174 THE DICTIONARY 
OF GARDENING, 
Podolepis—continued. 
ray florets. Summer. J. linear or lanceolate, stem-clasping, and 
often decurrent. h. lft. This hardy annual species closely 
resembles P. acuminata, but has its involucral bracts usually 
terminated by a fine bristle. See Fig. 210. Syn. P. chrysantha. 
P. chrysantha (golden-flowered). A synonym of P. aristata. 
z = i 
Fig, 211. PODOLEPIS GRACILIS, showing Habit, detached Flower- 
head, and Portion of Stem with shortly decurrent Leaf. 
* (slender).* /l.-heads purple, lilac, or white; peduncles 
usually rather long. August. J. linear or lanceolate, stem-clasp- 
ing, and often decurrent. A. 3ft. 1826. This pretty perennial 
species is a much more delicate plant than either of the pre- 
ceding. See Fig. 211. (B. M. 2904; S. B. F. G. 285.) 
P. rugata (wrinkled). A synonym of P. acuminata. 
PODOLOBIUM. Included under Oxylobium 
(which see). 
— Included under Nephrodium. 
PODOPHYLLUM (from pous, podos, a foot, and 
phyllon, a leaf; alluding to a fancied resemblance, in the 
five to seven-parted leaf, to the foot of some web-footed 
animal). Duck’s-foot. ORD. Berberidee. A small genus 
(three species) of hardy perennial herbs, with creeping 
rootstocks and thick, fibrous roots; one is a native of 
North America, the second of the Himalayas, and the 
third (not yet introduced) of Formosa, &c. Flowers white, 
solitary, terminal, shortly pedunculate, nodding ; sepals 
six; petals six or nine. Berry indehiscent. Leaves 
peltate, palmately nerved and lobed; cauline ones one 
or two. The species thrive in moist, marshy, peat borders, 
in a shady situation. Propagated by division, and by 
seed. 
P. Emodi (Emodi).* A. lin. to Hin. across ; sepals very deciduous ; 
tals six, sometimes four, obovate-oblong ; peduncle terminal 
in bud, then apparently supra-axillary. fr. red, lin. to 2in. long, 
ellipsoid, edible. Z two, vernal, alternate, long-petiolate, 
plaited and deflexed in venation, orbicular, 6in. to 10in. across, 
three to five-lobed to the middle or base; lobes cuneate, acutely 
serrated. Stem or scape, 6in. to 12in. high, erect, India 
(G. C. n. s., xviii. 241.) 
P. peltatum (peltate) American Mandrake; May Apple. 
Jl. nearly 2in. broad ; bud with three green bractlets, which early 
fall away ; stamens twelve to eighteen. fr. ovoid, lin. to 2in. 
long, sweet, and — acid, edible, ripe in July. Z. five to 
nine-parted ; lobes oblong, rather wedge-shaped, somewhat lobed -` 
and toothed at the apex. Flowerless stems terminated by a 
large, round, seven to nine-lobed leaf, peltate in the middle, 
like an umbrella. Flowering stems bearing two one-sided leaves, 
with the stalk fixed near the inner edge. h. 6in. to 12in. North 
America, 1664. The leaves and roots of this plant are poisonous. 
See Fig. 212.. (B. M. 1819; B. M. Pl. 17.) 
PODOPTERUS (from pous, podos, a foot, and pteris, 
a wing; in allusion to the outer perianth segments being 
winged). ORD. Polygonee. A monotypic genus. The 
species is a handsome, greenhouse shrub, with rigid, 
flexuous branches and branchlets, usually spinescent at 
the tips. It requires a compost of equal parts loam 
and peat. Increased by young cuttings, which root 
readily, if inserted in any light soil, under a glass. 
P. mexicanus (Mexican). f. pink, small, twin or few in the 
axils of the bracts ; perianth of six segments ; fascicles racemose ; 
racemes wavy at the tips of the branches, loosely sub-panicu- 
` late. July. ¢. obovate-oblong, membranous, slightly acute, at- 
tenuated at base, sub-sessile, lin. long, in. or more broad, 
oad puberulous, fasciculate in the nodes. k. 2ft. Mexico, 
PODORIA. A synonym of Boscia (which see). 
PODOSPERMA. A synonym of Podotheca (which 
see). 
Included under Scorzonera 
(which see). 
PODOSTEMACEZ. A small natural order of 
aquatic, annual or perennial herbs, mostly very small, 
natives of rocky river-beds in the tropics. Flowers 
hermaphrodite, or, in one genus, dicecious, variously dis- 
posed, but usually inclosed in a spathaceous, marcescent 
involucre, which is at first closed, then bursts; perianth 
membranous, trifid or five-parted, or wanting; stamens 
definite or indefinite, free or monadelphous, erect. The 
plants have a distinct or branched stem and leaves, or 
these are confluent into broad or narrow Alga-like 
fronds. The 120 species comprised in the order have 
little or no economic or garden value; they are classi- — 
fied in twenty-one genera. Examples are: Apinagea, 
Hydrostachys, and Podostemon. 
PODOSTIGMA (from pous, s, a foot, and 
stigma; alluding to the stalked — Orv. Asele- 
piadew. A monotypic genus, the species being a half- 
glabrous or scarcely pubescent, erect herb. For 
nig i 
_ P. pubescens (pubescent). f. orange-coloured, in four to six- 
flowered umbels, on lateral as long as the 
pedicel, longer than the peduncle, the oblong lobes wavy on 
high)” July. -Z erect, lin. to 2in. long. Stem 6in. to 
1824. 
