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Synopsis: Guelder

VIBURNUM owes its name to the ancient use of its flexible shoots, vieo meaning to tie with twigs or to hoop. N.O., Caprifoliaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 3, Trigynia.--The caprifoils include all the honeysuckles, Guelder roses, snowberries, and elders. The order comprises trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, with opposite leaves and corymbose flowers; the fruit is dry or fleshy. Strange to say, these familiar plants are closely related to the cinchonads, and the designation of "China Guelder rose" for the hydrangea is in some degree justified by the very near approach of that plant to the true Guelder roses. The members of the order of caprifoils are mostly natives of the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America; many of them produce fragrant flowers, as, for example, the honeysuckles, while the berries of Lonicera coerulea are a favourite food of the Kamtchadales, and the wine made from the elder-berries is sufficiently well known. It should be remarked, however, that this is a suspicious family; active qualities are not wanting amongst them, and even the favourite elder-berry is far less wholesome than popular opinion represents, and possibly would often prove mischievous were not the fermented juice "qualified" by the addition of a more potent liquor. AMYGDALUS is of uncertain origin. By some it is derived from amysso, in allusion to the furrows in the stone of the fruit; by others from a Hebrew word that derives its meaning from the early appearance of almond flowers in spring. N.O., Drupaceoe. LINNAEAN: 12, Icosandria; 1, Monogynia.--In a large classification the peach, almond, cherry, plum, and laurel belong to the N.O. Rosaceoe, or roses. But a large classification is often inconvenient, and the botanists feel the need of "breaking it up." This has been wisely accomplished in placing the stone fruits in a separate order, for not only do they differ from true roses in this particular feature, but in other respects, notably in the production of a poisonous principle that is prominent in the almond, and gives its peculiar flavour to the kernels of peach and cherry stones. The pomes or appleworts constitute an equally distinct group of rosaceous plants, and are classed as N.O. Pomaceoe. In this order or sub-order we have the apples, pears, quinces, cotoneasters, thorns, and photinias. The almondworts, which now concern us, are distinguished from the true roses and pomeworts by the pistil being a solitary, simple carpel, changing when ripe into a drupe, and in the general presence in bark, leaves, or fruit--sometimes in all three--of hydrocyanic acid.

DELPHINIUM, from delphin, a dolphin, the resemblance to a dolphin's head being found in the flower. N.O., Ranunculaceoe. LINNAEAN: 13, Polyandria; 3, Trigynia.

JASMINUM, from the Arabic Ysmyn. N.O., Jasminaceoe. LINNAEAN: 2, Diandria; 1, Monogynia.--The members of this interesting order are free-growing shrubs, many of them having twining stems; the leaves are opposite or alternate; the flowers are white or yellow, and often sweet-scented. The corolla appears to consist of five pieces, but in reality consists of one only, which, like that of the primula, is contracted to a tube below and expanded into a "limb" above, with lobes that to the casual eye are as distinct petals. The jasmines and olives are near relations, but botanists keep them separate, for the oliveworts have irregular flowers and deeply-lobed fruit. The jasmines are mostly Asiatic, but there are a few natives of America and Africa, while the Australian continent is not without them, and the south of Europe can claim two. The chief producers of the essential oil of jasmine are only three in number: they are Jasminum officinale, the common white; J. grandiflorum, the large-flowered Indian; and J. sambac.

DIANTHUS, from dios, divine, and anthos, a flower, the "flower of Jove." N.O., Caryophyllaceoe. LINNAEAN: 10, Decandria; 2, Digynia. MYOSOTIS, from mys or mus, a mouse, and otis, an ear; in allusion to the shape of the leaves. N.O., Boraginaceoe, or Borageworts. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.--It is important to note as characters of the borage family that the stems are round, and the leaves alternate, whereas in the labiates that come so near to them the stems are square, and the leaves opposite; moreover the flowers of borageworts are regular, while the leaves are not furnished with resinous dots, and their properties are emollient rather than aromatic. The plants of this order are mostly natives of temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, very rare in arctic, and quite unknown in tropical countries. The "coolness" of borage, for which it is employed in flavouring beverages, may be attributable to the presence of nitre. There are not many useful plants in the family, but we must remember that the prickly comfrey (Symphitum asperrimum) has acquired importance in late years as a forage plant, and the young leaves of the common comfrey (S. officinale) have some repute as a substitute for spinach.

VERBENA, from the Celtic vervain, a plant of magic and mystery. "Here holy vervayne, and here dill, 'Gainst witchcraft much avayling; Here horehound' gaynst the mad dog's ill, By biting, never failing." N.O., Verbenaceoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Didynamia; 2, Angiospermia.--The plants of this order are trees or shrubs, the flowers tubular, and of one petal as in the primula, jasmine, and many other subjects in which the lobed limb suggests a series of petals. Several members of the order are of importance in the arts, but none of them are of great utility, save one, and that is the renowned Tectona grandis, the teak of the ship-builder, the noblest of the timbers of Asia. Associated with the verbenas are, as above noted, the teak, the callicarpa, clerodendron, vitex, and the lantana. LAPAGERIA is so named in honour of Josephine Lapagerie, wife of the first Napoleon Bonaparte, whose beautiful garden at Malmaison contributed in various ways to the advancement of botanical science. N.O., Philesiaceoe. LINNAEAN: 6, Hexandria; 1, Monogynia.--This fine South American twiner is allied to the smilax and the philesia. The fruit is said to be eatable; the root has the properties of sarsaparilla.

AGAPANTHUS, from agape, love, and anthos, a flower. N.O., Liliaceoe. RESEDA, from resedo, to calm, from its supposed healing or sedative properties. N.O., Resedaceoe. LINNAEAN: 11, Dodecandria; 3, Trigynia.--Although the fragrant mignonette is a native of Egypt, we have two native species of reseda that closely resemble it, but have not its delicious fragrance. The British mignonette is known as Dyer's rocket, having in ancient times been much employed as a green dye. The plants of this order are few in number, and are all of a soft herbaceous character, producing flowers in racemes or spikes. Our garden mignonette is a favourite with the honey-bees, but the honey they obtain from it appears to have no special character. ALTHEA, from altheo, to cure, in allusion to the emollient properties of the mallows and their kindred. N.O., Malvaceoe, or Mallows. LINNAEAN: 16, Monadelphia; 8, Polyandria.

CHRYSANTHEMUM, from chrysos, gold, and anthos, flower. N.O., Asteraceoe. LINNAEAN: 19, Syngenesia; 2, Superflua.

PHYLLOCACTUS is a leafy cactus, the growth being leaf-like; the flowers form on the edge of the expanded phyllode or leaf. N.O., Cactaceoe. LINNAEAN: 12, Icosandria; 1, Monogynia.--This represents the great family of succulent plants known as Indian figs, all natives of the American continent, though variously described as natives of China, the Mauritius, and even of Europe; in all these cases the plants have been introduced and naturalised, and though appearing as wildings are of American origin. A "leafy cactus" is a plant without leaves, the greater part of this great family being characterised by the absence of those organs, the exact state of the case being that leaf and branch are of one and the same substance, at least, in the earlier stages of growth, although in due time woody fibre is deposited and considerable rigidity of structure is secured. The flowers are in many instances very showy, and consist usually of an indefinite number of sepals and petals, with many stamens and stigmas. The fruit is succulent, many-seeded, and in most cases wholesome and agreeable to the palate, though, generally speaking, tame and insipid. In Mexico the fleshy cactuses are eaten by cattle, being first bruised by them with their hoofs to subdue the formidable spines. In the Galapagos, land-tortoises subsist in great part on these plants. The insect that produces cochineal subsists on an opuntia, which was formerly largely grown for the purpose, but is perhaps now, in great part, superseded by aniline dyes.

IMPATIENS is explained by touching the ripe seed-pod of any kind of balsam, the elasticity of the valves causing the sudden ejection of the seeds to a considerable distance. N.O., Balsamaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.--The order consists of herbaceous plants, mostly annuals, with irregular flowers. The number five rules in the flower, there being five sepals, five petals, five stamens, five carpels, consolidated into a five-celled ovary, and there are other repetitions of the same number. Although so eccentric in habit, and with flowers irregular in construction, the balsams come near to the sedate and orderly crane's-bills. The balsams, however, are for the botanical student far more interesting than the crane's-bills; in fact, the problems suggested by the flower are intricate and perplexing. The species are partial to warmth and humidity, and most of them prefer shady places.

AMARANTHUS is of doubtful origin, but the accepted etymology is from the supposed imperishability of the flower, a-mairaino implying a thing that does not wither. N.O., Amarantaceoe. LINNAEAN: 21, Monoecia; 5, Pentandria.--The species are herbs or shrubs, with flowers in dense heads or spikes, coloured sepals, and no proper petals. They come near to the chenopods in general structure.