as table plants, standing long in a room without injury : O. oleracea and regia. Pha niaifihiiriu in,. Entire-leaved, magnificent ornaments in the stove: P. setihellarum, known also as Stevensonia granditlora. Phamix. Tlie Date Palm of commerce, P. dactylifera, although common, is extremely ornamental, and so hardy that it may be used in almost any situa tion during the summer months ; other fine sorts are P. rcclinata, rupicola, sylvestris, and tennis. I ritchardia. Fan-leaved : P. aurea, grandis, macrocarpa, Martiana, and paeifica. Ptychosperina. Pinnate, and of robust constitution: P. Alexandra?, Cunningham!! (Seaforthia elegans), and rupicola. lihapix. Fan-leaved, slender-stemmed, and of hardy constitution: R. fiabcluloruis aud lm;.:ilis. Sabal. Fan-leaved, noble plants reaching gigantic proportions : S. Black- burniana and umbraculifera. Thrinax, Fan-leaved, with slender petioles, and leaves much divided ; peculiarly light and elegant for table or other decoration : T. arborea, barbadensis, elegans, graminitlora, multiflora, parviflora, and radiata. Tritlirinax. Fan-leaved : T. mauritueforinis. Verscha/eltia. Entire-leaved, in the way of Phtt iiicophorium, and requir ing strong moist heat : V. melanoch;etes and splendida (Regelia majestiea) are remarkable for their long ueedle-like black spines. Wclfia. Pinnate : W. regia. 113. FERNS. These popular plants arc usually increased by means Ferns, of their spores, the &quot; dust&quot; produced on the back of their fronds. The spores should be sown in well-drained pots or seed pans on the surface of a mixture of fibrous sifted peat and small broken crocks or sandstone ; this soil should be firmly pressed and well-watered, and the spores scattered over it, and at once covered with propagating glasses or pieces of sheet glass, to prevent water or dry air getting to the surface. The pots should be placed in pans full of water, which they will absorb as required. A shady place is desirable, with tem perature of 50 to 55 by night and 65 to 70 by day, or they may be set on a shelf in an ordinary propagating pit. The spores may be sown as soon as ripe, and when the young plants can be handled, or rather can be lifted with the end of a pointed flat stick, they should be pricked out into well-drained pots or pans filled with similar soil, and should be kept moist and shady. As they become large enough, pot them singly in 3-inch pots, and when the pots are fairly filled with roots shift on into larger ones. The best time for a general repotting of ferns is in spring, just before growth commences. Those with creeping rhizomes can be propagated by dividing these into well-rooted portions, and, if a number of crowns is formed, they can be divided at that season. In most cases this can be performed with little risk, but the glei- chenias, for example, must only be cut into large portions, as small divisions of the rhizomes are almost certain to die; in such cases, however, the points of the rhizomes can be led over and layered into small pots, several in succession, and allowed to remain unsevered from the parent plant until they become well-rooted. In potting the well-established plants, and all those of considerable size, the soil should be used in a rough turfy state, not sifted but broken, and one-sixth of broken crocks or charcoal and as much sand as will insure free percolation should be mixed with it. The stove ferns require a day temperature of 65 to 75, but do not thrive in an excessively high or close dry atmosphere. They require only such shade as will shut out the direct rays of the sun, and, though abundant moisture must be supplied, the atmosphere should not be loaded with it. The water used should always be at or near the temperature of the house in which the plants are growing. Some ferns, as the different kinds of Gymnogramma and Cheilanthes, prefer a drier atmosphere than others, and the former do not well bear a lower winter temperature than about 60 by night. Most other stove ferns, if dormant, will bear a temperature as low as 55 by night and 60 by day from November to February. About the end of the latter month the whole collection should be turned out of the pots, and redrained or repotted into larger pots as required. This should take place before growth has commenced. Towards the end of March the night temperature may be raised to 60, and the day temperature to 70 or 75, the plants being shaded in bright weather. Such ferns as Gymnogrammas, which have their surface covered with golden or silver powder, and certain species of scaly- surfaced Cheilanthes and Nofchochlajna, as they cannot bear to have their fronds wetted, should never be syringed ; but most other ferns may have a moderate sprinkling occasionally (not necessarily daily), and as the season advances, sufficient air and light must be admitted to solidify the tissues. Space will only permit that we should append a list of choice ferns, which, however, might be much extended. We shall arrange them under the heads of stove, greenhouse, and hardy. Si lict Store Ferns. Acrophorus amnis, cluerophyllus, and immersus (Lencostegia). Acrogtichum aurenm. Adiantuiii acmnlum, cardioehla-na, caudatnm, concinnum, cristatum, cnneatnm, eurvatnm, farleyenso, gracillimnm, Hcnsloviannm, hiniilatnni, macrophyllum, mundnlnm, peruviannm, polyphyllum, princeps, pnlveru- lentnm, Seemanni, subcordatum, tenermn, trape/iforme, Yeitchianum, villosnm, and AVilliamsii. Alxophila armata, aspera, glauca, philippensis, i rninata, pycnocarpa, radons, and Ta-nitis. Aglaomorpha Meyciiiannin. Anemia adiantit olia, cheilanthoides, collina, and mandioccana. Aneiniiiictyiin Phyllitidis, and its several forms fraxinifolinm, laciuiatuui, longifolinm, and tessdlatum. Ani&amp;gt;idi&amp;gt;nn trifoliatum. Axplenimn alatuni, caudatum, cieutarium, erectum, Fabianum, ferulaceum, formosum, heterocarpnm, horridum, laserpitiifolium, longissimum, myrio- phyllum, neo-caledonicum, planicaule, rachirhizon, rliizophorum, schizodon, surra, Veitchianuni (Belangeri), and vivipaium. IHtThiiuni brasiliense, gracile, Laneeola, longifolium, occidcntulo, and orientate. Cain/ii/limt iinim Incidum, repons, nitiduni, and decnrrt-ns. Ccratoptcrin thalictroides, an aquatic sub-annual species with proliferous sterile fronds. Cheilanthea Borsiginna. rnneata, elegans, farinosa, frigida, pulveracea, I radiutu, sptctabilis, and viscusa.