AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



85 



FETROFHILA (from petros, a rock or stone, and 

 phileo, to love ; in allusion to the place of growth). 

 OBD. Proteaceae. A genus comprising thirty-five species 

 of Australian, greenhouse shrubs. Flowers usually white 

 or yellow, in dense, terminal or rarely axillary spikes or 

 cones ; perianth tube slender, separating into four seg- 

 ments from the base, or remaining united, the limb of 

 four linear laminae. Fruit a small, sometimes winged 

 nut. Leaves scattered, rigid, entire or divided, frequently 

 terete or narrow. It is doubtful if even the few species 

 here described are still in cultivation. For culture, see 

 Banksia. 



P. acicularis (needle-shaped). fl. white, red ; cones terminal 

 and sessile, nearly globular, about iin. in diameter. May. I. un- 

 divided, usually slender, terete, and more or less distinctly 

 grooved on the upper side, obtuse, or with a short, straight, 

 curved point h. 2ft 1830. (B. M. 3469.) 

 P. glanduligera (gland-bearing). A synonym of P. Serrurice. 

 P. heterophylla (variable-leaved). fl. white ; cones all axillary, 

 sessile, ovoid-oblong, the old ones fin. long. June. I. linear 01 

 linear-lanceolate, 2in. to 4in. long, more or less flattened, entire 

 and acute or dilated towards the end, and then often truncate or 

 notched, with a small point in the notch, or deeply divided into 

 two or three lobes, h. 4ft 1840. 



P. pulchella (pretty). /. white ; cones terminal, sessile, solitary 

 or with one or two axillary ones close below, oblong or 

 cylindrical, Iin. to liin. long. July. I. liin. to 2iin. long, twice 

 or thrice pinnate ; segments numerous, not spreading, terete, 

 grooved above, rather slender, not pungent, h. 6ft to 8ft. 1840. 

 (B. M. 796, under name of Protea pulchella.) 



P. rigida (rigid), fl. white ; perianth nearly jin. long ; cones ter- 

 minal or in the forks of the branches, sessile, nearly globular. 

 May. I. very rigid, trichotomously bipinnate ; ultimate segments 

 sometimes iin. to Iin. long, all terete, divaricate, and pungent- 

 pointed, h. 2ft. to 3ft 1823. A rigid shrub. 

 P. Serrurise (Serruria-like). fl. white; perianth tipped with 

 small, stipitate glands ; cones ovoid or at length conical, sessile or 

 shortly pedunculate in the upper axils, often crowded in terminal 

 clusters. May. I. rarely above Iin. long and broad, crowded, 

 twice or thrice-pinnate, with the lower segments close to the 

 base ; segments numerous, slender, terete, grooved above, h. 3ft. 

 to 4ft. 1840. SYN. P. glanduligera. 



A synonym of Monanth.es 



FETROFHYES. 



(which see). 



FETTERIA (named in honour of Franz Fetter, who 

 wrote an account of a botanical tour in Dulmatia in 

 1832). ORE. Leguminosas. A monotypic genus. The 

 species is a hardy, erect shrub, requiring culture similar 

 to Cytisns (which see). 



P. ramentacea (ramentaceous). fl. disposed in dense, terminal, 

 pedunculate, pyramidal, erect racemes; calyx campanulate, 

 three -lobed, the lobes tomentose - ciliate, obtuse; corolla 

 glabrous ; keel silky-villous ; pedicels hoary. Spring. I. ternate, 

 petiolate ; leaflets elliptic, entire, cuneate at base, obtuse or 

 retuse at apex, glabrous. Dalmatia, 1838. (B. R. 1843, 40, under 

 name of Cytisus Weldenii.) 



FETTIGREE, or FETTIGRUE. See Ruscus 

 aculeatus. 



'. A common name for Genista anglica 



and Ononis arvensis. 



FETUNGA (Peetunga is the Bengalese name of 

 P. Roxburghii). SYNS. Higginsia (of Blume), Spicillaria. 

 ORD. Rubiacece. A genus consisting of four or five species 

 of glabrous, stove shrubs, with terete, twiggy branchlets, 

 natives of Eastern Bengal, the Malay Peninsula, and 

 the islands of the Indian Archipelago. Flowers white, 

 small, disposed in short, axillary, simple or somewhat 

 compound spikes, sessile or shortly pedicellate, bibracteo- 

 late ; calyx persistent, tube ovoid, limb four-toothed ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped, with a short tube, a very villous 

 throat, and four spreading, oblong lobes. Leaves oppo- 

 site, petiolate, oblong or lanceolate, narrowed to both 

 ends. P. Roxburghii is an ornamental shrub, requiring 

 culture similar to that recommended for Catesbsaa 

 (which see). 

 P. Roxburghii (Roxburgh's), fl. small ; spikes about one-half or 



one-third shorter than the leaves; bracts and calyx glabrous. 



May. I. elliptic-oblong, glabrous, drooping, 3in. to 4in. long, and 



about Iin. broad ; stipules large, caducous, h. 3ft. to 8ft. India, 



PETUNIA (from petun, the Brazilian name of 

 tobacco ; alluding to the affinity of this genus with Nico- 

 tiana). OKD. Solanaceoe. A genus comprising about a 

 dozen species of highly ornamental, hardy or half-hardy, 

 annual or perennial herbs, often viscid-pubescent, branched ; 

 they inhabit Brazil and the Argentine Republic, one being 

 broadly dispersed from Western South America to Brazil. 

 Flowers violet or white, sometimes showy, sometimes 

 small, on solitary pedicels ; calyx deeply five-fid or nearly 

 five-parted; corolla funnel or salver-shaped, the tube 

 cylindrical, or swollen above; limb plicate, equal or 

 oblique-spreading, the lobes short, broad, and loosely 

 bilabiate and imbricating at the apex ; stamens five, affixed 

 below or at the middle of the tube. Leaves entire, usually 



Petunias are very showy and popular plants, effective 

 when grown in pots, and also in summer flower beds 

 outside. P. nyctaginiflora and P. violacea are species 

 from which the numerous garden varieties are supposed 

 to have been obtained; as they were not introduced 

 until early in the present century, the cultivation of the 

 plant under notice does not extend any further back. 

 For a long period, considerable attention was paid by 

 florists to the improvement of Petunias, and excellent 

 results were obtained. Less has been done of late years 

 in selecting and naming varieties; still, the plant is far 

 from being allowed to fall into neglect. In some parts, 

 particularly in the West of England, it is most success- 

 fully cultivated for exhibition. 



Petunias may be raised in any quantity from seeds, 

 and named kinds readily propagated from cuttings. 

 Seeds, which are very minute, should be sown, during 

 March, in pans of light, finely-sifted soil, very slightly 

 covered, and placed in a gentle warmth. They usually 

 vegetate in a very short time, and, before the seedlings 

 become crowded, they should be carefully pricked off in 

 other pans or pots. Afterwards, when large enough, pot 

 them off singly, pinch out the points before they get 

 very high, to induce a compact habit, and keep growing 

 on in an intermediate house, or a low pit. Early in 

 May, those intended for planting out should be gradually 

 inured to the open air, and others, retained for flowering 

 inside, should receive the final potting, and be kept in 

 frames where plenty of air can be admitted. The plants 

 flower profusely at the latter part of summer and in 

 autumn, when they prove very useful and effective for 

 greenhouse decoration. Plants for providing cuttings in 

 spring should be preserved through the winter in a 

 warm greenhouse. They may be obtained by striking 

 some cuttings, in autumn, for the purpose. Young shoots 

 root readily in a close frame, during February and 

 March, and plants thus obtained may be grown on with 

 little trouble. Petunias succeed best in a compost of 

 about two parts loam to one of manure. They require 

 plenty of water all through the summer. Slender stakes 

 are necessary, to keep the plants from falling about. 



The three species known in gardens are described 

 below. 



P. acuminate, (taper-pointed). A synonym of Nicotiana acumi- 

 nata. 



P. intermedia (intermediate), fl. axillary or opposite the 

 leaves ; corolla fin. long and broad, pubescent-glandular without ; 

 tube yellow-striated, longer than the calyx ; limb large, purple, 

 with a paler margin ; peduncles iin. to Iin. long, filiform. August. 

 I. linear-oblong, sub-spathulate, obtuse, attenuated at base, 

 entire, sessile, Iin. to liin. long. Stem erect, branched, leafy. 

 h. 1ft. Buenos Ayres, 1832. Half-hardy perennial, at length 

 becoming sub-shrubby. (B. R. 1931.) SYNS. Jfierembcrriia inter- 

 media (P. M. B. ii. 219 ; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 237), Salpiylossit 

 linearis (B. M. 3256). 



P. nyctaginiflora (Nyctaginia-flowered). /. on axillary, solitary, 

 one-flowered peduncles, far exceeding the leaves ; corolla white, 

 large, the tube cylindrical, three or four times as long as the 

 calyx ; limb very spreading. August. I, cauline ones solitary, 

 ovate, oblong, slightly obtuse, nearly or quite sessile ; floral ones 

 sessile, cordate-ovate, twin, nearly opposite, h. 2ft. South 

 America, 1823. A diffuse, villous-glandular, half-hardy immul. 

 See Fig. 93. (B. M. 2552 ; P. M. B. ii. 173 : S. B. F. (V 119.) 



