FIG. 105. ANTENNARIA MARGARITACEA, showing Habit and Inflorescence.
ANTENNARIA (from antennæ; in reference to the similarity which exists between the seed down of the plant and the antennæ, or feelers, of an insect). ORD. Compositæ. Hardy herbaceous perennials, distinguished by the dry, coloured, chaffy scales encircling each head of flowers, of which the stamens and pistils are on different plants. These are charming little alpine plants, admirably adapted for rockwork, pots, edgings, or borders, in any light soil. Propagated by divisions of the roots in spring, and seeds; the latter should be sown in spring in a cold frame. Grown chiefly for their leaves.
A. dioica (diœcious).* fl.-heads pink, in crowded corymbs, 3in. to 4in. high. June. l. radical ones spathulate, woolly chiefly beneath; upper ones lanceolate. Stems simple; shoots procumbent. Britain. The two or three varieties of this pretty species exceed the type in beauty. SYN. Gnaphalium dioicum.
A. d. hyperborea (northern). l. woolly on both surfaces.
A. d. minima (smallest).* A very small growing variety.
A. margaritacea (pearly).* fl.-heads white, corymbose. August. l. linear-lanceolate, acute, alternate, cottony, especially beneath. Stems branched above. h. 2ft. Naturalised in England and on the Continent. Said to have been introduced from America about the sixteenth century. The prettier but much rarer A. triplinervis, from Nepaul, comes close to this species. See Fig. 105.
A. tomentosa (downy).* fl.-heads corymbose. Summer. One of the dwarfest and best of silvery-leaved plants, either as an edging for small beds or for covering the higher portions of rockwork; it is much used in carpet bedding. It scarcely grows more than 1in. high, and forms a dense carpet in a short space of time. It should be grown separate from other plants. It is frequently known under the name of A. candida.
ANTERIOR. Placed in front, or outwards.
ANTHEMIS (from anthemon, a flower; referring to their general floriferous character). Camomile. ORD. Compositæ. Receptacle convex, chaffy. Involucre hemispherical or nearly flat; scales imbricated, membranaceous at the margin. Pappus none; ray florets ligulate; disk tubular. This is a large genus, principally of medicinal value, and contains very few species worth the cultivator's trouble. Of easy culture in any ordinary soil. Propagated by divisions.
A. Aizoon (Aizoon).* fl.-heads resembling a white Daisy; florets of the ray fourteen to eighteen, trifid, twice as long as the breadth of the disk. Summer. l. lanceolate, or broadly so, acutely and deeply serrated, narrowed towards the base, covered with white down; lower ones crowded; stem-leaves rather acute, gradually lessening in size. h. 2in. to 4in. Northern Greece. Free grower, dwarf, and compact.
A. Biebersteinii (Bieberstein's).* fl.-heads yellow. Summer. l. pinnately divided into linear three-lobed segments, which are covered with white silky pubescence. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Caucasus.
A. Chamomilla fl. pl. See Matricaria.
A. nobilis (noble). Common Chamomile. fl.-heads solitary; disk yellow; ray white; scales of the receptacle membranaceous, scarcely longer than the disk. l. bipinnate, segments linear-subulate, a little downy. Stem procumbent, and much branched. England. A very strong smelling plant, of great medicinal value. For culture, see Chamomile.
A. tinctoria (dyer's). fl. bright yellow, in large heads. July and August. l. bipinnatifid, serrate, downy beneath. Stem angular. h. 1½ft. England. A very pretty plant.
ANTHER. The male part of a flower containing the pollen.
ANTHERICUM (from anthos, a flower and kerkos, a hedge; in reference to the tall flower stems). SYN. Phalangium. ORD. Liliaceæ. A large genus, belonging to the capsular group of the order, and inhabiting, for the most part, the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers white, racemose or panicled, scapose; perianth segments either spreading from near the base or campanulately united; stamens short, with naked or bearded filaments. Leaves radical, filiform or linear. The hardy varieties are now extensively grown, and are among the most ornamental of border plants. They thrive best in rich light soil, and are excellent subjects for pot culture; for which purpose use a compost of fibrous loam, leaf mould, or well-decayed manure, and coarse sand. The pots should be about 12in. across, well drained, and the plants potted just previous to, or so soon as, growth commences. During activity, plenty of water is needed, until the plants have finished flowering, when the quantity may be lessened; but never allow them to get dry. Propagated by division of the roots or seeds, sowing the latter, as early as possible after they are ripe, in a cold frame.
A. graminifolium (grass-leaved). A garden name of A. ramosum.
A. Hookeri (Hooker's). See Chrysobactron Hookeri.
A. Liliago (Liliago).* St. Bernard's Lily. fl. pure white, 1in. to 1½in. across; perianth segments spreading; style curved. May to August. l. tufted, narrow, channelled, 12in. to 18in. high. South Europe, 1596. A very free flowering species, of which there is a major variety in gardens. SYNS. Phalangium and Watsonia Liliago.
A. Liliastrum (Liliaster).* St. Bruno's Lily. fl. much larger than the last, 2in. long, and as much across, fragrant, of a transparent whiteness, with a delicate green spot on the point of each segment, campanulate, arranged in loose spikes. Early summer. l. long, narrow, six or eight to each plant, about 1ft. to 2ft. long, h. 1ft. to 2ft. South Europe, 1629. SYNS. Czackia Liliastrum and Paradisia Liliastrum (this is the correct name). See Fig. 106.