196 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Folyporus — continued. 

 by one side to the trunk of the tree. They often con- 

 tinue to grow fclowly for many years, and reach a size 

 of from lin. or 2in. to 3ft. across, by several inches 

 in thickness in the middle. From their dry te.^ture, it 

 is easy to preserve them as herbarium specimens ; but 

 insects are very apt to eat and destroy them when 

 dried. Old trees of various kinds very frequently have 

 Fungi of this genus growing on their stems, the mycelium 

 penetrating and drawing nourishment from the wood, 

 and the pileus often remaining for many years on the 

 stem, very often near its base. It seems probable that 

 the species of rulyporas do not live on quite healthy 

 trees, but on those already weakened by some other 

 cause. Our knowledge of their importance as parasites 

 is due largely to R. Hartig, the well-known authority 

 on the diseases of forest-trees. He has traced and 

 described the effects produced by P. amiosus. Ft. (under 

 the name of Tnnneles rculiciqierda)^ on various trees, by 

 P. fiilvus on the Silver Fir, by P. borealis on the 

 Spruce, by P. raporariiis on Spruce and Firs, by 

 P. moll-is on Firs, by P. igniarius on numerous forest- 

 trees (Dicotyledons) and fruit-trees, by P. dnjadeus on 

 Oaks, and by P. milplutreus on many forest-trees (Dico- 

 tyledons) and on Pear-trees. Numerous other instances 

 of parasitism could be added. Further details need not 

 here be entered into, it being siitiicient to say that the 

 species of Polijporus are not of frequent occurrence in 

 gardens and plea.sure-grounds. The wood diseased by 

 the presence of the Fungus becomes soft and rotten, and 

 a tree infested with Polijporus may be regarded as 

 doomed, sooner or later, to perish from the action of the 

 Fungus on the wood. It is well, if the tree can be at 

 once removed, to cut it down and have it used as fire- 

 wood, rather than to allow the Fungus to distribute its 

 myriads of spores to injure other trees. 



FOLYPREMtrra (of Adanson). A synonym of 

 Valerianella (which .sre). 



FOLYFTEBIS (of Nuttall). Included under Pala- 

 foxia (which see). 



FOLYSFOBA. Included under Gordonia (which 



see). 



FOLYSTACHYA (from imly, many, and starhys, a 

 spike ; alluding to the inflorescence of some of the species). 

 Stns. Enrydin, Epiphora. Okd. Orchidete. A genus com- 

 prising about forty species of stove, epiphytal orchids, 

 mostly tropical and South African, a few being found 

 in India, Malaya, and tropical America. Flowers usually 

 small ; sepals connivent or almost spreading, the dorsal 

 one free, the lateral ones sometimes much broader, adnate 

 to the foot of the column ; petals similar to the dorsal 

 sepal, or narrower ; lateral lobes of lip somewhat prominent, 

 erect, the middle one spreading or recurved, and un- 

 divided ; column sometimes very short ; pollen masses, 

 f6ur ; racemes many, short, forming a loose, naiTow panicle, 

 or solitary and simple, on a leafy stem ; peduncle terminal. 

 Leaves few, distichous, oblong or narrow, base contracted 

 into a sheath. The species are rather interesting plants. 

 Those best known to cultivation are described below ; 

 they require culture similar to Burling'tonia (which 

 see). 



P. bracteosa (liracted). /. yellow ; seiial.s brown at base ; lip 

 liroadly cliloiiK, revohlte, the lateral lohes brown within ; bracts 

 lanceolate, acuminate, concave, at length leufy ; raceme nodding, 

 pubescent. I. solitary, petiolate, oblong-ovate, acute. Pseudo- 

 b\dlis alnio.st round, compressed, aggregate. Sierra Leone, 18J8. 

 (1!. M. 4161.) 



P. galeata (helmet-shaped). Jl., perigone green, spotted with 

 red ; sepals uuicronate ; petids minute, oblong-spathulate ; lip 

 greenish-white, fleshy, trilobed, the middle lube cordate, acute; 

 peduncles terminal, generally one-flowered. (. linear-oblong, 

 fleshy. Pseudo-bulbs small, one-leaved. SieiTa Leone, 1837. 

 (B. M. 3707, under name of P. ijramlijlura.) 



P. hypocrita (hypocritical). Jl light green, with a few brown 

 spots at the base of the blunt chin ; lip whitish, mealy, the 



Folystachya — continued. 



middle lobe very much crisped. Western tropical Africa, 1882. 



This species is very similar to P. lutcola, but larger. 

 P. lineata (lined). Jl. greenish, stripetl with l)rown, minute, 



disposed in spikes. I. linear-ligulate. I'seudo-bulbs pyrifomi. 



(iuateniala. 1B70. (Ref. B. 80.) The .Mexican variety, elatiiir, is 



ratliei- larger in all its parts. (Ref. B. 81.) 

 P. luteola (yellowish), ji. yellowish-green, minute, disposed in 



oblnng. remote, dense-tiuwered spikelets, lin. to 3in. long. 



I. olplc.ng-lanceolate, acute, plicate, many-nerved, sheathed at 



base, distichous, shorter than the scape, recurved at ape.v. .Stem 



thiekened at base. Mexico, 1818. (H. E. b\ 103.) SVN. Den- 



driibium lubistachiloiL (L. B. C. 428; L. C. B. 20). 

 P. puberula (puberuhtus). Jl. green, pubescent, disposed in 



painculate, thyrsiform spikes. I. lanceolate, seven-nerved, longer 



than the scape. Pseudo-bulbs ovate. Sierra Leone, 1822. (B. 11. 



861.) 



P. pubescens (pubescent). Jl. Iiright yellow, streaked with red, 

 few, fragiant, terminating an aiicipituus, flexuous scape ; lip 

 small, tiideut-sliaped, bearded on the inside with long hairs. 

 I. hiiude, oblong.linear, flat. Delagoa Bay, 1838. (B. M. 5586.) 

 WVN. Kpiplmra pnbenccns. 



P. rufinula (reddish). Jl. in a few-flowered, simple, slightly 

 hairy raceme; sepals cinnamon-brown outside, greenish in>ide, 

 washed with light brown on the borders; petals greeni-sli, with 

 brown tips ; lip yellowish on disk, the front borders light purple, 

 with a r.ather long ridge, and the furfuraceous siirface caused by 

 fragile hairs. I. narrow-ligulate, blunt, in pairs at the flowering 

 seasfui. Pseudo-bulbs stick-like, thickened at l>ase, 2in. or less 

 lung. Zanzibar, 1879. 



FOLYSTICHUM. Included under Aspidium (which 

 .see). 



FOIiYT2:NIUra. Included under Autrophnum. 



FOLYTHBIX. A synonym of Crossandra (which 

 see). 



FOLYXENA (named after Polyxena, the daughter of 

 Priam, beloved by Achilles). Stn,s. Manlilia, Poltjanllies 

 (of Jacquin). Ord. Liliacece. A genus comprising about 

 seven species of greenhouse. South African, bulbous plants, 

 included, by Mr. Baker, as a section of Massonia. Flowers 

 sometimes very short, sometimes long, loosely spicate or 

 racemose ; perianth tube cylindrical or slightly swollen 

 above ; lobes six, sub-equal, much shorter than the tube ; 

 scape simple below the inflorescence, short ; racemes fre- 

 quently shorter than the leaves. Radical leaves two, 

 spreading or erect, sub-sessile or petiolate. P. odorala 

 and P. ]tyg7n(ra, the only species which call for men- 

 tion here, require culture similar to Massonia (which 

 see). 



P, odorata (odorous). Jl. white, small. Hyacinth-like, delicionsly 

 sweet-scented, disposed in a dense corymb, which is seated 

 between the pair td leaves. October. /. erect, lanceolate. Sin. to 

 5in. high. 1871. A pretty plant (B. iM. 5891, under name of 

 Maii^nitia othirata.) 



P. pygmsea (iiigmy). This is the correct name of the plant 

 described in this work under name of Massonia ensi/iAia. 



FOIaYZONE. A synonym of Danoinia. 



FOMACEJE. Included under Rosacece. 



FOMADEBBIS (from poma, a lid, and derris, a skin ; 

 alluding to the membranous covering of the capsule). Ord. 

 Rlinirmem. A genus comprising eighteen species of green- 

 house, evergreen shrubs, natives of the Southern or Eastern 

 regions of Australia, or of New Zealand. Flowers pedi- 

 cellate, in small, umbel-like cymes, usually forming terminal 

 panicles or corymbs, or rarely solitary in the axils of the 

 leaves ; calyx fivo-lobed, deciduous or reflexed ; petals 

 concave or nearly flat, or none. Leaves alternate, penni- 

 vcined ; under surface, as well as the branches, white, 

 hoary, or rusty with tomentum, often mixed with, or con- 

 cealed by. silky hairs. The species thrive in a compost of 

 peat and sandy loam. Propagation may be effected by 

 cuttings of half-ripened shoots, cut to a joint, dried at the 

 base, and inserted in sand, under a glass. 



P. andromedsefolia (Andromeda-leaved). A synonym of P. 



ph ill uremics. 

 P. apetala (apetalous).* Victorian Hazel. Jl. greenish, small, and 

 very numerous, in loose, oblong, thyrsoid panicles, leafy at the 

 base ; calyx stellately hairy ; petals none. June. /. petiolate, 

 ovate-lanceulate or broadly oblong, obtuse or rarely acute, 2in. to 

 4in. long, irregularly crenulate, glabrous, but rough and much 



