An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



183 



Foly cy cuis — continued. 

 P. lepida (neat). Jf., sepals ami petals light brown, slightly 



tipped with yellow at the apex ; lip light yelhnv, spotted with 



chocolate-brown, and white towards the aiiex ; raceme drooping, 



from fifteen to twenty-Howered. Psemlo-bulbs about 2in. high. 



tapering, dark green, (.'dumbia, 1870. A very pretty species. 



(I. H. ser. iii. 19.) 

 P. muscifera (fly-bearing). This is the correct name of jdant 



described in this work as Cycnoches miisci/erum. 

 P. vittata (striped). Ji. yellow, streaked with so much deep 



cbiicolate that the former colour is scarcely discernible on the 



lip, disposed in an erect raceme. /(. 1ft. IJritish tluiana, 1841. 



(H. H. 1841, 69. under name of Ilnulbini vitUtta.) 



FOLYDESMUS COMFLANATUS. Sv. Milli- 

 pedes and Mjrriapoda. 



FOIiTGALA (the old Greek name nsed by Dios- 

 corides, from imlijs, much, and (jala, milk ; in reference to 

 its reputed quality of promoting" the secretion of milk). 

 Milkseed ; Milkwort. Including Chamcehu.rutt, Ji^olophns, 

 and Senega. OuD. Polygalece. An exten.sive genus (200 

 species have been described) of greenhouse or hardy, 

 annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or sub-shrubs, distri- 

 buted over the temperate and warmer regions of the 

 globe. Flowers sometimes showy, small, variable in 

 colour ; spikes or racemes terminal or lateral, rarely 

 axillary, sometimes in contracted heads, rarely panicu- 

 late. Leaves alternate, or rarely opposite or verticil- 

 late. Only a comparative few of the species are now 

 in cultivation. The hardy sorts are desirable subjects 

 for borders and rockwork. The greenhouse species are 

 fine and very distinct plants amongst the hard-wooded 

 section. They are more easily grown than most others, 

 and flower profusely each spring. Fibrous peat, with 

 some silver sand intermixed, forms a suitable compost 

 for Polygalas, which should he potted firm. Propagated, 

 in spring, by cuttings of the young shoots, taken when 

 about 3in. long, inserted in sandy peat, under a bell 

 glass, placed in an intermediate temperature, and kept 

 shaded. 



P. Chamsebuxus (dwarf Box). Bastard Box. JJ. cream-coloured 

 or yellow, tipped with purple, fragrant ; racemes axillary, few- 

 flowered. Early summer. l. oblong-lanceolate, mucronate. 

 Stem shrubby, branched, procumbent, h. 6in. Mountain woods 

 in many parts of Europe, 1668. A very pretty, neat-habited, 

 hardy sub-shrub. (B. M. 316.) P. C. purpurea is a handsome 

 variety, dark brown, with purplish leaves. (On., Jan., 1878.) 



P. Hilairlana (St. Hilaire's). j!. the largest of the genus ; three 

 outer sepals small, ovate ; two inner ones coroUoid, \\ bite, tinged 

 with green and Idack ; inner petals mostly conil)ine<l into a tube, 

 white ; lateral ones sub-acute, rose-coloured at the apex ; racemes 

 six to ten-flnwered. Spring. I. 4in. to 5in. long, oblong-ovate, 

 sub-acute. Stem unbranched, erect, 1ft. high. Bahia. Green- 

 house shrub. (B. M. 5.57.) 



P. myrtifolia grandiflora (Myrtle-leaved, large-flowered).* 

 Jl. rich purple ; wings obliquely and broadly obovate ; keel large, 

 veiny ; pedicels shorter than the flowers. April and May. I, on 

 very short petioles, oblong or oblong-obovate, somewhat mucro- 

 nate. A. 4ft. to 6ft. South Africa. A much-bmnched, gi-een- 

 honse shrub. (B. M. 3616.) P. Dalmaisiana of gardens, a 

 popular greenhouse plant, Ls either a form of P. mjiriifolia, or a 

 hybrid between it and P. vppositifulia. 



P. oppositlfolia (opposite-leaved).* Jl. purplish, with a yellowish- 

 green keel, in terminal, suh-corjiubose racemes. I. opposite, 

 cordate, ovate, acute, h. 3ft. to 4ft. Cape of (tood Hope, 1790. 

 Greenhouse shrul). (B. R. 636.) 



P. o, cordata (heart-shape-leaved). I. broadly cordate, acute or 

 acuminate, h. 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1791. 



P. o. latifolia (broad-leaved). I. broadly ovate, cuspidate- 

 acuminate. (B. R. 645.) 



P. pancifoUa (few-leaved). Jl. of a fine pui-ple colour, large, in 

 threes, terminal, the keel crested. May to August. /. ovate. 

 Stems very simple, erect, naked below, ft. 3in. North America, 

 1812. Hardy herbaceous perennial. (B. M. 2852.) 



P. Senega. Seneca Suake-root. jl. almost sessile ; wings round- 

 obovate, concave ; crest short. May and June. /. lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, with rough margins. Stems several, from thick 

 and hard, knotty rootst<)cks, simple, 6in. to 12in. high. North 

 Ameiica. Hardy perennial herb. (B. M. 1051 ; B. M. PL 29 ; 

 L. B. C. 1380.) 



P. virgata (twiggj-). fi. purple or flesh-coloured, in long racemes. 

 I. scattered, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Cape of Good 

 Hope. Greenhouse shrub. 



P. V, speciosa (showy). Jt. purplish, with spreading pedicels, 

 in loose racemes. May to October. I. oblong-cuneate, obtuse, 



Poly gala — contmued . 



mucronate, upper ones linear, and, as well as the twiggy 

 branches, glabrous, h. 6ft. t'ape of Good Hope, 1814. A showy, 

 greenhouse shrub. (B. M. 1780.) 

 P. vulgaris (common). Common Milkwort; Procession Flower; 

 Rogatiun Flower. Ji. varying in ci)luur, blue, lilac, purple, pink, 

 or white, about Ain. long, in terminal racemes. June. I. small, 

 oblong or lanceolate, glabrous Stems prostrate or erect, 

 numerous, slender. Europe, etc. (Britain). Perennial herb. 

 (Sy. Fn. B. 185.) 



POIiyG-AIiES!. A natural order of herbs or under- 

 shrubs, occasionally twining, or erect or climbing shrubs, 

 rarely small trees, glabrous, tomentose or villous, dis- 

 persed over the temperate and warmer regions of the 

 globe. Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular, solitary or centri- 

 petally spicate or racemose, rarely paniculate, axillary 

 or terminal ; sepals five, free, closely imbricated, the two 

 inner ones larger, petaloid, whig-formed ; petals three or 

 five, hypogynous, the two lateral free or united at their 

 base with the lower concave or galeate (keel), in the gamo- 

 petalous corolla split behind, rarely absent ; upper two 

 sometimes equal to the lateral, enveloping the keel in 

 aestivation, sometimes small, scale-like, or absent ; stamens 

 eight, rarely five or four, above the middle monadelphous 

 or rarely free, the outer ones often more or less connate 

 with the petals; pedicels usually articulate at base, 

 bracteate and bracteolate. Fruit a capsule, berry, or 

 drape. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, simple, 

 entire ; stipules none. The species contain tonic and 

 astringent properties. Several of the European Polygalas 

 find a place in our Materia Medica as remedies for lung 

 diseases ; the root of P. He.neffa has a stimulating action 

 on the pulmonary mucous membrane. The order includes 

 fifteen genera and about 400 species. Illustrative genera 

 are: Monnina, MuraUia, and Polygala. 



POZiYGONASTRTTM. A synonym of Smilacina 



(which see). 



FOLTGONATUM (the old Greek name, used by Dios- 

 corides, from pol'j, many, and ijonu, a knee-joint ; alluding 

 to the numerously-jointed stem). Solomon's Seal. Stns. 

 Axillarin, Evallari-i. Ord. LiliacecB. A genus comprising 

 (according to Mr. Baker) twenty-three species of pretty, 

 mostly hardy, herbaceous, border plants, broadly dispersed 

 over North temperate regions. Flowers nodding or pendu- 

 lous, solitary in the axils, or frequently shortly and loosely 

 racemose or sub-umbellate, on short peduncles ; perianth 

 marcescent, at length deciduous, with short, erecto-patent 



Fig, 224. Polygonatum japonicum, showing Habit and 

 detiiched Flower. 



lobes. Berry globose, pulpy. Leaves alternate, opposite, 

 or whorled, ovate, lanceolate, or linear, in one species 

 shortly cirrhose-acuminate at apex. The species, the 

 best known of which are here described, are of very 

 easy culture in a moderately good, loamy soil. They are 

 all hardy, except where other\vise stated, and are admirably 

 adapted for naturalising in woods and copses. P. multi- 

 florum, the common Solomon's Seal, is a fine subject for 

 forcing. The plants may be grown in the open ground all 



