An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



157 



FLATTCABFUM (from j^hdift:, broad, and karpos, 

 a fruit ; alhiding: to the shape of the capsule). Cud. 

 Rubiacea\ A raonotypic genus. The species is a tall, 

 stove tree, with robust, opposite, terete branches. A 

 compost of loam and leaf mould will suit it. Propag-a- 

 tion may be effected by half-ripened cuttings, inserted in 

 sand, iinder a g'lass. Keeping: the plants 

 rather dry during the winter, has a tendency 

 to bring- them into flower. 



P. orenocense (Orinncu). yf. pale ro.se-ci)lour, 

 mediocre, di-spiisetl in terminal, tiiihotomuusly- 

 braiK'hed pauiclfs, pedicellate, ebracteate, and 

 ebracteolate ; calyx tivedobed, rather lary^e, 

 deciduous; corolla hypucraterimorphou.s, silky, 

 with a short tulie, and a limb of five equal, 

 broadly oblong, imbricated lobes. Capsule some- 

 what wrtody, lin. in diameter. I. oblong, 5iii. to 

 6in. long, 2in. to 2iin. broad, opposite, petiolate, 

 coriaceous, tumeutoso; petioles about jin. long. 

 k. 20ft. Orinoco, 1813. 



FLATYCABTA (from platys, broad, 

 and kai'iioii, a nut; alluding to the shape 

 of the fruit). Stn. Fortuneo. Ord. Jii- 

 glandew. A monotypic genus. The species 

 is an elegant, branching shrub or small 

 tree, hardy only in favoured situations in 

 the South of England. It thrives, however, 

 in a cool conservatory, and, when planted 

 out, will do well in almost any soil, requir- 

 ing culture similar to Jug'laxis (which see). 

 P, Strobilacea (cone-fruited), jt. yellow ; spikes 

 all cylindrical, many - flowered, erect, uiany- 

 bracted. August. I. five to eight-jugate, aro- 

 matic; leaflets ovate-lauceulate, acuminate, ses- 

 sile, opposite, with serrulated margins. Japan 

 and Nortli 4'hina, 1844. (S. A. F. J. 149.) Syn. 

 Forfmuta cliiHennis. 



FLATYCERIUin (from plahjs, broad, 

 and keras, a horn; the fronds are divided 

 into broad segments like stags' horns). 

 Elk's-horn or Stag's-horn Fern. Ord. 

 Filices. A small genus (about half-a-dozen 

 species) of mostly stove ferns, widely dif- 

 fused ; they are readily distinguishable by 

 their dichotomously-forked fertile fronds, 

 with stag's - horn - like divisions. Sori forming large 

 patches on the upper part of the lower surface of the 

 fertile fronds. The Platyceriums may bo considered at 

 once amongst the grandest, most beautiful, and moat 



Flatycerium — contin iied. 

 extraordinary, of the whole order. They are distinct, 

 epiphytal ferns, and thrive well in baskets or shallow 

 pans. They also succeed when fastened to a large 

 block of wood, with a little peat and sphagnum round 

 their roots, and suspended in the stove. Rough peat 



Fig. 196. Upper Portion of Fertile Frond of Platvuerium .i;thioprl':\i. 



Fig. 197. IM.atvcerium alcicokne. 



and sphagnum form a suitable compost in which to pot 

 them. The species described below require stove treat- 

 ment, excei)t where otherwise stated. See also Fems. 

 P. sethlopicum (African), banrn/roinh- rounded, convex, downy 

 when young, tlie edge more or less lobed, the 

 lobes spreadin;;. jerlil*: Jroiidn 2ft. to 3ft. long, 

 clustered, pendent, twice trichotomous, the disk 

 and first division broader than in P. alcicornc, 

 the i}atch of fruit surrounding the sinus, and 

 passing into the fork so as to be shaped like the 

 letter V ; under surface covered with ttiin, white, 

 cottony down. Guinea Coast and Angola, 1822. 

 See Fig. 196. (H. G. F. 9.) Syn. P. Steimnaha, 

 P. », angolense (Angolan). A form having a 

 brnad-cniieati' fertile fioud, 9in. >)road at the top, 

 without either forks or horns, and with a patch 

 of fruit nearly as broad as the lamina. 

 P, alcicorne (elk's-horn).* barren fronds rounded, 

 convex, downy when young, the edge sinuated, the 

 lobes spreading, fertile jrutuh 2ft. to 3ft. long, 

 clustered, erect, two or tliree times dichotomous ; 

 ultimate divisions ligulate, bluntish, the fruit in 

 th.- hi^t forks, and at their base, in ver^ irregular 

 paiclies ; under surface covered with thm, cottony 

 down. Temperate Australia, &c., 1808. Green- 

 house. See Fig. 197. The large form, majim, 

 conies from Polynesia. 

 P, biforme (two-formed), barren J'ronds very 

 tliick, especially towards the base, imbricated, 

 the eilge siuuate-lobed. fertile fronds 6ft. to 15ft. 

 long, i-epeatedly dichotomous from a sub-cuneate 

 disk ; barren divisions narrow-ligulate ; fertile 

 ones reniform, stalked, 6in. to 8in. broad, the 

 outer edge rounded, entire. East Indies, 1842. 



P. grande (gi-and).* barren fmnds very large, 

 sub-orbicular, convex, or the upper ones erect, 

 deeply laciniated with spreading or inflexed 

 divisions, fertile fronds 4ft. to 6ft. long, pen- 

 dent, in pairs, the lUsk broad-cuneate, with 

 the sorus against the upper edge, occupying the 



