COMPOSITAE. A single species. Easily grown.
—Cnicus benedictus. (c,h) CNIC-1. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $9.00 (about 750 seed), 1/4 lb: $25.00
'BLESSED THISTLE'. Bright yellow inch-wide flowers on a hardy, thistle-like annual to 2 feet, with attractively marbled leaves. Blooms summer and fall. Mediterranean. Once highly valued medicinally as a panacea for everything from "the bitings of mad dogs" to migraine and gout. Contains anti-HIV compounds. An excellent tonic, said to improve the memory. "...lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for qualm... plain Holy Thistle."—Shakespeare. Used in Benedictine, and the seeds yield an oil. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
COBAEA (ko-BAY-a)
POLEMONIACEAE. Rampant vining shrubs grown for their large, bell-shaped violet or white flowers. Easily grown outdoors as annuals, or in the greenhouse. Rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Plant seed edgewise indoors in 4" pots, or outdoors when soil is warm. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks and flowers in 12 weeks. Viable 4 years or more.
—Cobaea scandens. (e,h) COBA-2. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $9.00, 25 grams: $16.00
'CATHEDRAL BELLS', 'CUP AND SAUCER VINE'. Large, bell-shaped purple 2" long flowers open green, then darken, from June to October. Fast growing vine to 25 feet, with dark green leaves. México. Zone 9. An old-fashioned garden favorite.
—Cobaea scandens 'Alba'. COBA-2A. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $12.00, 25 grams: $20.00
'WHITE CATHEDRAL BELLS', 'WHITE CUP AND SAUCER VINE'. Large, bell-shaped 2" long creamy white flowers, from June to October. Fast growing vine to 25 feet, with dark green leaves. México. A rare form of this old-fashioned garden favorite.
"The state calls its own violence law; but that of the individual crime."—Max Stirner.
COIX (KO-ix or KOY)
GRAMINEAE. Tall ornamental tropical grasses grown for their bead-like seeds. Easily grown in rich sandy, well-drained soil, in full sun or light shade. Start very early in pots, as it needs a long season. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks. Seed viable 5 years or more.
—Coix Lacryma-Jobi. (e,h) COIX-1. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00
'JOB'S TEARS'. To 3 - 6 feet, with reed-like 1 1/2" wide leaves, bearing unusual, teardrop-shaped, bead-like seeds ranging from pearly white to shiny grey. Tropical Asia. Tender perennial grown as an annual. Plant out May 1st in Zone 5. Cut stems for dried arrangements before seeds fall. The seeds are widely used as beads in rosaries, etc., to which marvelous properties are attributed. They are edible and are ground for bread and made into beer.
JOB'S TEARS FOR BEADS - NOT VIABLE: Oz: $3.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00 (about 170 seeds per ounce) Specify "BEAD SEEDS" on your order.
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COLCHICUM autumnale: See Reserved Access page.
COLEOCEPHALOCEREUS
CACTACEAE. Columnar Brazilian cacti.
NEW—Coleocephalocereus goebelianus. (25) COLE-10. Packet: $2.50
Pale pinkish-white 2" flowers from a dark, woolly 8" cephalium an one side. Columnar to about 6 feet tall and 2 1/2" thick, with dense spines. Brazil. Zone 9. Use GA-3 to germinate in 1 - 2 months.
COLLINSIA (ko-LIN-see-a)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Showy and free-flowering hardy annuals, mostly from California and western North America. Easily grown and much used in borders, bedding and for edging. Will bloom mid-summer till frost with succession sowings. Best in well-drained soil and they stand part shade. Sow seed in spring or fall, 1/4" deep, to germinate in about 14 days. They make long-lasting cut flowers.
—Collinsia heterophylla (=bicolor). (a!,h) COLL-3. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $14.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'CHINESE HOUSES', 'INNOCENCE'. Large, inch-long flowers in stacked whorls, resembling a pagoda in form, with a white upper lip, and a rosy purple lower lip. Hardy annual to 1 - 2 feet, with slender stems. California. Sow thinly in groups. Best in part shade Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks at cool temperatures.
"The means are the end."—U. K. LeGuin.
CONVOLVULUS (kon-VOLV-you-lus)
CONVOLVULACEAE. 'GLORY BIND'. Showy twining vines or upright herbs grown for their funnel-shaped morning-glory-like flowers. Easily grown in most soils and full sun with little care. Free flowering and good for covering fences or allowed to clamber among shrubs, the bushy types in the flower and rock garden. Some are excellent in hanging baskets. Vigorous growers, only a few are invasive or weedy. Soak seed till swollen, nick if needed. Sow in early spring 1/4" deep, to germinate in about 5 - 14 days at 60 - 65°F. The hardy perennials may be sown in September for early flowers. Many are medicinal. Seed has grown well up to 26 years old.
Convolvulus tricolor Varieties:
'DWARF MORNING GLORY'. Beautiful and floriferous hardy annual in various colors. Upright and bushy, forming a mound about a foot tall and 2 feet wide, with the showy 1 1/2" wide flowers borne in profusion above the narrow leaves. Good in hanging baskets. Blooms continuously all summer. S. Europe. Cultivated since 1629. "A splendid plant for the border."—Booth. Soak seed, nick unswollen ones. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks at warm temperatures.
NEW—Convolvulus tricolor 'Blue Flash'. (250) CONV-22B. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50
Light or deep blue flowers with white center and yellow eye. Dwarf compact plants to 6" or so. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Convolvulus tricolor 'Red Ensign'. (500) CONV-22S. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50
Deep carmine with white center and yellow eye. Floriferous handy annual to 16" or so.
—Convolvulus tricolor 'Royal Ensign'. (c,h) CONV-22R. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $11.00
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Deep ultramarine blue with a golden center. To 16". Deepest blue of all and closest to the wild type.
NEW—Convolvulus tricolor 'White Ensign' (250) CONV-22W. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $7.50
Pure white with yellow center. Hardy annual to 16". Very floriferous.
CORCHORUS (KOR-chor-us)
TILIACEAE. Tropical herbs, sometimes shrubby, long grown for food and fiber. Needs warm moist soil; treat like eggplant. Sow in spring for crop in 3 months. They are major crops throughout the tropics. Seed viable 5 to 10 years.
—Corchorus olitorius. (b,h) CORCH-18. Packet: $2.50
'TOSSA JUTE', 'MELUKHIE'. Annual to 6 feet with large pointed 2 - 6" leaves and yellow 1/2" flowers. India. Widely cultivated for fiber and food. The young shoots and leaves are an ancient vegetable, eaten by the Egyptians, mentioned by Pliny, and are now widely eaten in the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Americas. The leaves are an excellent potherb, can be eaten as a salad when young, and can be dried for winter use in soups, etc.
CORDYLINE (kor-dee-LEE-nay)
AGAVACEAE. Evergreen shrubs and trees much like Yucca, with heads of sword-like leaves and sprays of small flowers. Easy in warm climates.
NEW—Cordyline australis 'Purpurea'. (25) CORD-4P. Packet: $2.50
'GRASS PALM'. Large heads of sword-like 3 foot leaves of a deep plum color. Tree to 20 - 40 feet, with large panicles of small fragrant flowers followed by small berries. New Zealand. Zone 8. Seedlings vary in depth of color.
COREOPSIS (ko-ree-OP-sis)
COMPOSITAE. Hardy North American annuals and perennials grown for their showy flowers. The annuals were formerly classed as Calliopsis. Beautiful in the border, rock garden and for bedding. They make a fine display in any garden soil in sun. Tolerates smog and poor soil. Makes good cut flowers. Sow outdoors from early spring to fall, on the surface to 1/4" deep, to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks, depending on temperature. Succession sowings from March to June will provide continuous bloom. Often self-sows. Seed viable 3 - 8 years or more.
—Coreopsis grandiflora Baby Sun (=Coreopsis lanceolata). (b,h) CORE-11B. Packet: $2.50
Large golden flowers with brown eyes, borne profusely, covering low compact plants to 16". Hardy perennial, blooming June to August. Zone 5. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Coreopsis tinctoria Dwarf Red. (a!,h) CORE-6DR. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
'DWARF RED PLAINS COREPSIS'. Bright red flowers on dwarf plants. Hardy annual. Good in meadows and for naturalizing. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Coreopsis tinctoria Tall. (a!,h) CORE-6T. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
'TALL PLAINS COREOPSIS'. Vivid single yellow flowers with wine-red centers. Hardy annual to 3 feet. SW U.S. Excellent for naturalizing along roadsides, in meadows, etc. Stands poor dry soil and part shade, blooming abundantly in summer and fall, reseeding readily. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
CORIANDRUM (ko-ree-AN-drum)
UMBELLIFERAE. Easily grown aromatic annuals grown in the herb garden for their flavorful leaves and seeds. Sow where they are to grow, 1/4" deep, to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. Sow in fall in the South, early spring in the North. Seed viable 6 - 8 years.
—Coriandrum sativum. (b,h) CORI-5. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
'CORIANDER', 'CILANTRO'. Annual herb to 1 - 3 feet, with divided leaves and small white or pinkish flowers in umbels, followed by clusters of round aromatic seed. S. Europe. Cultivated since ancient times, the seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs, and they are mentioned by Pliny, Cato, Palladius and Hippocrates. The young leaves are picked at any time for use in salads, soups, etc. They are very popular in Latin America and China. The ripe seed are used for flavoring breads and cakes, liqueurs, curries, etc. Little clusters coated with sugar were a favorite treat of children. In China they were believed to confer immortality. Harvest the seed clusters when they begin to turn brown. Their flavor improves with age. The roots are powdered for seasoning by Southwest Indians.
—Coriandrum sativum Long Standing. (b,h) CORI-5LS. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00, 1/4 lb: $27.00
'CILANTRO CORIANDER'. This variety is slow to bolt, making it the best for leaf production. Gives a longer season of harvest of the spicy leaves, which are used in Latin American and Asian dishes.
CORYDALIS (ko-RID-a-lis or ko-ree-DAL-is)
PAPAVERACEAE (formerly FUMARIACEAE). Easily grown mostly hardy perennials (some annuals), freely blooming in poor soil and full sun or part shade. Some slow to germinate and best sown in fall, the annuals best sown in spring or fall.
—Corydalis nobilis. (e,v) CORY-19. Packet: $3.00
Gram: $14.00
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Dense 1 1/2" balls of yellow 3/4" flowers with brown tips, on 18" stems in spring. Hardy perennial with ferny, much-divided medium-green 18" leaves. Siberia. Zone 5. Goes dormant midsummer. "Singular and outstanding. It's everything the name implies. Germination is long-term. Sow it in a pot outdoors and it will germinate the first or second spring. But it is worth every effort to possess one."—Bertrand.
—Corydalis sempervirens (=glauca). (c,h) CORY-27. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $10.00
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'ROMAN WORMWOOD'. Pink to purple 3/4" yellow-tipped, short-spurred flowers in spikes. Attractive annual or biennial to 2 feet. Space 9". E. U.S. Zone 5. About 1/3 germinate readily in 2 - 4 weeks without pre-treatment, the rest are dormant and need cold. Gives high germination in 3 - 4 weeks with GA-3.
—Corydalis solida. (d,f) CORY-30. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50, 5 grams: $25.00
'FUMEWORT'. Red to white 3/4" flowers in dense spikes in spring. Hardy perennial to 8 - 10", with ferny foliage. N. Eurasia. Zone 4. Good in shade in the rock garden. The small tubers are eaten in Siberia. Give GA-3 to germinate in 2 weeks or so.
CORYPHANTHA (kor-ee-FAN-tha)
CACTACEAE. Knobby North American cacti.
NEW—Coryphantha macromeris. (25) CORP-28. Packet: $2.50
'DOÑA ANA'. Showy deep pink to red 3" flowers in summer. Clustering knobby grey-green cactus with inch-long tubercles tipped with long spines. New Mexico to Texas and México. Zone 6 or 7. Used medicinally in México.
NEW—Coryphantha vivipara (=Escobaria vivipara) (25) CORP-46. Packet: $2.50
'BEEHIVE CACTUS', 'SHOWY PINCUSHION'. Pink to purple 2" flowers in spring. Clustering grey-green cactus to 6", with 1/2" tubercles tipped with spines. Canada to México. Zone 3.
COSMOS (KOZ-mos)
COMPOSITAE. 'MEXICAN ASTER'. Showy, easily grown annuals and perennials planted for their graceful, feathery foliage and abundant mid-summer to fall bloom. Best in poor dry soil, as rich soil will give abundant growth, but little bloom. Sow outdoors after danger of frost or for early bloom, sow indoors 6 weeks earlier. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks. Good cut flowers if picked when first opened. Seed viable 6 years or more. Old garden favorites.
Cosmos bipinnatus Varieties:
Showy annual to 2 - 10 feet, with feathery foliage and large daisy-like 2 - 6" wide flowers in shades of red, rose, white and pink. Cultivated since 1799. México. The 'Sensation' strain are about 4 feet tall, early blooming, with large, single 4 - 6" flowers.
—Cosmos Candy Stripe. (c,h) COS-1CS. Packet: $2.50
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25 grams: $12.00
White, rose and red flowers with petals edged and striped darker. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cosmos bipinnatus Daydream. (250) COS-IDY. Packet: $2.50
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Oz: $9.00
Pale pink flowers shading to deeper rose at the center. Good for cutting. Hardy annual to 3 - 5 feet.
—Cosmos bipinnatus Gloria. (500) COS-1GL. Packet: $2.00
Click for photos »
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Rosy pink flowers with deep red center. Hardy annual to 3 - 5 feet. Good for cutting.
—Cosmos bipinnatus Picotee. (500) COS-1PC. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.00
White flowers with petals edged red, ranging to pure red. Nice. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cosmos Sea Shells Mixture. (b,h) COS-1SS. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $22.50
Striking flowers with each petal (ray-flower) tubular, resembling a foxglove flower. Shades of white, pink and red. Unusual. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Cosmos Sensation Dwarf Mix. (500) COS-1DX. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $7.50
Pink, red, and white flowers on a dwarf annual to 2 - 3 feet.
—Cosmos Sensation Purity. (b,h) COS-1W. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
A wonderful, large-flowered snowy white.
—Cosmos Sensation Radiance. (b,h) COS-1R. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Deep rose with a crimson zone.
Cosmos sulphureus Varieties:
Showy annual to 1 - 7 feet, resembling C. bipinnatus, but in yellow, orange and red shades. Large, 2 - 3" wide, long-stemmed flowers on bushy plants. México. The 'Klondyke' strain has large, early, semi-double blooms, and is about 1 - 3 feet tall.
—Cosmos sulphureus Bright Lights. (c,h) COS-3B. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00
Bright mixture of yellow and orange shades, developed for cut-flowers. Hardy annual to 2 feet.
—Cosmos sulphureus Klondyke Sunny Red. (b,h) COS-3R. Packet: $2.50
25 grams: $11.00, 100 grams: $30.00
Glowing orange-red shades on a dwarf compact annual to 14" tall. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
"Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Either way, it's a mighty sobering thought."—Walt Kelley.
COWANIA (KO-wan-EE-a)
ROSACEAE. Showy desert shrubs of the Southwest. Good in rock gardens and for xeriscaping.
—Cowania mexicana. (c,h) COWA-7. Packet: $2.50
'CLIFFROSE.' Fragrant 1/2" cream to yellow flowers like single roses in May and June, followed by long plumed seedheads. Aromatic 1/2" toothed leaves. Very hardy shrub to 1 - 6 feet. Desert canyon slopes, SW U.S. Zone 6. The inner bark was used for cloth by the Hopi. About half germinate in 2 - 6 weeks warm, but 2 - 8 weeks cold improves germination.
CRAMBE (KRAM-be)
CRUCIFERAE. Herbs or sub-shrubs with large succulent leaves, grown for ornament or as vegetables. Small white fragrant flowers. Easily grown, preferring heavy soil and thriving in exposed situations.
—Crambe cordifolia. (e,h) CRAM-6. Packet: $3.00 OUT OF STOCK
'GIANT SEA KALE', 'COLEWORT'. Striking foliage plant with large wavy-margined leaves to 3 feet long. Tiny creamy white, sweet-scented flowers in large clusters up to 5 - 7 feet tall, and as wide. Blooms in July and August. Caucasus. Zone 5. A magnificent hardy perennial. The root and foliage are said to be edible. Well worth growing. Germinates in 1 - 10 months.
—Crambe maritima. (10,h) CRAM-18. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $9.00, 25 grams: $32.00
'SEA KALE'. Large, chalky blue-green, wavy, fleshy, long-stalked 6 - 12" leaves, and large panicles of tiny white flowers in May to July. Hardy perennial to 3 feet, from the sea-coasts of Europe. Zone 5. The flowers are honey-scented, and the young stems are blanched and eaten as a delicacy. Give seed 1 - 3 months cold or crack out of shell to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks.
CRASSULA (KRAS-u-la)
CRASSULACEAE. Several hundred succulent species.
—Crassula perfoliata. (25) CRSU-192. Packet: $2.50
Large clusters of red to white starry flowers in summer. Succulent shrub to 2 - 5 feet, with narrow, pointed grey-green 6" leaves. South Africa.
"You've got to read between the lies."—J.L.H.
CROCOSMIA (kro-KOS-mee-a)
IRIDACEAE. Showy Freesia-like plants grown in mild climates. Tough and attractive.
—Crocosmia paniculata Orange-Red. (45) CROCO-9H. Packet: $2.50
Bright orange-red 3/4" flowers in varying shades, in curved spikes, July to October. Cormous perennial to 2 feet, with sword-shaped leaves. S. Africa. Hardy to about Zone 6.
CRYPTOMERIA (krip-to-MER-ee-a)
TAXODIACEAE. A single species.
—Cryptomeria japonica. CRYM-4. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $7.50, 1/4 lb: $20.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
'JAPANESE CEDAR', 'SUGI'. Fast-growing evergreen tree to 150 feet, with 1/2 - 1" needles and small brown cones. Japan, where it is the national tree. Much grown for timber and as a street tree. Zone 7. Germinates (30%) in 2 - 4 weeks at cool to warm temperatures, and a prechill may help.
CRYPTOTAENIA (krip-to-TAY -nee-a)
UMBELLIFERAE. Attractive annuals and perennials grown for food, flavoring, and ornament. Easy.
—Cryptotaenia japonica atropurpurea. (10) CRYPT-13A. Packet: $3.00
'PURPLE MITSUBA'. Deep bronze-red foliage on a hardy perennial to 16", with tiny white flowers. Japan. Zone 4. The aromatic young leaves are eaten raw in salads, or cooked in many dishes. The roots and seeds are also eaten.
CUCUMIS (KOO-kum-is)
CUCURBITACEAE. Large annual and perennial vines grown for the edible or interesting fruits. Includes the cucumber and melon. Warm, rich, moist soil.
Taxonomy of the Genus Cucumis: http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/cuke/cukehndbk/cuketaxonomy
—Cucumis callosus. (70) CUCU-5. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $17.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
Info Link
Article on traditional food use
Article on use with photos
Gujarati recipe book
Listed in: Ethnomedicinal Uses of Climbers from Saraswati River Region of Patan District, North Gujarat. Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13: 865-72 , 2009.
'KACHRA'. An interesting small wild melon from dry, sandy areas of India. Eaten raw or cooked, and the seeds eaten in curries. Used as a medicinal food. Small orange and green melons. Said to be fertile crossed with muskmelons, and a possible source of resistance to caterpillars and fruit flies.
—Cucumis carolinus. (60) CUCU-6. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $17.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS ARE AVAILABLE
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Formerly offered as C. sp. Sudan.
Odd monoecious vine from Sudan, with large tuberous roots, and showy, prickly fruits. Aged seed germinates in 2 - 4 weeks, fresh seed needs GA-3.
—Cucumis heptadactylus. (20) CUCU-12. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $19.00
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Maroon oblong 1 - 2" fruits with short spines. Rare dioecious perennial vine from a woody caudex. Peculiar 7-lobed leaves with very long, narrow lobes. S. Africa, where the Kalahari bushmen use the root as an arrow poison. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
NEW—Cucumis insignis. (25) CUCU-13. Packet: $2.50
Egg-sized fruits with long fleshy spines. Tropical perennial vine with stems to 8 feet, with grey-green, lobed 3" leaves and forked tendrils. Southern Ethiopia. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Cucumis zambianus. (50) CUCU-28. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $19.00
Rare species with large green and yellow striped fruits. Discovered in 1984 in the northwestern corner of Zambia, where cultivated by indigenous farmers (for what purpose, I don't know!). Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Cucumis zeyheri. (50) . CUCU-32. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $17.00
Info and photos link
Description
Perennial trailer from a woody caudex, with 3 - 5-lobed leaves and yellow flowers followed by oval green fruits with soft spines, ripening to yellow. South Africa. The fruits of some plants are very bitter, others are non-bitter and eaten. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
CUCURBITA (koo-KUR-bi-ta)
CUCURBITACEAE. 'GOURD', 'PUMPKIN', 'SQUASH'. Large annual and perennial vines with large leaves, flowers and fruits. An important genus, grown for the edible, useful and ornamental fruits, the edible and medicinal seeds, edible and ornamental flowers, and edible young leaves and shoots. Easily grown, various species adapted to a variety of environments. The beauty of their large flowers is often unappreciated. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
All of the C. Pepo gourds can be eaten as long as they have no trace of bitterness.
—Cucurbita andreana (=Cucurbita maxima ssp. andreana). (30) CUCB-4. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $14.00
Wild ancestor of C. maxima pumpkins and squash. Annual vine with small 5" green striped bitter fruits. Argentina. Useful in cucurbit breeding, and anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds have been found in the plant. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CUMINUM (KOO-min-um)
UMBELLIFERAE. A single species. Sow seed where they are to grow in April or May, after danger of frost, to germinate in about 1 - 2 weeks. They grow quickly and ripen seed in July and August. Space 1 - 2 feet apart. Easy. Seed viable 3 years.
—Cuminum Cyminum. (a,h) CUMI-5. Packet: $2.50
'CUMIN', 'COMINO'. Half hardy annual to 6 - 12", with finely divided dark green leaves and tiny white or reddish flowers followed by aromatic seeds. Upper Nile. Cut stems when seeds begin to dry. An ancient spice, it was grown by the Egyptians and mentioned by Pliny, Hippocrates, and Dioscorides. The hot, spicy, aromatic seeds were used medicinally and are popular for flavoring breads, cheeses, soups, chutneys, curries, liqueurs and Spanish and Méxican dishes. Ground in wine, Pliny claimed them the best appetizer. Common in Normandy in 716 CE, and in England in 1264. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
CUNNINGHAMIA (kun-ing-HAM-ee-a)
TAXODIACEAE. Two species of evergreen conifers.
—Cunninghamia lanceolata. CUNN-2. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $9.00
'CHINA FIR', 'CHINESE CEDAR'. Evergreen tree to 30 - 150 feet, with light green 2 1/2" needles and brown 1 - 2" cones. Central and southern China. Zone 7. Germinates readily in 2 - 4 weeks.
CUPRESSUS (koo-PRESS-us)
CUPRESSACEAE. Handsome evergreen trees and shrubs with scale-like leaves and round woody cones. Native to warm-temperate N. Hemisphere. For mild climates. The durable wood was used for Egyptian mummy caskets, and the doors of St. Peter's in Rome, made of cypress wood, have lasted 1200 years. Varies in percentage of filled seed, but is viable 20 years. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks or so.
—Cupressus cashmeriana (=darjeelingensis) (b,g) CUPR-4. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $8.00, 1/4 lb: $24.00
'KASHMIR CYPRESS'. Striking tree with weeping branchlets of a conspicuous vivid blue-grey color. Fast growing small tree with 1/2" cones. Kashmir, Tibet. Good in California and mild climates. Zone 9. "One of the most graceful and beautiful of all conifers."—Hilliers. Germinates in 1 - 2 months warm, no prechill needed.
CYCLANTHERA (si-KLAN-ther-a)
CUCURBITACEAE. Quick growing annual and perennial tendril-climbing vines grown for ornament and the edible or exploding fruits. They range from Kansas to S. America. Start seed early indoors, as the tropical species need a long growing season.
—Cyclanthera pedata var. edulis. (15) CYCN-19E. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
10 grams: $10.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK
Click for photo »
A giant form with fruits to 8" long.
'ACCOCHA'. South American vegetable grown for the small edible cucumber-like fruits. Quick-growing vine to 10 feet, with narrow leaves. Spindle-shaped fruits range from 3 - 6" long, and are eaten raw or cooked like cucumbers when young. When mature, remove seeds and cook or bake with stuffing, when it is said to have an artichoke-like flavor. Also pickled. Andean favorite. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
CYMBALARIA (sim-ba-LAR-ee-a)
SCROPHULARIACEAE. Trailing European perennials with spurred Linaria-like flowers, grown as groundcover in moist part shade, or cascading down rock walls. Good in hanging baskets. Easy from seed.
—Cymbalaria muralis. (a,h) CYMB-3. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'KENILWORTH IVY', 'WANDERING SAILOR'. Lilac-blue 1/2" flowers with yellowish centers, held above the dainty, round, 5 - 7-lobed leaves. Slender trailing perennial. S. Europe, widely naturalized. Zone 3. Once pollinated, the flowers turn away from the light to ripen their seed in crevices. Eaten as salad greens in Europe, and is slightly pungent, like cress. Seed needs light, surface sow. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
"Roads betook themselves into the forest, like great serpents devouring as they went. And one day behold! the forest was gone."—L. H. Bailey.
CYPERUS (SI-per-us)
CYPERACEAE. 'GALINGALE', 'FLAT-SEDGE'. A huge genus of sedges, 600 or more species, ranging from the tropics to temperate regions. Many are highly ornamental, as pot plants grown indoors for their tropical effect, or outdoors in ponds, bog gardens, and moist places. Some species produce tubers, many are nut-like and edible, others are fragrant and used in perfumery, and in the Amazon Basin exist many species with highly valued medicinal tubers. One species produced the first paper, papyrus in ancient Egypt. Most are easy from seed, giving high germination within a month.
—Cyperus esculentus var. sativus. (c,h) CYPE-14. Packet of tubers: $2.50
Tubers: 1/4 lb: $6.00, lb: $12.00
'CHUFA', 'EARTH ALMOND', 'TIGER-NUTS'. Ornamental perennial to 8" - 3 feet. Worldwide. Zone 8. Sow tubers in spring in moist places, harvest in October or November. Cultivated for thousands of years for the sweet, nutritious, nutty tubers. They are eaten raw, ground with water for a drink, in porridge, toasted, dried, or roasted and ground as a coffee or chocolate substitute. They become sweeter and more agreeable when dried, They contain 12 - 20% sucrose, 25 - 30% starch, and 27 - 29% of a sweet oil which can be pressed and used in fine cooking. They are greatly esteemed in Europe, China and Africa, and have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 2400 BCE. The Zulu chew them to relieve indigestion and bad breath. Excellent in swampy waste areas for pig forage. This is a distinct cultivar, and does not become weedy at all, and as such is NOT regulated by weed laws . This is because it is sterile, and does not produce seed, is not freeze-hardy (Zone 8), and also does not produce runners—the tubers are held right below the plant. The weedy form is hardy to Zone 2. Soak tubers until swollen, to germinate in 1 - 4 weeks or so.