AND GENERAL HORTICULTUEE. 



319 



PHI 



flowers, and is an interesting plant for tlie 

 green-house or for planting out in summer. 



Philadelphia'ceae. A natural order now in- 

 cluded under Scuifragacece. 



Philade'lphus. Syringa or Mock Orange. An 

 ancient name applied by Linnaeus ior no 

 obvious reason. Nat. Ord. SaxifragacecB. 



A genus of about twelve species of orna- 

 mental shrubs natives of central Europe and 

 North America, Japan, and the Himalayan 

 mountains, the flowers of which smell 

 like those of the orange, and the leaves taste 

 like Cucumbers. It is rather remarkable that 

 one of the English names of these plants is Sy- 

 ringa, which is the botanical name of the Lilac, 

 to which they have not the slightest afBnity. 

 There are many species, some of which have 

 very large and handsome flowers, and some 

 bear flowers without any fragrance. They 

 are all quite hardy, and may be propagated by 

 seeds, layers, cuttings, or division. The 

 species are common in the mountains of Vir- 

 ginia and southward. 



Philage'ria Veitchii. A combination of parts of 

 the generic names of the two parents. Nat. 

 Ord. Uliacece. 



A hybrid between Lapageria rosea and Phil- 

 esia Buxifolia, raised by the Messrs. Veitch, of 

 England. See Philesia. 



Phile'sia. From philesios, lovely. Nat. Ord. 

 LiliacecB. 



P. Buxifolia is the only species of this genus. 

 It is a dwarf shrub, native of the extreme 

 southern part of South America, being found 

 from Valdivia to the Straits of Magellan. It is 

 an evergreen with small leaves, and large, 

 bell-shaped, drooping flowers, of a beautiful 

 bright red color. It is allied to Lapageria rosea, 

 from the same region. Messrs. Jas. Veitch & 

 Son, of Chelsea, Eng., succeeded in raising a 

 hybrid between the two plants, which has 

 been named Pkilageria Veitchii. It is proper 

 to state that the plant is inferior, in point of 

 beauty, to either parent. We do not know of 

 its introduction to this country. It would do 

 well out of doors in the Southern States, or in 

 the green-house, north. 



Philesia'ceae. A natural order, now included 

 under LiliacecB. 



Philly'rea. Jasmine Box, Mock Privet. From 

 Philyra, the old Greek name used by Theo- 

 phrastus, for the Privet. Nat. Ord. OleacecB. 



A small genus of ornamental, compact-grow- 

 ing, hardy, evergreen shrubs, natives of the 

 Mediterranean region and the Orient. P. 

 decora, better known under the name of P. 

 Vilmoriniana, and P. laurifolia, the most 

 hardy of the genus, is a strikingly handsome 

 shrub, with bright-green, coriaceous leaves 

 and axillary clusters of white flowers, which 

 are followed in the autumn by Olive-shaped, 

 reddish-purple fruit. It is a late introduction 

 (1885) from the shores of the Black Sea, and in 

 common with the rest of the genus, is most 

 valuable for its adaptation to sea-side plant- 

 ing, and it is specially recommended for plant- 

 ing in cities, as smoke and dust do not affect 

 it seriously. 



Philode'ndron. From phileo, to love, and den- 

 dron, a tree ; referring to the habit of the plants 

 of this genus to overrun trees in the South 

 American forests. Nat. Ord. Aroidece. 



PHO 



A singular genus of South American tropical 

 plants, mostly with scrambling stems, which 

 attach themselves to the trunks of trees, 

 whence the name of the genus. They are all 

 green-house evergreen perennials, with large, 

 irregular, singular leaves, and showy flowers, 

 some of which are pure white, others white 

 and bright rose. They wei-e introduced in 

 1835, and are propagated by cuttings of the 

 side shoots, and from seeds. See Monstera. 



PMnae'a. An Anagram of Niphcea, to which this 

 genus is closely allied. A genus of Gesnera- 

 cecB, comprising a few species of dwarf, villous 

 stove-plants, with the habit of Niphwa (under 

 which they have until recently been included), 

 natives of Columbia. The flowers are white 

 or pale lilac ; borne on axillary, umbellate 

 peduncles. Introduced in 1845. 



Phlebo'dium. From phleps, a vein. Nat. Ord. 

 Polypodiacece. 



A genus of net- veined Ferns, separated from 

 Polxfpodium. P. aureum, typical of the genus, 

 is a bold, glaucous-tinted Fern, with strong, 

 rhizomes, which run upon the surface. It is 

 a handsome species, and will grow luxuriantly 

 in a cool green-house. It is increased by 

 division or from spores. The species have 

 long been under cultivation. 



Phle'um. Supposed to be the Greek name for 

 Typha. Nat. Ord. GraminacecB. 



A small genus of grasses. P. pratense is the 

 well-known Timothy, or Herds Grass, of New 

 England ; it is also known as Cat's-tail Grass. 



Phlogaca'nthus. From phlox, phlogos, flame, and 

 acanthus, the type of this family ; in allusion to 

 the long spike of yellow or flame-colored 

 flowers. Nat. Ord. Acanthacem. 



A genus of East Indian green-house ever- 

 green shrubs, allied to Justicia, and from 

 which genus a few species have been sepa- 

 rated. They are all ornamental winter-bloom- 

 ing plants, with bright orange or yellow 

 flowers. They are increased in the same 

 manner as the Justicia, and require the same 

 general treatment. 



Phlo'mis. Jerusalem Sage. The old Greek 

 name used by Dioscorides. Nat. Ord. Labi- 

 ates. 



A genus of herbaceous perennial, and shrubby 

 plants, ranking amongst the finest of hardy 

 plants belonging to the Sage family. There 

 are about a dozen species and varieties of the 

 genus in cultivation, and amongst them a 

 great diversity of size and habit. Some, such 

 as P. fruticosa, are shrubs, others are noble 

 herbaceous plants, while others, again, such 

 as P. Armeniaca, are sufficiently alpine in 

 character to allow of their being grown in the 

 rock-garden. They are natives principally of 

 the mountainous regions of temperate Asia 

 and southern Europe ; the shrubby species 

 are increased by seeds or cuttings, and the 

 herbaceous kinds by division. The most 

 desirable of the shrubby species is P. fruti- 

 cosa, with rich yellow flowers, very attractive 

 during June, July and August. Of the her- 

 baceous kinds the best is P. Herba-venti, rich 

 purplish violet, P. jyurpurea, purple, P. 

 tuberosa, purple, and P. Russeliana, and P. 

 Samia, with yellow flowers. 



Phoraden'dron. From phor, a thief, and den- 

 dron, a tree ; because these plants steal their 



