PHYTELEPHAS. 



236 



PICOTEE. 



to contain the seeds enveloped in a 

 quantity of fine silky substance, 

 which looks like the cocoons of silk- 

 worms, after the fine silk has been 

 spun off. The Physianthus will 

 grow in any common soil ; but it 

 should always be trained against a 

 wall, as otherwise the large fruit 

 will be too heavy for the slender 

 branches. There are two species, 



Phtsoste^gia. — Lahiatce. — P. 

 imhricata is a beautiful plant, with 

 pale-purple flowers, nearly allied to 

 Dracocephalum, which only requires 

 the usual treatment of hardy peren- 

 nials. P. truncata is an annual spe- 

 cies with pale-pink flowers. Both 

 are natives of Mexico, and Avillgrov/ 

 in the open ground, in any common 

 garden soil. 



Phyte'lephas. — Cyclanthacece. 

 — The vegetable Ivory, or Tagua 

 plant, is nearly allied to the Screw 

 Pine family, and its fronds resemble 

 those of the Cocoa-nut tree. There 

 is no proper stem, but the fronds or 

 leaves sometimes measure nearly 

 twenty feet in length, and are of a 

 pale-green colour, and delicate tex- 

 ture. ' ' The singular heads of the 

 fertile inflorescence grow round the 

 base of the plant, often six clusters 

 at one time, and the heads rest on 

 the ground, or are wedged betv>^een 

 the leaves, and borne on a buried 

 footstalk, of which the fibre is ex- 

 ceedingly tough. These clusters are 

 of an imperfectly rounded form, co- 

 vered with strong protuberances, 

 about an inch and a half long. On 

 dissecting one of these compact 

 heads, it will be found to consist of 

 many distinct clusters, each con- 

 taining about four seeds, closely 

 knitted together. Hence the popu- 

 lar name of this palm, Cabesa del 

 Negro, or the Negro's Head, is by 

 no means an inapt comparison, for 

 the style-like projections resemble a 

 black man's rigid hair. Enclosing 



the seeds is a yellow sweet oily pulp, 

 which is collected in the month if 

 October, and sold under the name 

 of Pepa del Tagua. A spoonful of 

 it with a little sugar and water 

 makes the celebrated Cliiche de 

 Tagua, said to be the most delicious 

 beverage of the country." The Phyt- 

 elephas generally inhabits dense 

 shady woods, at an elevation of 

 from one to three thousand feet 

 above the level of the sea. The 

 fruit is large and very heavy, and 

 the vegetable ivory, which is the 

 albumen of the seed, is as hard, or 

 nearly so, as the ivory of the ele- 

 phant's tusks. The plant is a na- 

 tive of tropical South America, and 

 has only lately been introduced into 

 Great Britain ; but there are nov/ 

 plants at Kew, in the Botanic Gar- 

 den in the Pv,egent's Park, and other 

 places. The one at Kevr flowered 

 in 1855, but did not ripen fruit. 



Phyteu'ma. — Campamdacece. — 

 Herbaceous plants, generally with 

 dark-blue flowers, which will grow 

 in any ordinary soil, and which are 

 increased by dividing the roots. 



Phytola'cca. — Chenopodiacece, 

 or Phytoldcea^. — P. decdndra, the 

 Virginian Poke, is a fine vigorous- 

 growing plant, which is ornamental 

 from the abundance of its black 

 berries, but which, from its large 

 leaves and spreading habit of gi'owth, 

 I require3 a great deal of room. It 

 should be grown in a very rich soil, 

 and it is increased by seeds or cut- 

 tings. There are several species, all 

 of which have black berries, contain- 

 ing a deep-red juice, which is said 

 to be used in Portugal to colour Port 

 wine. 



PicoTEE. — A kind of Carnation, 

 with a narrow^^dark-coloured margin 

 to the petals" or with the petals 

 covered with small brown or dark- 

 purple dots. For the culture, see 

 Dia'nthus. 



