96 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



FHILAGERIA (a combination of parts of the generic 

 names of the two parents). ORD. Liliacece. A monotypic 

 garden hybrid genus, raised by Messrs. Veitch, between 

 Philesia buxifolia and Lupayeria alba. The plant is a 

 half-hardy, scrambling shrub, with slender, flexuous 

 branches. In habit, Philageria Veitchii, is, according to 

 Dr. Masters, " more akin to the female parent (Lapageria) 

 than to the male. Its foliage is singularly intermediate, 

 but at the same time nearest like that of the pollen 

 parent (Philesia). In the characters of the flower-stalk, 

 calyx, and corolla, it is more like Philesia than Lapageria ; 

 but in the stamens, it approximates to the mother plant, 

 and diverges from the characters of the male. In colour 

 it is also more like the mother plant than it is like 

 Philesia." This, like its allies, requires a peat soil, and 

 a moist, cool house ; it is, however, so shy a flowerer as to 

 be worthless for decorative purposes. 



P. Veitchii (Veitch's). fl. solitary, pendulous; calyx of three 

 pale rose-purple, boat-shaped, fleshy sepals ; petals three, bright 

 rose-coloured, slightly unequal, overlapping, broadly ovate, 

 acute ; stamens six, the filaments pink-spotted ; pedicels axillary, 

 bracteate. 1. alternate, petiolate, oblong, acute, about IJin. long, 

 leathery, smooth, dark shining green above, finely serrulated ; 

 petioles about Jin. long. Gardens, 1872. (G. C. 1872, 119.) 



PHILESIA (from phileo, to love; alluding to the 

 beauty of the flowers). ORD. Liliacece. A. monotypic 

 genus. The species is a glabrous, much-branched, green- 

 house shrub. It thrives best in peaty soil, but grows 

 slowly. In sheltered positions in Ireland, and in South- 

 western England, it succeeds in the open air. Suckers 

 are thrown up, by which the plant may be increased. 

 P. buxifolia (Box-leaved).* fl. red, showy, but smaller than those 

 of Lapageria (to which this shrub is allied), solitary or very few at 

 the tips of the branches, very shortly pedicellate ; outer perianth 

 segments erect, inner ones twice or thrice as long, somewhat 

 spreading above ; stamens six. June. I. alternate, very shortly 

 petiolate, oblong, coriaceous, one-nerved, very slenderly reticu- 

 late- venulose ; margins re volute, h. 4ft. Chili, &c., 1850. (B. M. 

 4738.) 



PHILESIACE2E. Included under Liliacece. 



PHILIBERTIA (named in honour of J. C. Philibert, 

 author of some works on elementary botany). STN. Sarco- 

 stemma (in part). ORD. Asclepiadece. This genus com- 

 prises about thirty species of stove, twining shrubs or 

 sub-shrubs, natives of tropical and sub-tropical America. 

 Flowers usually greenish-white, or purple-veined inside ; 

 calyx small, five-parted ; corolla often depresso-globose 

 in bud, very broadly campanulate or sub-rotate when 

 expanded, with five contorted, narrow lobes ; cymes um- 

 belliform. Leaves opposite. Few of the species are known 

 to cultivation. Those described below are well adapted 

 for training up rafters, pillars, or trellis-work, in stoves 

 or conservatories. A compost of loam, peat, and sand is 

 desirable. Cuttings will root readily, if inserted in sand, 

 or in the above-named soil, under a glass, in slight heat. 

 P. campauulata (bell-shaped), fl. greenish-yellow, purplish- 

 marked within, large, campanulate, pubescent outside ; peduncles 

 many-flowered, shorter than the leaves. October. I. ovate-oblong, 

 acuminate, deeply cordate at base, tomentose beneath, h. 6ft. 

 Peru. Greenhouse climbing shrub. (B. R. 1846, 36, under name 

 of Sarcostemma campanulatum.) 



P. gracilis (slender).* fl., corolla yellowish outside, red-striped 

 inside, three times as long as the calyx. I. deeply cordate, acumi- 

 nate, sub-tomentose. Buenos Ayres. Greenhouse sub-shrub. 

 (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 403.) 



P. grandiflora (large-flowered), ft., corolla puberulous without, 

 elegantly purple-striped within, with obtuse lobes ; peduncles 

 many-flowered. June. I. cordate, acute, pubescent above, incano- 

 tomentose beneath, petiolate. Buenos Ayres, 1836. Plant pubes- 

 cent. Greenhouse sub-shrubby climber. (B. M. 3618; B. R. 

 1843, 13.) 



PHILLYREA (from Philyra, the old Greek name 

 used by Theophrastus for the Privet). Jasmine Box ; 

 Mock Privet. ORD. Oleacew. A genus comprising only 

 four species of ornamental, hardy, evergreen, glabrous or 

 rarely cano-pubescent shrubs, natives of the Mediter- 

 ranean region and the Orient. Flowers small, fascicu- 

 late in the axils; calyx and corolla four-lobed, those of 

 the latter imbricated and obtuse. Drupe globose or ovoid, 



Phillyrea continued. 



one or two- seeded. Leaves opposite, entire or serrulated. 



Several so-called species are merely varieties. Phillyreas 



thrive in almost any soil; but in the northern parts of 



this country they must have very sheltered positions. 



P. Vilmoriniana is the hardiest. Like the rest, it may be 



propagated from cuttings, or be grafted on the Privet. 



P. angustifolia (narrow-leaved). fl. white. May. 1. linear- 

 lanceolate, quite entire, obsoletely veined. Branches beset with 

 elevated dots. h. 8ft. to 10ft. Italy and Spain, 1597. The fol- 

 lowing are forms of this species : brachiata, with very short, 

 oblong-lanceolate leaves, and divaricate branches ; lanceolata, 

 with lanceolate leaves and erect branches ; and rosmarinifolia, 

 with elongated, lanceolate-subulate leaves, and straight branches. 



P. latifolia (broad-leaved), fl. white. May. I. ovate, rounded 

 at the base, serrated, veiny ; young ones sub-cordate at the 

 base. h. 20ft. to 30ft. South Europe, 1597. (S. F. G. 2.) Of 

 this, the following are forms : latvis, with ovate, flat, obsoletely- 

 serrated leaves ; obliqua, with lanceolate-oblong, acute, serrated, 

 oblique leaves, buxifolia, crispa, Uicifolia, and macrophylla, are 

 varieties with sufficiently distinctive names. 



P. media (intermediate).* fl. white. May. I. lanceolate, quite 

 entire, or a little serrated in the middle, triplinerved, veiny. 

 h. 10ft. to 15ft. South Europe, 1597. The following are varieties : 

 pendula, with lanceolate leaves, and divaricating, pendulous 

 branches ; virgata (SYNS. Hgustrifolia and olecejolia), with oblong, 

 lanceolate leaves. 



P. Vilmoriniana (Vilmorin's).* fl. whitish, numerous, in axillary 

 clusters. /. resembling those of the Portugal Laurel. This plant 

 is known in gardens under the name of P. laurifolia. Asia 

 Minor, 1885. (B. M. 6800.) 



FHIIiODENDRON (from phileo, to love, and 

 dendron, a tree ; referring to the arborescent nature 

 of some species). ORD. Aroidece (Aracece). A genus 

 comprising about 120 species of stove, climbing shrubs 

 and small trees, rarely stemless herbs, natives of tropical 

 America. Flowers spathaceous; spathe white, red, or 

 yellow, thick, wholly persistent, the tube convolute, at 

 length opening ; spadix almost equalling, or shorter than, 

 the spathe, sessile or shortly stipitate, dense-flowered, 

 the females shorter than the males ; peduncles terminal 

 and axillary, usually short, generally fascicled. Leaves 

 sheathed, opposite, coriaceous, oblong, ovate, cordate, 

 or sagittate-hastate, entire, lobed, pinnatifid, or once or 

 twice pinnatisect. Philodendrons are easily grown in a 

 where a high temperature and a moist atmo- 

 are maintained. They appear to the best ad- 

 vantage when trained to cover a back wall or a pillar. 

 For this purpose, in a large house, they may be planted 

 out at the base of the wall or pillar, or they may be 

 grown in pots. An open compost of loam and peat, or 

 leaf mould, to which some coarse sand should be added, 

 is best ; the plants are not, however, very fastidious 

 regarding soil. Plenty of water and frequent syringings 

 are essential in the summer or growing season ; and no more 

 shade should be applied than is requisite to keep the 

 leaves from scorching. Propagated easily by dividing the 

 stems into lengths consisting of about three joints, and 

 inserting them in pots, in a brisk heat. They soon 

 become established, and make new growth at the top. 

 Any old plants which get too high for the house they 

 occupy may have their tops cut off and inserted as large 

 cuttings. These soon re-establish themselves. The best- 

 known species are described below. 



P. bipinnatifidum (bipinnatifld). /..sfhthe reddish-brown out- 

 side, greenish inside ; spadix whitish. I. about 2ft. long and 

 lift, broad, bright green, bipinnatirid. Brazil. An ornamental, 

 short-stemmed species, requiring only a cool stove or intermediate 

 house. 



P. brcvilaminatum (short-bladed). fl., tube of spathe oblong, 

 ovoid, blood-colour on both sides, the limb pale green outside, 

 yellowish-white within ; spadix white, shorter than the spathe, 

 stipitate. 1. as long as the petioles ; young ones cordate-ovate, 

 very shortly rotundate ; adult ones sub-triangular, the posterior 

 lobes broadly rotundate, the anterior one broadly triangular, 

 Bahia, 1860. Climber. 



P. calophyllum (beautiful-leaved), fl., spathe creamy outside, 

 crimson within ; spadix white. Brazil, 1872. A very handsome, 

 short-stemmed plant, the foliage of which resembles that of 

 Cochliostema Jacobianum, (I. II. n. s. 76.) 



P. cannsefolium (Canna-leaved). fl., spathe greenish. I. ovate- 

 lanceolate, deep shining green, about 1ft. long ; petioles very 



