PHLOMIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



PL ACE A 



fewer flowers in an umbel. The 

 blooms are greenish-yellow, becoming 

 a deeper green towards the tips, but 

 without any trace of red. 



PHLOMIS (jMomos, woolly). Nat. 

 Ord. Labiatse. There are several 

 more or less ornamental plants 

 belonging to this genus, all remark- 

 able for their woolly or hairy appear- 

 ance and somewhat wrinkled foliage. 

 The only tuberous - rooted species 

 worth notice is 



P. tuberosa, a native of Eastern 

 Europe, 3 to 5 ft. high, having 

 purplish stems, broadly oval coarsely 

 toothed leaves deeply lobed at the 

 base, and bearing erect spikes, having 

 woolly whorls of rose-purple flowers 

 in June (Hot. Mag. t. 1556). 



This species will flourish in any 

 good garden soil, and may be grown 

 in borders or shrubberies where 

 there is plenty of space for develop- 

 ment. Easily increased by division 

 in autumn or spring; by seeds, or 

 by cuttings of the young non-flowering 

 shoots about July. 



PHYTOLACCA (phyton, a plant; 

 lacca, lac ; in allusion to the crimson 

 juice of the fruits). Nat. Ord. 

 Phytolaccaceae. There are about a 

 dozen species in this genus, but the 

 only one with large, thick, fleshy, 

 turnip-like roots is 



P, decandra. This is variously 

 known as the " Red Ink Plant," the 

 " Virginian Poke Weed," the "Pigeon 

 Berry," etc. It is a beautiful-looking 

 but rather unpleasant smelling North 

 American perennial, 3 to 10 ft. high, 

 with fleshy poisonous roots, erect 

 purplish stems, and ovate leaves 

 about 6 ins. long, at first green, but 

 changing to beautiful purple tints in 

 autumn. The white flowers, each 

 with ten stamens, appear in erect 

 spikes in summer, and are succeeded 



in autumn with spikes of deep purple 

 berries filled with crimson juice, 

 which has been likened to red ink. 

 (Hot. May. t. 931.) 



There is a beautiful variegated 

 form having the leaves striped with 

 white; and another called luteola-, 

 in which the leaves are heavily striped 

 and mottled with yellow, almost 

 obliterating the green. 



Flourishes in any good garden soil, 

 and may be increased by division of 

 the root-stocks or from seeds. 



PLACEA (said to be the native 

 Chilian name). Nat. Ord. Amaryl- 

 lideae. A genus containing about half 

 a dozen species of tunicated bulbous 

 plants, having few narrow leaves, and 

 somewhat irregular funnel - shaped 

 flowers, having a funnel - shaped 

 membranous cup or corona seated at 

 the base of the oblong segments. 



The Placeas are too tender for the 

 open air, except perhaps in the very 

 mildest parts, and even then they 

 would require protection in winter. 

 They do not like being confined in 

 pots, and should therefore be planted 

 in cool greenhouse borders, or in 

 frames from which frost can be 

 excluded. They generally go to 

 rest about August, and commence 

 to grow again in December, and 

 flower about May. The most suitable 

 compost appears to be very sandy 

 loam with plenty of old cow-manure. 

 The plants may be increased by 

 offsets from the old bulbs. They are 

 all natives of Chili. 



P. Arzae. This has bulbs about 

 2| ins. through, and two narrow 

 grey-green leaves under a foot long. 

 The pale yellow flowers tinged and 

 conspicuously striped with claret- 

 purple are borne on scapes about 

 1 J ft. high. 



P. grandiflora. A fine species with 

 bulbs 1 in. thick, three very pointed 



397 



