PLAGIOLIRIOX 



THE BFLH liOOK 



POLIANTIIES 



linear leaves li ft. long, and white 

 liowers .striped Avith bright red (///. 

 Ilort. t. 574). 



P. omata.— This h:i.s ovoid bulbs 

 about 1 in. thick, two narrow leaves, 

 and i>eduncle.s about 6 to 9 ins. high, 

 bearing four to six white Howers 

 consiiicuously striped with reddish- 

 ]»urp]e, the segments being distinctly 

 clawed (i/o^ Kty. 27, t. 50). 



PLAGIOIilRION (phuiioit, oblique ; 

 hirion, a lily : the flowers being 

 oblique). Nat. Ord. Amaryllideae. — 

 A genus containing only one species — 



P. Horsmanni. — A native of the 

 Columbian Andes whence it was 

 introduced by the late F. Horsman, 

 of Colchester, in 1883. The broA\-n- 

 coated roundish bulbs are about li 

 ins. thick, and the oblong acute 

 leaves (which are developed after the 

 flowers) are 8 to 9 ins. long, and 3 to 

 4 ins. broad, having a stalk 6 ins. 

 or more long. The white oblique 

 flowers are borne in umbels on stalks 

 from 6 to 12 ins. high in the summer 

 months. 



This is still a rare bulbous plant. 

 It may be grown without difficulty in 

 ]K)ts or borders, in the stove or warm 

 greenhouse, in a compost of rich 

 sandy loam with a little leaf-mould 

 or old cow-manure. Increased by 

 ofisets. 



PODOPHYLLUM QxxJos, foot ; 

 /ihyUon, leaf : in allasion to the 

 imagined resemblance of the leaves 

 to the feet of certain animals). Duck's 

 Foot, May Apple. Xat. Ord. Berberi- 

 deae. — A small genus of hardy 

 perennial herbs ^nth creeping root- 

 stocks and thickish roots. The 

 peltate Icives are palmately nerved 

 and lobed, one or two on a stem. 

 The flowers are white and drooping, 

 have six pet;\l-like sepals ; six to 

 nine larger petals, and free stamens 



as many or twice as many as the 

 petals. 



The species mentioned below all 

 flourish in moLst peaty soil in warm 

 sheltered spots, .slightly shaded from 

 the sun during the hottest part of 

 the day. They are easily increa.sed 

 by dividing the root-stocks in autunm 

 or in spring : or seeds may be sown 

 when ripe in pots or pans, and 

 sheltered in a cold frame. 



P. Emodl. — A Himalayan plant 

 6 to 1 2 ins. high, Avith three to five- 

 lobed leaves 6 to 10 ins. across, the 

 lobes being Avedge-.shaped, sharply 

 toothed, the Avhole surface being 

 heavily spotted or wa.shed Avith 

 purple. Flowers in May white, about 

 2 ins. across, succeeded in due course 

 by elliptic edible berries 1 to 2 ins. 

 long. 



P. peltatum. — Known as the X. 

 American Mandrake, this species 

 grows 6 to 12 ins. high, and has 

 j)oLsonous root-stocks and leaves— 

 the latter being glossy green, wrinkled 

 and divided into five to nine sharply- 

 toothed lobes. The wavy white 

 flowers 2 ins. or more across appear 

 in May, and are succeeded by green 

 crab-like edible fruits 1 to 2 ins. long, 

 assuming a yellowish tint when ripe. 

 {Dot. Mfuj. t. 1819.) 



P. pleianthum. — A distinct Chinese 

 species 1 to 2 ft. high, Avith roundish 

 peltate leaves divided into six to 

 eight toothed lobes. The purple 

 floAvers are drooping and are suc- 

 ceeded by blue-green berries Avhich 

 are purple Avhen ripe. 



POLIANTHES (/>olis, a city ; rnithos, 

 a HoAver), Tuberose. Nat. Ord. 

 AmarA-llideaj. — There is only one 

 species in this genus, namely : — 



P. tuberosa.— A lieautiful Mexican 

 plant, having a bulb-like tuberous 

 root-stock covered Avitli the broadened 

 bases of the old leaves. These are 



398 



