NOTES 417 
W. Weingart. P. grandifolia ripens its large pear-shaped fruits 
on the Island of Elba. 
PELARGONIUM. 
Nearly all the species of this large, chiefly South African, 
genus do exceedingly well at La Mortola. We have constantly 
tried to increase our collection, but have not yet been able to 
obtain many of those interesting species which form so striking 
an element of the flora of South Africa, and which would 
certainly succeed with us. 
Some of the species, like P. pulverulentwm and P. triste, have 
been a long time in the garden, and were first planted by Mr. 
Daniel Hanbury. 
We are indebted for plants of this genus to Miss Willmott 
and to many botanical gardens, chiefly to Dahlem, Hamburg, and 
Kew, and to Mr. Willy Miiller, of Nocera Inferiore. 
PENTZIA. 
P. virgata, an elegant little shrub with almost filiform branches, 
is one of the chief Karroo plants of South Africa, eagerly eaten by 
sheep. It was probably introduced by Prof. MacOwan.* 
PERIPLOCA. 
P. greca, a well known deciduous climber. P. levigata is 
evergreen. It was grown from Canarian seeds in 1900. 
PERSEA. 
P. gratissima, the Alligator or Avocato Pear,t is extensively 
cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries. Thirty 
young plants were procured from Messrs. Nabonnand, Golfe- 
Juan, in November, 1870. One tall plant still in the garden 
probably dates from this planting. P. indica, a small tree from 
the evergreen forests of the Canaries, is liable to suffer from 
thrips. P. sericea cannot be said to flourish here. 
PEUMUS. 
P. Boldus is a fine evergreen tree, common in the Chilian 
Andes, which furnishes excellent wood, whilst the leaves were 
formerly used in medicine. 
PHEDRANTHUS. 
P. buccinatorius is one of our finest climbers, with magnificent 
large red tubular flowers. It grows in Central Mexico at elevations 
of about 2500 m., and is quite hardy here. I have, however, never 
seen it fruiting, though it does so in Sicily. 
PHARBITIS. 
Pharbitis (Ipomea) Learii is the finest and most commonly 
planted of the Convolvulacee family, and has almost become sub- 
* See also F. Miller, Select Extra-Tropical Plants, &c., p. 253. 
+ See Strasburger, Rambles on the Riviera. 
25 
