Simon and Schuster's Guide to Plants and Flowers

Chapter 1 1 MAIDENHAIR FERNAdianthum capillus-veneris:Family: Adiantaceae. Name from Greek adiantos, dry; the fronds repel water, a property first recorded by Theophrastus.Place of origin: cosmopolitan; rare in Britain.Description: a lovely and delicate deciduous fern with many basal fronds; numerous pinnules (small leaves) which are dark green, kidney-shaped, crenulate or lobate on the upper edge. Many distinct varieties once grown hut now largely disappeared.Use: as an indoor plant, or to decorate walls and recesses and damp, shady rockeries.Planting: spring. Keep rhizomes near soil surface. For pot use, supply good drainage and a little time.Propagation: by division and by spores sown on damp peat and sand, covered with glass to maintain humidity.Environment and light: adequate hut not direct light, with fairly high humidity level. Avoid hot places, move as little as possible. Slight frost injures fronds; severe frost kills.Type of soil: ordinary garden soil with peat.Soil moisture: water plentifully during growing season; in winter keep soil moist only.2 ARALIA misnamed CASTOR-OIL PLANTAralia sieboldii (more correctly Fatsia japonica):Family: Araliaceae. Name adapted from the Japanese name for this plant Fat Si.Place of origin: Japan; introduced into Europe in 1838.Description: a slow growing evergreen plant with large, bright green, smooth, shiny leaves with 7 or 9 (rarely 11) pointed, oblong lobes. Flowers on branching panicles in round, milky-white heads, succeeded by round, black, ivy-like berries.Flowering time: autumn to winter.Use: where hardy (temperate climates) makes a useful winter flowering shrub. The cream-splashed leaves of the variety variegata make this a good house plant for cool rooms.Propagation: by cuttings from sucker shoots in spring, or by division.Environment and light: adequate light indoors but never in direct sun. Half-shade outdoors.Type of soil: any good garden soil outdoors; loam, peat or leaf mould and sand (equal parts) for pot work.Soil moisture: water only when required.Remarks: shorten straggly growths in spring.3 ASPARAGUS FERNAsparagus sprengeri (now more correctly A. densiflorus "Sprengeri"):Family: Liliaceae. Name given by Theophrastus.Place of origin: Southern Africa; introduced into Europe in 1890.Description: a woody stemmed plant with long trailing (or widely climbing) branches 2-6 ft. (1-2 m) long, armed with small hooked prickles and small, flat, evergreen phylloclades, mostly in threes and 1-1 1/2 in. (2.5-4 cm) long. Flowers tiny, white or pinkish, fragrant, in racemes. Fruit: bright red 1/2 in. (1 cm) berries.Flowering time: early summer.Use: as an indoor plant, especially suitable for hanging baskets.Propagation: by division in spring or seed.Environment and light: ample ventilation, plenty of light, but not direct sun.Type of soil: dry, permeable and rich. If the soil is not sufficiently rich, the branches of the plant will droop. Feed in summer.Soil moisture: water regularly, more frequently in the summer months.Remarks: dwarfs and variegated forms occur.4 ASPIDISTRAAspidistra elatior (A. lurida):Family: Liliaceae. Name from Greek aspidion, a small round shield, referring to shape of stigma.Place of origin: Central-eastern Asia; introduced 1822.Description: perennial plants with underground rhizomatic sterns, long and large radical leaves, upright and well stemmed, with complete, leathery, shiny green lamina, narrowing to a channelled stalk one-third the length of the blade. Purple, insignificant flowers clPerry, Frances is the author of 'Simon and Schuster's Guide to Plants and Flowers' with ISBN 9780671222475 and ISBN 0671222473.