ASPARAGUS KNIFE. The Asparagus Knife consists of a strong blade fixed in a handle. There are, or were, three kinds employed: In one form, the blade was blunt on both sides, straight, with a sharp tip, and not unlike a small chisel. Another had its blade slightly hooked, and serrated at one end. But the best is that now almost universally employed, and which is illustrated by Fig. 162.
FIG. 162. ASPARAGUS KNIFE.
ASPASIA (from aspazomai, I embrace; the column embraced by the labellum). ORD. Orchidaceæ. A genus of elegant stove Epidendrum-like epiphytal orchids, with the lip united to the column, and broad, thin pseudo-bulbs. The name Aspasia is now and then met with attached to a totally different genus. Salisbury gave it to a liliaceous plant which is now referred to Ornithogalum. For culture and propagation, see Stanhopea.
A. epidendroides (Epidendrum-like).* fl. whitish yellow; sepals linear oblong, acute; petals obtuse, concave, lateral lobes of lip roundish, entire, middle lobe crenated emarginate. February. Pseudo-bulbs oblong, two-edged. h. 1ft. Panama, 1833.
A. lunata (crescent-marked).* fl. green, white, and brown, solitary; sepals and petals linear obtuse, spreading; lip three-lobed, lateral lobes short, middle one flat, nearly square, wavy. February. Pseudo-bulbs oblong, two-edged. h. 1ft. Rio Janeiro, 1843.
A. papilionacea (butterfly-like).* fl., sepals and petals yellowish, mottled with brown lines on their internal inferior halves; lip fiddle-shape, its back very great, elliptic, apiculate; an orange-coloured area stands at its base, a wide violet disc before and around it. h. 9in. Costa Rica, 1876. Distinguished from A. lunata in having thirteen keels at the base of the lip, which is higher inserted, and in the echinulate anther. It is a beautiful but rare novelty.
A. psittacina (parrot-like).* fl., sepals and petals light green, with brown transverse bars, which sometimes consist of separate stripes, at other times of confluent ones; the fiddle-shaped lip shows two keels and a few purplish dots over its top; the column is brown at its top, then violet, and white at the base. Ecuador, 1878. It has a raceme of several flowers, usually one-sided, bent over.
A. variegata (variegated).* fl. green, spotted with yellowish red; sepals linear oblong; petals somewhat rhomboid, acute; lateral lobes of lip recurved, middle one fleshy, serrated. February. h. 9in. Panama, 1836. Deliciously sweet-scented in the morning.
ASPEN. See Populus tremula.
ASPERA. Rough, with hairs or points.
ASPERULA (from asper, rough; in allusion to the leaves). Woodruff. ORD. Rubiaceæ. Hardy herbs, rarely small shrubs. Flowers terminal and axillary, in fascicles. Leaves opposite, with one, two, or three stipulas on each side; they are therefore called four to eight in a whorl, but between the uppermost leaves there are no stipulas. Stems and branches usually tetragonal. Most of the species are very pretty when in flower, and are, therefore, well adapted for borders, rockwork, and shady places, in almost any garden soil. Propagated by divisions of the roots during spring and early summer. Herbaceous perennials, except where otherwise stated.
A. azurea-setosa (blue-bristly). A synonym of A. orientalis.
A. calabrica (Calabrian). A synonym of Putoria calabrica.
A. cynanchica (Cynanche-like). fl. on erect branches, forming a fastigiate corymb, white or bluish-coloured, elegantly marked with red lines, or sometimes pure white. Summer. l. four in a whorl; floral ones lanceolate-linear, acuminately awned; lower ones small, oblong, upper ones opposite. Plant glabrous, erectish. h. 9in. to 12in. England.
A. hirta (hairy). fl. white at first, changing to pink, with oblong divisions. July and August. l. usually six in a whorl, four towards the upper part, linear, hairy, deep green. h. 3in. Pyrenees, 1817. A charming but rare little alpine, thriving best in a rather damp position on the rockery.
A. longiflora (long-flowered).* fl. whitish, yellowish inside, and reddish outside; tube of corolla elongated; fascicles terminal, pedunculate; bracteas small, subulate. Summer. l. four in a whorl, linear; lower ones small, obovate; upper ones opposite. Stems weak, numerous, from the same neck, erectish, glabrous. h. 6in. Hungary, 1821.
A. montana (mountain).* fl., corollas pink, four-cleft, scabrous externally; in fascicles. June, July. l. linear; lower ones six in a whorl; middle ones four; upper ones opposite; floral leaves linear. Stem weak, glabrous. h. 6in. to 8in. Hungary, 1801.
A. odorata (sweet-scented).* Sweet Woodruff. fl. snowy white; corymbs terminal, pedunculate, usually trifid, each division bearing about four flowers. May, June. l. eight in a whorl, lanceolate, smooth, with serrulately scabrous edges. Stems tetragonal, simple, erect, or ascending. h. 6in. to 12in. Britain. This very pretty little plant is scentless when fresh, but, when dried, it diffuses an odour like that of spring grass; and when kept among clothes, it not only imparts an agreeable perfume to them, but preserves them from insects.
A. orientalis (Oriental).* fl. sky blue, in terminal heads; bracts of involucre shorter than the flowers. Summer. l. lanceolate, bristly, about eight in a whorl. h. 1ft. Caucasus, 1867. A charming little, profuse blooming, hardy annual, bearing clusters of fragrant flowers, admirably adapted for bouquet making. SYN. A. azurea-setosa. See Fig. 163.