ANŒCTOCHILUS (from anoiktos, open, and cheilos, a lip; in reference to the spreading apex of the lip). SYNS. Anecochilus, Chrysobaphus. ORD. Orchideæ. Stove terrestrial orchids, the radical leaves of which are the chief attraction, being amongst the most beautiful and delicate objects in the vegetable kingdom. The flowers, which should be pinched off so soon as they appear, are, as a rule, small and unattractive. Few of the species exceed 6in. in height, with leaves from 2in. to 6in. long, including the fleshy petioles. They require a good deal of attention. To one part of silver sand, thoroughly washed twice or three times, add two of sphagnum, which should also be well washed and picked over, when it should be chopped into minute particles, in order that it may freely amalgamate with the sand; mix a little loam and peat with the whole. In the pots, when well drained by first placing a large piece of potsherd over the bottom and nearly half filling up with pieces broken small and of uniform size, place a thin layer of crude sphagnum, afterwards filling firmly with the mixture above mentioned, and bringing it up more or less in the form of a cone above the rim of the pot, into which the plants should be firmly fixed. Plants which have been propagated by division should be carefully transferred to 32-sized pots. About five separate pieces might be placed evenly over the surface. Make holes with a neat dibble, and into these drop the roots their entire length, pressing the soil firmly with the dibble. Fix them so that they may grow inwardly, and not out over the rim of the pots, pegging each creeping root needing such attention firmly down upon the surface of the soil afterwards; after a good soaking, they may be replaced in any warm, shady situation. For propagating, a strong plant is necessary; it may be cut into pieces just below the first joint, each piece having a root. The bottom piece should have two eyes—one to root from, and the other to push into a shoot. The "bottom," or plant which has been cut, should be replaced in its pot, and then put under a bell glass. It will soon throw up a young shoot; this ought to be left on until well rooted, when it may be separated and treated similarly to the portion first removed, still leaving the old part in the pot. These plants must be grown in glass cases, or under bell glasses, but they should always have a little air, for, as Mr. Williams says, when too much confined, they grow up spindly, and damp off in the stem; the latter, being fleshy, requires more substance and sturdiness. Air should be admitted through a space of about 1in. or 2in. The following ranges of temperature are advised: Winter, night, 55deg. to 60deg.; day, 65deg. to 70deg. during March, April, and May; night, 60deg. to 70deg.; and, afterwards, a few degrees higher, with a maximum day temperature of 80deg. Bottom heat should not be given, as it induces a weak, fast growth. Great care will be needed to prevent ravages of insects. The most suitable month for repotting is March, just before growth commences, when the plants will need plenty of water up to October, excepting when it is desirous to utilise them as drawing-room ornaments, in which case they should be kept rather dry for a short time previous. See also Dossinia, Goodyera, Hæmeria, Macodes, Physurus, and Zeuxine.
FIG. 104. ANŒCTOCHILUS FRIDERICI-AUGUSTI.
A. argenteus pictus (silvery-painted). A synonym of Physurus pictus.
A. argyroneurus (silvery-veined).* l. light green, dark mottled; veins forming a beautiful silvery network. Java.
A. Boylei (Boyle's).* l. ovate, acuminate, 2in. long and broad, olive-green, netted and pencilled with gold. India.
A. Bullenii (Bullen's).* l. 2½ in. long, ground colour bronzy green, with three broad distinct lines of coppery-red, or golden stripes running the entire length. Borneo, 1861.
A. concinnus (neat). l. ovate, acuminate, rounded at base, dark olive-green, netted and striped with shining coppery-red. Assam.
A. Dawsonianus (Dawson's).* l. ovate, of a dark velvety, rich olive-green, traversed by about seven longitudinal copper-coloured veins; the space on each side of the midrib being filled with fine reticulations of the same colour. Malay Archipelago, 1868. The proper name of this plant is Hæmeria discolor Dawsoniana.
A. Dayi (Day's). A synonym of Dossinia marmorata Dayi.
A. Dominii (Dominy's). l. dark olive-green, streaked down the centre with pale coppery-yellow, the main ribs marked by pale lines. Hybrid between Goodyera discolor and A. Friderici Augusti.
A. Eldorado (Eldorado). l. dark green, with small tracery of a lighter colour, deciduous. Central America.
A. Friderici-Augusti (Frederick Augustus').* l. 2½in. long, and 1½in. broad, dark velvety green, with broad orange and green stripes down the centre, covered with a beautiful golden network. h. 5in. Very distinct. See Fig. 104. SYN. A. xanthophyllus.
A. Heriotii (Heriot's). l. 3½in. long, 2½in. broad, dark mahogany-colour, golden-reticulated, and with shadowy network. India.
A. hieroglyphicus (hieroglyphic-marked). l. small, dark green, with hieroglyphic-like, silvery-grey blotches. Assam.
A. intermedius (intermediate).* l. 2½in. long, and 1½in. broad, with a silky surface, dark olive, striped and veined with gold. h. 3in. Will succeed with a glass covering, in a stove, if shaded.
A. javanicus (Java). fl. pink, small, spicate; scape 9in. high. l. 2in. long, 1½in. broad, dark olive-green, with lighter blotches and faint golden reticulation, pinkish beneath. Java.
A. latimaculatus (broad-spotted).* l. dark green, with silvery markings. Borneo. A distinct and free-growing kind.
A. Lowii (Low's).* l. 4in. to 5in. long, 3in. broad, dark velvety-green, shading to orange-brown, lined from base to apex with deep golden veins, crossed by lines of the same hue. h. 6in. Borneo. The correct name of this plant is Dossinia marmorata.
A. L. virescens (greenish).* l. brighter green, with brighter markings over the whole surface.
A. Ordianus (Ordi's).* l. shape and habit of A. Dawsonianus, but the colour is a vivid green, and lined with golden veins. Java, 1869. The proper name of this plant is Hæmeria discolor Ordiana.
A. pictus (painted). A synonym of Physurus pictus.
A. querceticola (forest-dwelling). A synonym of Physurus querceticolus.
A. regalis (royal).* King Plant. l. 2in. long, 1½in. broad; surface a beautiful velvety green, veined in regular lines, and covered with a network of gold. h. 4in. Java, 1836. If examined with a lens in sunshine, the beauty of the network will be plainly seen. SYN. A. setaceus (of gardens). There are several varieties, the best of which are:
A. r. cordatus (heart-shaped). l. rounder, and gold markings broader. Very rare.
A. r. grandifolius (large-leaved).* l. light green, beautifully laced and banded with a network of gold. Also rare.
A. r. inornatus (unadorned). l. dark rich velvety, with a few slight markings, destitute of the golden reticulation. Java.
A. Reinwardtii (Reinwardt's).* l. rich, deep velvety-bronze, intersected with bright golden lines. Java.
A. Roxburghii (Roxburgh's).* l. 2½in. long, 1½in. broad, dark velvety-green, striated with well-defined lines of silver. h. 3in. India. The true species is very rare; several are sold as such.
A. Ruckerii (Rucker's).* l. broadly ovate-bronzy-green, with six rows of distinct spots running from base to apex. Borneo, 1861.
A. setaceus (bristly). A garden synonym of A. regalis.
A. striatus (striated). A synonym of Zeuxine regia.
A. Turneri (Turner's).* l. large, rich bronze, freely golden-reticulated. One of the handsomest; a very free grower.
A. Veitchii (Veitch's). A synonym of Macodes Petola.
A. xanthophyllus (yellow-leaved). A synonym of A. Friderici-Augusti.
A. zebrinus (striped).* l. ovate-lanceolate, deep olive green, with copper-coloured veins. India, 1863. Dwarf and elegant.
ANOMATHECA (from anomos, singular, and theca, a capsule, or seed-pod). ORD. Irideæ. Very pretty little bulbous perennials. Perianth hypocrateriform; tube triquetrous, constricted at the throat. The species are hardy when planted in warm sunny situations in the open border. Their dwarf stature, brilliance, profusion of flowers, and habit of blossoming continuously over a long period, render them very popular subjects amongst growers of hardy perennials. Although generally credited with being hardy, when cultivated out of doors they should be lifted and stored in frost-proof quarters before winter commences, until the following March. They are excellent as window garden plants, and also for pot culture. If grown in pots, they should be shaken out, and repotted in February or March. They multiply very rapidly, and may be divided in patches, not by single bulbs, once yearly. Light sandy loam, mixed with a little leaf mould, is the best compost. Anomathecas are sometimes increased by seed, which may be sown so soon as ripe, very thinly, in seed pans. Thin out the seedlings if growing very close together; the next season they may be put out four or five in a pot. When they become crowded, shift into a much larger pot, but do not disturb the ball. The young seedlings will probably produce flowers the second season.
A. cruenta (bloody).* fl. rich carmine-crimson; perianth segments elliptical, three lower ones broader than the others, with a dark blotch at the base; tube long, whitish; scapes secund, bearing about five or six flowers. Summer and autumn. l. two-ranked, about ½in. broad, sword-shape, somewhat tapering. Bulb ovate, rather large. h. 6in. to 12in. Cape of Good Hope, 1830.
A. juncea (rushy). fl. very bright pink, with a dark spot at the base, produced in profusion. The leaves are narrower than those of the foregoing. Cape of Good Hope, 1791. A rare species.
ANONA (Anona is the name applied to these plants in St. Domingo). Custard Apple. ORD. Anonaceæ. Stove evergreen shrubs, with fragrant leaves. Petals six, in two rows. Carpels indefinite, joined into one fleshy, many-celled, edible, roundish fruit, with a muricated, scaly, or reticulated skin. Anonas thrive best in rich loamy soil, mixed with a little peat. Ripened cuttings, with leaves intact, will root if inserted in sand and placed under a hand glass, in a moist heat. When seeds are procurable, they should be sown in pots, and plunged into a hotbed.
A. Cherimolia (The Cherimoyer). fl. outer petals somewhat concave, linear-oblong, brown on the outside, each marked with a dark spot at the base; peduncles opposite the leaves, solitary. July. fr. somewhat globose and scaly, dark purple; esteemed by the Peruvians as one of their most delicate, and as being not inferior to any fruit in the world. l. ovate-lanceolate, not dotted; under surface silky tomentose, strong scented. h. 20ft. Peru, 1739.
A. glabra (smooth-fruited).* fl. outer petals ovate, obtuse, brown; calyx leathery, large; peduncles opposite the leaves, two-flowered. July. fr. greenish-yellow, conoid, blunt, smooth. l. ovate-lanceolate, smooth. h. 10ft. West Indies, 1774.
A. longifolia (long-leaved). fl. purplish; outer petals concave, thick, all acute, large, axillary, solitary, stalked. May. fr. ovate-globose, dotted, and reticulated, flesh-coloured. l. oblong, acuminated, mucronate, smooth. h. 20ft. Guiana, 1820.
A. muricata (muricated-fruited).* The Sour Sop. fl. outer petals cordate, concave, thick, acuminated, green on the outside, yellow inside, and spotted; peduncles solitary, one-flowered, sweet-scented. fr. muricated, with fleshy points, green. l. ovate-lanceolate, smooth, shining. h. 15ft. West Indies, 1656.
A. palustris (marsh). Alligator Apple; Cork-wood. fl. yellow; petals all acute. fr. rather areolate, large, heart-shaped, sweet-scented. l. ovate-oblong, leathery, quite smooth. h. 10ft. to 20ft. South America, 1788.
A. reticulata (netted). The Custard Apple, or Bullock's Heart. fl. outer petals oblong-lanceolate, acute, somewhat concave at the base, brownish on the outside, whitish-yellow on the inside, marked with dark purple spots. fr. ovate-globose, reticulate, as large as a tennis ball, with yellowish soft flesh; it is much esteemed by some people. l. oblong-lanceolate, acute, smooth, somewhat dotted. h. 15ft. to 25ft. Brazil, 1690.
A. squamosa (scaly). Sweet Sop. fl., outer petals linear-oblong, somewhat concave at the base, nearly closing, greenish-yellow. fr. egg-shaped, scaly. l. oblong, bluntish, smooth, full of pellucid dots, rather glaucous beneath. h. 20ft. South America, 1739.
ANONACEÆ. An order of trees or shrubs, mostly tropical, with axillary peduncles, lateral or opposite the leaves, and with alternate, simple, entire or hardly toothed leaves, without stipules. Anona is the typical genus.
ANONYMO. A synonym of Saururus (which see).