

AN ENCYCLOP/RDTA OF HORTICULTURE. 



70 



Feriploca continued. 



P. graeca (Grecian).* Silk Vino. fl. greenish outside, brownish 

 inside, clothed with copious, short hairs ; corymbs disposed on 

 long peduncle-. July. I. varying from ovate to lanceolate, Sin. 

 to fin. long. South-eastern Europe, Orient, 1597. (B. M. 229 ; 

 B. R. 803; S. F. G. 249.) 



PERISPERM. The albumen of seeds. 



Feristeria continued. 

 P. Barker! (Barker's). A synonym of Acineta Barkeri. 



P. cerina (waxy). A. yellow, produced in bunches on pendulous 

 spikes. June. I. large, coriaceous, dark green. Psendo-bulbs 

 strong, two-leaved, h. 1ft. Central America, 1835. See Fig. 88. 

 (B. R?ld53.) 



Fio. 88. PERISTERIA CERINA, showing Habit and detached 

 Flowers. 



FERISTERIA (from peristera, a dove ; referring 

 to the dove-like appearance of tho column, whence 

 the plant is called, in South America, " Flower of the 

 Holy Spirit"). Dove Flower. STN. Echardia. OKD. 

 Orchidece. A small genus (four species) of stove orchids, 

 having fleshy pseudo-bulbs, natives of the Columbian 

 Andes. Flowers showy, in short or elongated racemes, 

 shortly pedicellate; sepals concave and connate at tho 



FIG. 89. PKRISTERIA EI.ATA. 



baso; petals similar, but rather smaller; lip with its 

 lower half continuous with tho column, and sagittate at 

 the base, and its upper half articulated with the lower, 

 undivided, and bent down over the face of the column, 

 which is short, fleshy, and wingless; pollen masses two, 

 furrowed, sessile on a narrow gland ; scapes simple, erect, 

 nodding, or deflexed at base. Leaves large, plicate. 

 For culture, see Acineta, to which tho present genus 

 is closely allied. 



perfection. 

 South America, 1837. A curious, rather than showy, 



Fio. 90. FLOWERS OF PERISTERIA ELATA (natural size). 



P. elata (tall).* Dove, or Holy Ghost Flower, .rf. white, with 

 small lilac specks on the base of the lip, waxy, very sweet-scented, 

 about IJin. across, almost globose; spikes erect, 3ft. or more in 

 height, and rising from the base of the pseudo-bulbs. July to 

 September, and continuing to produce flowers for two months 

 when the growths are strong. I. lanceolate, strongly ribbed and 

 plicate, sometimes upwards of 3ft. high and 6in. across. Pseudo- 

 bulbs striated, green, as large as swans' eggs, bearing three to five 

 leaves, h. 4ft. Panama, 1826. A very handsome, noble, and 

 free-growing plant; the F.spiritu Santo (Holy Ghost Flower) of 

 the Spaniards. See Figs. 89 and 90. (B. M. 3116.) 



P. guttata (spotted), fl. yellow and red ; spikes produced close 

 to the pseudo-bulbs, pendulous, and hanging over the edge of the 

 pot. September, and remaining two or three week 

 A. 6in. 

 species. 



P. Humboldtil fulva (Humboldt's tawny). A synonym of 

 Acineta Humloldtii. 



P. pendula (pendulous).* fl. pale yellow, spotted with red and 

 brown ; lip crested at the base of the disk, thick ; scape short, 

 few-flowered, h. 1ft. Demerara, 1855. (B. M. 3479.) 



FERISTROFHE (from peristrophe, turning round ; 

 in reference to the corolla, which is twisted so as to be 

 upside down). OBD. Acanthacece. A genus comprising 

 about fifteen species of erect or loosely sub-twiggy herbs, 

 inhabiting tropical and Southern Africa, Madagascar, the 

 East Indies, China, and tho Malayan Archipelago. 

 Flowers generally purple ; heads often pedicellate, loosely 

 cymoso ; bracts two, sub-connate at base ; calyx shorter 

 than tho bracts. Leaves entire. The species hero de- 

 scribed are stove perennials, and are those usually seen 

 under cultivation. For culture, see Justicia. 

 P. lanceolaria (lance-leaved), fl. in terminal, much-branched 

 panicles ; corolla pale purple, with a long, slender tube, which M 

 compressed and slightly twisted at apex ; upper lip pale purple- 



