The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening, Division 1; A to Car. A Practical and Scientific Encyclopædia of Horticulture

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[Illustration: ARISTOLOCHIA ELEGANS.]




    THE

    ILLUSTRATED

    DICTIONARY OF GARDENING,

    A PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC

    _Encyclopædia + of + Horticulture_

    FOR

    GARDENERS AND BOTANISTS.


    EDITED BY

    GEORGE NICHOLSON,
    _Of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew_.

    ASSISTED BY PROFESSOR J. W. H. TRAIL, A.M., M.D., F.L.S., IN THE
    PARTS RELATING TO INSECTS AND FUNGI; AND J. GARRETT IN THE FRUIT,
    VEGETABLE, AND GENERAL GARDEN WORK PORTIONS.


    DIVISION I.--A TO CAR.


    PUBLISHED BY
    L. UPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, LONDON, W.C.

    SOLE AGENT FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA,
    JAMES PENMAN, NEW YORK.

    1887.




LONDON: PRINTED BY A. BRADLEY, 170, STRAND.




PREFACE.


THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF GARDENING aims at being the best and
most complete Work on Gardening and Garden Plants hitherto published.
The aim is, indeed, a high one; but the Publisher, whose taste for
Flowers has rendered the production a labour of love, has, on his part,
spared no expense that the Typography and Illustrations should be of
a very high class. It is to be hoped that earnest efforts to attain
accuracy, by consulting the best Authorities, combined with no small
amount of original research, have contributed to render the _matter_
of the Work not unworthy of the _form_ in which it is presented to the
reader. The large number of Illustrations is an important feature;
and it is believed that the figures quoted, and the references given
to various works--in which more detailed information is contained
than is desirable, or, indeed, possible, in these pages, on account
of space--will greatly add to the interest and value of the work.
Considerable trouble has been taken in revising the tangled synonymy of
many genera, and clearing up, as much as possible, the confusion that
exists in garden literature in connection with so many plants, popular
and otherwise. In the matter of generic names, Bentham and Hooker's
recently-completed "Genera Plantarum" has, with few exceptions, been
followed; that work being the one which will, for a long time to
come, undoubtedly remain the standard authority on all that relates
to generic limitation. With regard to the nomenclature of species, I
have endeavoured to consult the latest and most trustworthy Monographs
and Floras, and to adopt the names in accordance with them. Now and
then, certain plants are described under their common garden names; but
they will, in such cases, be also found mentioned under the genus to
which they really belong. A case in point may be cited: _Anœctochilus
Lowii_ is given under _Anœctochilus_, but the name it must now bear is
_Dossinia_, and a reference to that genus will explain matters pretty
fully, as far as the present state of knowledge goes.

I am greatly indebted to Professor J. W. H. TRAIL, M.D., F.L.S.,
&c., for his valuable contributions on Insects, Fungi, and Diseases
of Plants, branches of science in which he has long been specially
interested, and in which he is an undoubted authority.

Mr. J. GARRETT, of the Royal Gardens, Kew, late of the Royal
Horticultural Society's Gardens, is responsible for Fruit and
Vegetable Culture, for most of what appertains to Florists' Flowers,
and for General Gardening Work. For information on many special
subjects--Begonias may be cited as an example--I am obliged for much
assistance to Mr. W. WATSON, also of the Royal Gardens, Kew; in fact,
the article _Begonia_, in its entirety, was written by him. Mr. W. B.
HEMSLEY, A.L.S., has, throughout, given me aid and advice; and I have
to acknowledge constant help from several other colleagues.

The Rev. PERCY W. MYLES, M.A., has taken no little trouble in working
out the correct derivations of very many of the Generic Names;
unfortunately, in a number of instances, lack of time prevented me from
obtaining the benefit of his knowledge. I have to record my gratitude
for help in so difficult a task, this special study being one to which
Mr. MYLES has paid much attention.

    GEORGE NICHOLSON.

    ROYAL GARDENS, KEW.

[Illustration]




REFERENCE TO ILLUSTRATIONS OF PLANTS OTHER THAN THOSE FIGURED IN THIS
WORK.


    It has been suggested, by an eminent Authority, that many readers
    would be glad to be informed where reliable Illustrations could be
    found of those Plants which are not figured in this Work. To meet
    this want, references to the figures in Standard Authorities have
    been given, the titles of the Works referred to being, for economy
    of space, abbreviated as follows:

    A. B. R.      Andrews (H.