POSOQUERIA. 



GreenliousK and tStoce Flants. 



293 



plants have been cut back when their 

 blooming is over ; a good washing with in- 

 secticide will then destroy the insects with- 

 out injuring the plant*. They are very 

 Subject in the summer to the attacks of 

 red spider, which if not at once removed 

 will in a short time destroy the leaves — in 

 which case the plants are not worth much, 

 as a hard stunted condition, from which 

 they do not easily recover, is induced. 

 A free use of the syringe all through the 

 growing season, while the weather is warm 

 and favourable to the development of the 

 insects, will keep them down , but the 

 water must be directly applied to both the 

 upper and under sides of the leaves where 

 they harbour. 



POLYPODIUM. 



An extensive genus of Ferns, containing 

 stove, greenhouse, and hardy species, and 

 including many handsome kinds. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



STOVE SPECIES. 



P. Paradisce. Tropical America. 

 P. pectinatum. West Indies. 

 P. plunwsum. South America. 

 P. sanctum. West Indies. 



GREENHOUSE SPECIES. 



P. effnsum. Jamaica. 



P. nigrescens. Ja\a. 



P. trichoides. Isle of Luzon. 



POLYSTICHUM. 



A genus of Ferns comprising stove, 

 greenhouse, and hardy species ; most of 

 the kinds included in it' hold only a 

 secondary position in their appearance, 

 but should be present in collections where 

 the object is to include as many distinct 

 forms as possible. The greenhouse section 

 will usually be found most desirable. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



GREENHOUSE SPECIES. 



P. denticulatum. Jamaica, 



P. ordinatum. Chili. 



P. proliferum. Tasmania. 



P. pungens. Cape of Good Hope. 



P. triangulare. Jamaica. 



P. vestitum. New Zealand. 



PORTLANDIA. 



This is a limited genus of evergreen 

 stove shrubs, onlv a few being known to 



cultivators. The appearance of the plants 

 even when not in flower is such as to make 

 them worth growing, and their flowers are 

 handsome and distinct-looking. They re- 

 quire a high temperature, otherwise they 

 make slow j^rogress. 



Their method of propagation and general 

 treatment is like to that recommended for 

 Ixoras, which see. 



P. coccinea. A fine species, with hand- 

 some foliage, and striking red flowers, 

 which open in summer. It comes from 

 Jamaica. 



P. grandiflora.' Much the finest of the 

 genus in regard to the size it attains, the 

 character of the foliage, and also the ap- 

 pearance of the flowers, which are white, 

 produced in summer, and the largest of 

 any of the species. From Jamaica. 



P. platantha. This is from South 

 America ; like the last-named it bears 

 white flowers in summer. It is a smaller 

 grower than P. grandiflora, but where that 

 is cultivated there will scarcely be occa- 

 sion for this. 



Insects. — The high temperature the 

 plants require favours the presence of in- 

 sects, all of which that usually aff"ect stove 

 plants are troublesome on Portlandias. 

 A free use of the syringe daily during the 

 growing season will keep down the less 

 injurious kinds. Mealy bug and scale may 

 be got rid of by spunging in summer, and 

 copious washings with insecticide in autumn 

 and winter. 



POSOQUERIA. 



These pretty evergreen stove shrubs bear 

 handsome very long-tubed flowers indi- 

 vidually not imlike those of the Stephanotis. 

 The two species most deserving of cultiva- 

 tion, P. longiflora and P. multiflora, are 

 both natives of Guiana, and succeed best 

 when grown in a moderately high tempera- 

 ture. They strike well in spring from 

 cuttings made of the young shoots consist- 

 ing of three or four joints. They should 

 be placed in sand, in a temperature of 70°, 

 kept close and shaded. Under such condi- 

 tions they will be rooted sufficiently in two 

 months to require shifting into 4-inch pots. 

 They do best in peat, to which a moderate 

 quantity of sand is added. Place them in 

 a light' position near the glass ; this is 

 neceWry, otherwise their natural inclina- 

 tion to grow thin and straggling is in- 

 creased. Pinch out the points of the shoots 

 when they have made a few inches of 

 growth. A temperature during summer of 

 65° to 70° at night will not be too much 

 with proportionately more heat in the day- 

 time ; tie out the shoots as they grow, so 



