Volume 1

Familiar garden flowers / Figured by F. Edward Hulme ; and described by Shirley Hibberd.

  • Hibberd, Shirley, 1825-1890
Date:
[1879-1897]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Familiar garden flowers / Figured by F. Edward Hulme ; and described by Shirley Hibberd. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    xm STVEET PEA, or LATHYB-TJS, from Greek intensive prefix la, and thouros, raging, the seeds being supposed to promote excitement if eaten. N.O., Fabacece, or Leguminiferce. Linn^an : 17, Diadelphia ; 4, Fecandria.—The “papilionaceous” or butterfly flowers represent an enormous natural order, comprising herbs, shrubs, and trees, from the wayside trefoil to the climbing wisteria and the stately acacia, and the useful peas and beans of the garden. The leaves are alternate, usually compound, but sometimes simple. The flowers are irregular, with calyx of five unequal teeth ; the corolla is composed of five unequal petals, of which one is larger than the rest and envelops them. This is called the standard; the two lateral petals are the icings ; the two under petals, which aie equally united, form what is called the keel. There are many deviations fioin this topical structure, and in some few instances the corolla consists of five equal petals, stamens generally ten. The fruit is always a pod, generally diy, many-seeded, opening in two valves, or unopening, as in sophora. The seeds of many plants of this order are well known for their uses as food, but some of them are poisonous, and the order includes plants that produce powerful drugs. }) i j HONEYSUCKLE, or CAPR,XEOLIXJ]VE. The generic name means goat-leaf, because, we suppose, of the tendency of the plant to climb ; but such etymologies are unsatisfactory. N.O., Gaprifoliacece. Linn.®an : 5, Pentandria; 1, Monoggnia.—An interesting order, comprising, for the most part, deciduous twining shrubs. An important section is the genus Lonicera, named after Adam Lonicer, which is closely related to the genus Caprifolium. The flowers in this order are usually formed of a five-lobed calyx and a five-lobed corolla, each consisting of only one piece ; the fruit is a berry. The associates of the honeysuckles are the elders, viburnums, snowberries, weigelas, cobteas, and lycesterias, all of which are of free growth, and tree-like or sub-shrubby. They are all temperate or sub-arctic plants, and belong exclusively to the northern hemisphere. In their properties they are scarcely attractive, although the elder has some claims to a leading place m the economic garden because of its styptic juice, which may be taken as elder wine or indirectly as port wine, the berries being used both to colour and flavour the more expensive liquor. .p 117 CRIMSON FLAX, or LINUM. The generic name fa fron, hm,u, ft.ix, fiom which we have lmen, line, lint, linseed, etc. N.O., Limcece wood^T f’ FeTndrj“;,5’ Fenta!>ynia-The order comprises herbs and oody plants, with entire leaves and hermaphrodite flowers. The calvx and corolla are each of five pieces, and the stamens agree in number and are alternate with the petals. The fruit is a capsule containing many compressed ovate seeds which are without albumen, and have a mucilaginous integu- Tnt/ P10. comm°n is Linum usatmimum, one of the most useful of plants, the history of which carries us back to the earliest days of civilisa- tion. It is believed to be a native of Egypt; but that belief may rest upon