AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 115 



Phyllota continued. 



minosae. A genus comprising six species of Australian, 

 usually Heath-like, greenhouse shrubs. Flowers axillary 

 or terminal ; bracteoles often leaf-like, inserted under the 

 calyx, and usually closely pressed to it; two upper 

 calyx lobes broader, sometimes united into an upper lip ; 

 petals clawed ; standard nearly orbicular, longer than 

 the lower petals ; wings oblong ; keel much incurved. 

 Pods ovate, somewhat turgid, two-valved. Leaves scat- 

 tered, simple, linear, with revolnte margins. For culture 

 of P. phylicoides the only species introduced see 

 Pnltenaa. 



P. aspera (rough). A synonym of P. phylicoides. 

 P. comosa (tufted). A synonym of P. phylicoides. 

 P. phylicoides (Phylica-like). jf. yellow, almost sessile in the 

 npper axils, forming terminal, leafy heads or spikes, or becoming 

 lateral by the elongation of the terminal shoot ; calyx Jin. long 

 glabrous or villous, the lobes about as long as the tube ; standard 

 nearly iin. long, the lower petals rather shorter. May. I nume- 

 rous, narrow-Bnear, 4m. to Jin. long, obtose or with recurved 

 points, the margins reTolute, tnberculate. scabrous, sometimes 

 sprinkled with erect hairs, h. 2ft. 1824. SYNS. P. aspera 

 P. comota, P. iquarrosa. 

 P. sqnarrosa (squarrose). A synonym of P. phylicoides. 



FHYLLOT.&NIUM. Included under Xanthosoma 

 (which see). 



PHYLLOTRETA. A genne of leaf-eating beetles, 

 in which are included several species, of small size, but 

 of great importance, because of the amount of harm 

 certain of them do to Turnips. Most of the species 

 are partial to some one species or genus of plants, 

 several of them preferring Crueiferae. They were for- 

 merly referred to the very large genus Haltica, or Altica, 

 which has been divided, for convenience, into several 

 genera on minor points of structure. The species in- 

 cluded in the old genus Haltica 'have the thighs of the 

 hind pair of legs much thickened, enabling the beetles 

 to leap considerable distances ; and this habit has gained 

 for them their popular name of Turnip Fleas. Like 

 most beetles of the group Chrysomelidce, to which 

 they belong, they have oval bodies, with well-developed, 

 though not very long, legs and antennae. The colour is 

 usually shining black, blue-black, or green-black, with 

 the thorax, head, and limbs, in some, red or brown-red. 

 In a few, the elytra bear yellowish stripes. For injuries 

 done by them, and remedies, see Turnip Flea. 



PHYLLOXERA. See Grape or Vine Louse. 



FHYTiLUM. Greek for Leaf. Used in conjunction 

 with numerals, e.g., Diphyllous, two-leaved; Triphyllous, 

 three-leaved, &c. 



PHYMATANTHUS. Included under Pelargo- 

 nium (which see). 



PHYMATODES. 



(which see). 



Included under Folypodium 



PHYMOSIA. A synonym of Sphasralcea (which 

 see). 



PHYSALIS (from pJiysa. or physalis, a bladder; 

 alluding to the inflated calyx). Ground or Winter 

 Cherry. STN. Pentaphiltrum. OBD. Solanaceae. A genus 

 comprising not more than thirty species of greenhouse 

 or hardy, mostly annual or perennial herbs, clothed with 

 simple or stellate hairs; the majority of the species are 

 American, being most frequent in Mexico and North 

 America, but a few are broadly dispersed over the 

 warmer regions of the globe. Flowers violet, yellowish, 

 or white, often purple at maturity, frequently small, 

 solitary in the axils, pedicellate ; calyx campanulate or 

 pyramidal, five-fid, inflated during fructescence ; corolla 

 broadly campanulate or almost rotate; limb five-angled 

 or shortly five-lobed. Berry globose, included in the in- 

 flated calyx. Leaves entire, sinuated. or rarely pinnatifid. 

 Very few of the species are of any horticultural value. 

 P. Alkekengi is ornamental, in autumn and winter, 



Physalis continued. 



when its fruits are ripe, on account of the highly, 

 coloured, inflated calyx. This becomes skeletonised in 

 due course, if left on the plant. P. peruviana edulit is 

 occasionally grown as a dessert fruit, some people liking 

 its peculiar flavour. The species described below are 

 all herbaceous perennials, and wfll thrive in any common 

 garden soil. Propagation of the annual species may 

 be effected by seeds, and of the perennials by seeds and 

 by division. 



Included under Woodsia 



Fio. 137. FRUIT OP PHVSALJS ALKEKENOI, with part of 

 accrescent Calyx removed. 



P. Alkekengl (Alkekengi).* Winter Cherry, fl. white, with 

 yellow anthers ; mature calyx blood colour; corolla not spotted. 

 July. fr. scarlet, edible. 1. deltoid-orate, acuminate, repand, 

 long-stalked, attenuated into the petioles, including which they 

 are Sin. to 4in. long, and Ijin. to an. broad. Stem almost 

 simple. Roots creeping, h. 1ft Caucasus, China (naturalised 

 in North America), 1548. Hardy. See Fig. 137. (S. F. G. 234.) 



P. peruviana (PernvianX Cape Gooseberry. JL whitish, with 

 violet anthers ; mature calyx pale, ovate ; corolla spotted. 

 July. fr. purplish, t cordate, acuminate, entire or sinuate- 

 toothed, slightly tomentose. Stem erect, somewhat branched. 

 A. 3ft. South America, 1772 (naturalised in many warm countries). 

 Greenhouse. Plant densely villous-pubescent. 



P. P. edulis (edible). fr. yellow, edible. I. almost entire. (B. M. 

 1068, under name of P. edulis.} 



P. p. violacea (violet-fruited).* A yellow, with a dark purple spot 

 at the base of each lobe. fr. dark violet, large, globose. I. cor- 

 date, acute, h. 3ft. Mexico, 1883. This is probably an improved 

 cultivated form, with larger fruits than the type. (B. H. 1882, 

 p. 216, under name of P. violacea.) 



FHYSAPTERIS. Included under Cheilantliei 

 (which see). 



PHYSEMATIUM. 



(which see). 



PHYSIANTHUS (from physa, a bladder, and anthos, 

 a flower; referring to the shape of the flowers). STNS. 

 Pentaphragma, ScKubertia. OBD. Ascl-epiadecB. A genus 

 regarded, by the authors of the " Genera Plantarum," as 

 synonymous with Arauja. It comprises about thirteen 

 species of stove or greenhouse, climbing, canescent or 

 hirsute shrubs or sub-shrubs, natives of tropical and 

 sub-tropical America. Flowers dirty white or pink, huge ; 

 calyx five-parted, the segments leafy; corolla hypo- 

 crateriform or almost infundibular, with a spreading or 

 sub-campannlate, five-fid limb ; corona adnate to the 

 base of the corolla; cymes two or few-flowered, on a 

 solitary, axillary peduncle. Leaves opposite. The species 

 thrive in a compost of sandy loam and fibry peat, with 

 good drainage. Propagated, in summer, by cuttings of 

 firm, stubby side- shoots, inserted under glass, in a gentle 

 heat; or by seeds, sown on a hotbed, during spring. 

 P. albens succeeds in a greenhouse, and is well adapted 

 for training up a pillar or rafter. 

 P. albens (whitish).* White Bladder Flowet JL white, with a 



tinge of red, downy, with a campanulately-urceolate corolla; 



cymes sub-dichotomons. July. I. opposite, cordate, white and 



pruinose beneath, beset with fine, white, scattered hairs above. 



Brazil, 1830. Greenhouse climbing shrub. SYW. Arauja often*. 



