322 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



PHY 



They are generally grown in a green-house, 

 and require the same treatment as the Cape 

 Heaths. P. ericoides, the best known species, 

 has been thoroughly naturalized, and covers 

 large tracts of land about Lisbon, Portugal. 



Phylla'gathis. From phyllon, a leaf, and aga- 

 theos, divine ; referring to the beauty of the 

 foliage. Nat. Ord. MelastomaceoB. 



P. rotundifolia is grown chiefly for its large, 

 beautiful leaves, which are a rich, glossy, 

 metallic green on the upper side, the under 

 being bright red in color, with very prominent 

 ribs. It was introduced from the Malayan 

 Peninsula, and requires a moist, warm atmos- 

 phere to grow it well. It is propagated by 

 leaf-cuttings. 



Phylla'nthus. 'Erovaphyllon, a leaf, and anthos, 

 a flower; the flowers are produced on the 

 edges of the leaves. Nat. Ord. Euphorbiacece. 

 A laz'ge and very interesting genus of tropi- 

 cal plants. The species include low, creeping 

 annuals, and moderate-sized trees. Thej' are 

 remarkable for the neatness of the foliage and 

 general aspect. Several species are frequently 

 cultivated on account of the pretty, and at 

 the same time, singular appearance of its leaf- 

 less, leaf-like branches, covered over at the 

 edges with multitudes of pink flowers. P. 

 nivosus, and P. roseo-pictus, are very desirable 

 shrubs for the stove-house ; when well grown 

 they have the appearance of a sheet of snow. 

 They were introduced from the South-Sea 

 Islands in 1873, and are propagated by root 

 cuttings, or by cuttings of the ripened wood. 



Phylla'rthron. From phyllon, a leaf, and arth- 

 roH, a joint ; leaves supposed to be joined, or 

 articulated on the leaf-stalks. Nat. Ord. 

 BignoniaceoB. 



A small genus of shrubs or small trees, con- 

 fined to the islands of eastern Africa, remark- 

 able for their peculiar jointed leaves. The 

 flowers are pink, and appear in terminal and 

 axillary racemes, producing a fruit much used 

 in jellies. They require the same treatment 

 as the Bignonias, to which they are allied. 

 Syn. Arthrophyllum. 



Phy'Uis. From phyllon, a leaf ; the beauty of 

 the species is in its leaves. Nat. Ord. Rubi- 

 acece. 



P. nobla. Bastard Hare's-ears, is an orna- 

 mental shrub growing from two to three feet 

 high, and producing axillary corymbs of green 

 flowers in abundance. It is a native of the 

 Canary Islands and Madeira, and is propagated 

 by cuttings. 



Phylloca'ctus. From phyllon, a leaf, and Cactus. 

 Nat. Ord. CactacecB. 



Several species and varieties of this genus 

 of Cactacece are cultivated in hot-houses and 

 green-houses for the sake of their fine white 

 or crimson flowers, which are among the 

 largest and most showy of the order. Some 

 confusion exists in their nomenclature, owing 

 to many of the species having formerly been 

 referred to the genera Epiphyllum, and Cereus. 

 They are, however, distinguished from the 

 latter by their curious, flat, broad, leaf-like 

 branches ; and from the former by their flowers 

 being produced from the notches or inden- 

 tures along the edges of the branches, instead 

 of at the end, and having small, sepal-like 

 segments scattered wide apart on the tube, 

 and the numerous long petals variously ex- 



PHY 



panded, so as to form a rose-like funnel, 

 or salver-shaped corolla, with the stamens 

 attached to the orifice of the tube, the outer 

 ones being longer than the inner. The princi- 

 pal species described by botanists are found 

 in Mexico, Central America, and Brazil. P. 

 Ackermanni, a native of Mexico, has flowers 

 measuring as much as seven inches across, 

 and of a rich scarlet color, like those of some 

 varieties of Cereus speciosissimus, with broad, 

 very sharp-pointed, slightly waved petals. Its 

 stems are rounded at the base, and bear little 

 tufts of short bristles, and its flat bi-anches 

 are fiom two to two and a half inches broad, 

 and waved or deeply dented along the margin. 

 P. anguliger is a West Mexican species, and is 

 remarkable for having its flat branches deeply 

 and sharply lobed, so as to resemble pinnately 

 cut leaves, the lobes almost forming right- 

 angled triangles ; its flowei's, whi(!h are large 

 and fragrant, have brownish petals, and pure 

 white inner ones. The branches and stems 

 of P. Hookeri are flat, and deeply crenated ; 

 they grow from two to three feet high, and 

 bear white, agreeably fragrant flowers on the 

 margins of the stems. P. Phyllanthus, often 

 erroneously called the Night-blooming Cereus, 

 bears large, creamy-white flowers, nine to 

 twelve inches in length, opening at night and 

 exhaling a peculiar odor. P. Phyllanthoides, 

 resembling the latter, has much smaller 

 flowers, the petals being colored rose and 

 white in irregular streaks. It is a very 

 beautiful species, and one of the most florif- 

 erous of the family. Many other forms are 

 well worthy of cultivation ; all the species are 

 readily increased by cuttings, which should 

 be allowed to dry a day or two after being 

 taken off. 



Phyllocla'duB. From phyllon, a leaf, and kla- 

 dos, a branch; alluding to the phyllodia which 

 are characteristic. A small genus of Coniferce, 

 consisting of trees, natives of Australia. New 

 Zealand, and Borneo. The characters of the 

 foliage and fruit serve to distinguish this genus 

 from its near ally Dacrydium. P. rhomboidalis, 

 the Celery-topped Pine, is in cultivation as an 

 ornamental tree, as is also P. trichomanoides, 

 the bark of -which yields a red dye. 



Phyllo'des. Flattened leaf-like petioles (with- 

 out blades). A large number of the Australian 

 Acacias bear no true leaves, but Phillodes, 

 which perform the same functions. 



Phyllo'doce. From phyllon, a leaf, and dokein, 

 to shine ; in allusion to the shining leaves. 

 Nat. Ord. Ericacece. 



A genus of small heath-like shrubs inhabit- 

 ing the mountainous regions of Europe, Asia, 

 and North America. Flowers, blue, pink, or 

 purple, usually nodding on solitary or um- 

 belled peduncles at the summit of the 

 branches. Our native species, P. taxifolia, is 

 found on the alpine summits of the mountains 

 of New Hampshire, Maine, and northward. 



Phyllo'ma. From phyllon, a leaf, and lama, a 

 fringe ; in reference to the colored edges of 

 the leaves of the first discovered species. 

 Nat. Ord. LiliacecB. 



A small genus of green-house succulent 

 plants, allied to Aloe. They grow well in 

 sandy loam, and are readily increased by 

 suckers. Syn. Lomatophyllum. 



