An Encyclopedia of Horticulture, 



169 



Plum — continued. 



which it pierces while still soft. The larva feeds, till full 

 gro^vB, on the seed, and then bores a hole for its escape as 

 a beetle -. but it remains inside the stone, and there be- 

 comes a pupa. The beetle emerges usually in August or 

 September, and hybernates in the perfect state. It feeds, 

 in spring, on young Plums, into which it bores its beak. 

 The Plums exude gum, and become knotty and useless. 

 This beetle is also kno^Ti a>i^ AittUonomus j^i'i'nicida. The 

 remedies recommended are jarring the trees, to shake 

 down the beetles, as with the Plum Curculio, and collect- 

 ing and destroying fallen fruits. The beetles are active, 

 and take flight readily ; hence, jarring is less successful 

 than with the former species. 



Included under FlumbagfO 



PLUMBA6ELLA. 



(which .s>'e). 



FL'(TIIIBAG'II9'EJ&. A natural order of herbaceous 

 or woody, generally perennial plants, broadly distri- 

 buted, but, for the most part, abounding in maritime 

 districts and salt lands. Flowers pink, violet, blue, or 

 yellow, rarely white, hermaphrodite, regular, sessile or 

 shortly pedicellate ; caly.x gamosepalous, tubular or 

 funnel-shaped, sometimes coloured, five, ten, or fifteen- 

 ribbed, the primary ribs produced into teeth or lobes ; 

 corolla monopetalous, or of five petals, hypogyuous, 

 sometimes shortly connate or coherent, rarely all free at 

 base ; stamens five, opposite the petals or corolla lobes. 

 Fruit a capsule or utricle, included in the calyx, or 

 rarely elongated and exserted. Leaves sometimes fas- 

 cicled at the top of a rhizome, simple, entire, semi- 

 amplexicanl ; sometimes shortened into a petiole, dilated 

 at its base, and amplexicaul; sometimes alternate, on a 

 branching stem, with swollen nodes ; exstipnlate. Cer- 

 tain of the species possess tonic and astringent pro- 

 perties. The Plumbagos contain a caustic colouring 

 matter. Eight genera and scarcely 200 (according to 

 Bentham and Hooker) species are included in this 

 order. Examples are : Armeria, Plumbago, and Statice. 



PLUMBAGO (the old Latin name, used by Pliny, 

 from plumhutn, lead; the plant is said by him 

 to be eSicacious in curing the lead disease). Leadwort. 

 Stn. Tltela. Including Plumbagella. Ord. Pliimba- 

 ginem. A genus comprising about half-a-score species of 

 stove, greenhouse, or hardy perennial herbs, sometimes 

 shrubby, rarely annuals (one species leafless), inhabiting 

 the warmer regions of the globe. Flowers blue, rose- 

 colour, violet, or white, spicate at the apices of the 

 branches ; calyx tubular, five-fid ; corolla salver-shaped, 

 the limb spreading, five-lobed. Leaves usually alternate, 

 auricnlate-amplexicaul, or dilated at base into an 

 amplexicaul petiole, or naked and toothed. The tender 

 sorts flower best in a moderately warm house, and are 

 well adapted for growing against a wall. The most 

 suitable compost is one of good fibrous loam and sand, 

 and a little peat. They do very well when planted out 

 in the borders of a warm conservatory, or in a warm 

 greenhouse. Propagated by the rooted shoots from 

 the base of the plants : or by nearly ripe cuttings, which 

 root freely in a gentle bottom heat. The annual species 

 are easily raised from seeds, sown in the open border, 

 in spring. The majority of the species are, or have 

 been, cultivated in our gardens. P. capensis is ad- 

 mirably adapted for training up a greenhouse rafter or 

 pillar. It should be cut back hard after flowering, and 

 allowed to rest through the winter by being kept 

 rather dry. The beautiful pale blue flowers are pro- 

 duced in the greatest profusion on the shoots of the 

 current year. This plant also succeeds in a warmer 

 temperature, and, if grown in two or three positions 

 differently affected in this respect, the flowering season 

 collectively may be prolonged by the plants in one bouse 

 succeeding those in the other. P. rosea is a fine winter- 

 flowering plant, requiring more heat than P. capensis, 



Vol. III. ' 



FlTUnbagfo — continued. 

 except in the summer. It is adapted for pot culture, or 

 for planting in a stove. The hardy perennial species thrive 

 in ordinary soil, and may be increased by divisions. 

 P. capensis (Cape of Good Hope).* rf. pale blue, lUspo.sed in 

 terminal, sub-secund, short, approxini.Vting spikes ; corolla tube 

 thrice as long as the culyx. .Summer and autumn. (. oblong or 

 oblong-spathulate, obtuse, niuorouulate, entire. Stem angularly 

 striate, h. 2ft. Cape of (ic.o.l Mope, 1818. A stove or green- 

 house, climbing or decumbfut shrub, sometimes employed in 

 bedding. (B. M. 2110 ; B. R. 417.) 

 P. coerulea (blue). /. blue, about iin. long, disposed in loose, 

 terminal spikes ; corolla halt as long again as the calyx tube, 

 dilated above. Summer. (. ovate-obiong, sub-rhomboid, attenu- 

 ated and slightly acute at both eiuls. Stem erect, flexuous, 

 branched. A. lift. South America, 1826. Ureenhouse annual. 

 (E. M. 2917, under name of P. rhomboidea.) 



Fig. 



BAGO EfROP.EA. 



P. europsea (European). Jl. violet-rose, spicate and somewhat 

 headed at the tips of the branches ; corolla tube nearly twice as 

 long as the calyx, enlarged above. September. l. slightly 

 powdery beneath, slightly gland-toothed at the margin ; lowest 

 ones shortly attenuated or sessile ; intermediate ones ovate or 

 oblong ; uppermost ones lanceolate or linear, acute. Stem erect, 

 much branched, h. 3ft. South Kurope, 1596. Hardy herbaceous 

 perennial. See Fig. 206. (B. M. 2139 ; S. F. G. 191.) 



P. Larpentss (Lady Larpent's).* /. violet, in close, terminal 

 heads ; sepals and l)racts shining, ciliated, destitute of glands. 

 October. I. obovate, acute, tapering to the base, minutely scaly, 

 finely serrated, fringed. Stems slender, zigzag, scaly, hairy. 

 A. 1ft. Shanghai, 1846. H.ardy perennial. (U. C. 1847, 732.) The 

 correct name of this plant is Ceratostiriina plumba^inoideit. 



P. micrantha (sumll-fiowered). Jt. white, disposed in terminal 

 or axillary, shortly pedunculate spikes. July. /., lower ones 

 oblong, slightly toothed, attenuated into very short, amplexicaul 

 petioles; the rest sessile. ohlung-Ianceolate, acuminate, cortiate- 

 auriculate at the base. Stem iiugular-sulcate, erect, or diffuse and 

 much branched, h. 2ft. Siberia, Ac, 1829. Hardy annual. 



P. occldentalis (Western). A synonym of P. scandens. 



P. pulchella (pretty). Jl. bluish-violet, scarcely iin. long, dis- 

 posed in loose, terminal, elongated spikes ; corolla tube scarcely 

 half as long again as calyx. Summer. I. ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 attenuated at b.ase into very short, amplexicaul peti<iles. Stem 

 slender, erect, branched, striated, h. 2ft. to 3ft. Mexico. Stove 

 sub-shrub. (L. B. C. 1536, under name of P. rhomboidea.) 



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