160 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Plectocomia continued. 



the under side with excessively strong, compound spines, 

 shaped something like a mole's foot, with the claws 

 directed downwards. The species, the best-known of 

 which are described below, are very handsome plants, 

 and are of easy culture. A compost of rich loam and 

 peat, in about equal parts, is suitable. Propagated freely 

 by suckers. 



P. assamioa (Assamese). /., spathes 24in. to Sin. long ; spadix 

 large, the branches 24ft. long. L gracefully arched, broad and 

 deeply bifid when young, ultimately pinnate ; upper surface deep 

 green, the under side a beautiful powdery-white. A. 80ft. 

 Assam, 1841. An elegant plant. (B. M. 5105.) 

 P. elongata (elongated), fl., spadix axillary ; peduncle covered 

 with imbricate, sheathing spathes. I. with the flagelli about 

 20ft. long ; pinnules distant, arched downwards, linear-lanceolate, 

 tapering to both ends, very acuminate, the longest 3ft. in length, 

 2in. to Sin. broad, coriaceous. Stem, in the lower part, almost as 

 thick as the leg. India, 1869. A gigantic, climbing species. 

 P. hlmalayana (Himalayan), fl., spathes almost stem -clasping, 

 conduplicate ; branches of the spadix about 2ft. long, covered 

 with rusty tomentum. I. ample; pinnules alternate, linear- 

 lanceolate, very acuminate, IJft. long, IJin. broad, the margins 

 shortly toothed ; pinniferous part of the petioles armed with 

 stout, hooked prickles. Himalayas, 1878. A distinct and grace- 

 ful palm. 



FLECTOG-YNE. Included under Aspidistra. 

 PLECTRANTHERA. A synonym of Luxem- 

 burgia (which see). 



PLECTRANTHUS (from plectron, a spur, and 

 anthos, a flower ; in allusion to the corolla-tube being gib- 

 bous at base). Cockspur-flower. STN. Germanea. ORD. 

 Labiates. This genus comprises nearly seventy species 

 of stove or greenhouse, perennial herbs, sub-shrubs, or 

 rarely tall shrubs, natives of tropical and South Africa, 

 tropical and sub-tropical Asia as far as Japan, the 

 Malayan Archipelago, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. 

 Flowers small or mediocre, often pedicellate; calyx of 

 five equal or bilabiate teeth ; corolla tube exserted, 

 gibbous or oblique; limb bilabiate, the upper lobe three 

 or four-fid, the lower one entire ; whorls six to many- 

 flowered, or cymes opposite and more or less evolnte, 

 racemose, thyrsoid, or loosely paniculate, rarely densely 

 spicate. Nutlets ovoid or oblong, smooth or minutely 

 dotted. Leaves variable, the floral ones reduced to 

 small, deciduous bracts. The species best known to 

 cultivation are described below. They do well in any 

 light, rich soil. Propagation may be effected by cut- 

 tings, which root readily. 



FIG. 200. PLECTRANTHUS *RUTICOSUS, showing Habit and Portion 

 of detached Inflorescence. 



P. anstralls (Southern). /. pale purple, on short, unequal 

 pedicels; corolla almost thrice as long as the calyx; whorls 

 rather loose, about ten-flowered, and 4in. apart; raceme elon- 

 gated, simple. Summer. I. petiolate, broadly ovate, obtuse, 

 mciso-crenate, rounded at base, slightly rugose, pubescent ; floral 

 ones round-ovate, deciduous. Stem herbaceous, erect, pubescent 

 h. 2ft. to 3ft. Australia. Greenhouse. (B. R. 1098.) 



Plectranthus continued. 



P. barbatus (bearded). A synonym of Coleus barbatus. 

 P. coleoides (Coleus -like), fl. lilac; corolla four tunes as long as 



the calyx ; panicle thyrsoid, 6in. long. Summer. I. petiolate, 

 ovate, crenate, sub-cordate at base, rather thick, puber 

 floral ones deciduous. A. 1ft. to 2ft. Neilgherries, 1865. Stove 



, 

 erulous ; 



herbaceous perennial. (B. M. 5841.) SYN. Coleus Colvillei. 



P. comosus (tufted). A synonym of Coleus barbatus. 



P. fcetldus (stinking). /. purple (?); calyx softly villous ; corolla 

 thrice as long as the calyx ; whorls many-flowered, approximate ; 

 racemes dense, slightly branched. Summer. I. shortly petiolate, 

 broadly ovate, crenate, truncate or cordate at base, thick, much 

 wrinkled, very villous on both sides ; floral ones broadly ovate- 

 cordate, acuminate, deciduous. Stem obtusely tetragonal, h. 3ft. 

 to 5ft. Eastern Australia, 1877. Greenhouse sub-shrub. (B. M. 

 6792.) 



P. Forskolei (Forskal's. A synonym of Coleus barbatus. 



P. frutlcosus (shrubby), fl. blue, elegant, disposed in a slightly- 

 branched panicle ; pedicels Jin. long ; corolla tube twice as long 

 as the calyx. Summer. I. petiolate, broadly ovate, sub-cor.late, 

 doubly toothed, slightly glabrous ; floral ones bract-like. A. 3ft. 

 to 4ft. Cape Colony. Greenhouse shrub. See Fig. 200. (B. G. 

 1864, 431.) 



P. tematns (ternate). Onime-root. /. purple, on short pedicels ; 

 corolla dark-dotted, thrice as long as the calyx ; whorls ternate, 

 rather loose, many -flowered ; racemes simple. August. I. long- 

 stalked, ovate-rotundate, acute, deeply crenate, narrowed at base, 

 some fleshy, pubescent above, canescent beneath. Stein erect ; 

 branches cano-tomentose or pubescent. A. 1ft. Madagascar, 

 1821. Stove herbaceous perennial. (B. M. 2460.) 



PIiECTRITIS (from plektron, a spur ; in allusion to 



the calcarate corolla). Including Betckea. ORD. Vale- 



rianece. A genus comprising only three species of erect, 



hardy, annual herbs, of which two are Calif ornian, and 



the third Chilian. Flowers pink, in dense, capituliform 



cymes, axillary or terminal; corolla five-fid, spreading. 



Leaves entire or sinuate-toothed. Seeds of P. congesta 



only require to be sown in the open ground in May, in 



a sheltered situation. It is doubtful, however, whether 



the genus is still represented in our gardens. 



P. congesta (crowded), fl.. pink, in oval or oblong heads, often 



arranged in verticillate, approximate or distant glomerules ; 



corolla manifestly bilabiate, with a small spur much shorter 



than the tube. June. I. very glabrous ; radical ones obovate or 



spathulate, entire ; cauline ones broadly ovate, sessile, slightly 



toothed ; floral ones linear-oblong. A. 9in. to 18in. California, 



1826. (B. B. 1094, under name of Valerianella comjesta.) 



FLECTRONIA (from plektron, a cock's spur ; in 

 allusion to the large spines which are to be found on 

 some of the species). STNS. Canthiurn, Dondisia, Mitra- 

 stigma, Phallaria, Psilostoma, Ptsydrax. ORD. Rubiacece. 

 A large genus (about seventy species) of stove or green- 

 house, unarmed or spiny, shrubs, sometimes climbing, 

 with terete branchlets ; they are natives of tropical Asia, 

 Africa, and Australia, South Africa, and the Pacific 

 Islands. Flowers white or greenish, small, fascicled or 

 disposed in corymbose, pedunculate cymes; calyx with a 

 short tube, and a very short, truncate or four or five- 

 toothed limb ; corolla tube short or slightly elongated, 

 with four or five ovate-triangular lobes. Fruit small or 

 mediocre. Leaves opposite, membranous or coriaceous, 

 shortly petiolate, oblong, ovate, or lanceolate; stipules 

 intrapetiolar. Few of the species have been introduced, 

 and none are important horticulturally. 



PLECTRURUS. A synonym of Tipularia. 



PLEEA (named after Ang. Plde, 1787-1825, author 



of a work on the Flora of the Environs of Paris). ORD. 



LiliacecB. A monotypic genus. The species is a hardy, 



perennial herb, with nodose, erect, Rush-like stems or 



rhizomes. It thrives in peat soil, and requires a moist 



situation ; or it may be grown in pots, placed in pans of 



water. Propagation may be effected by seeds. 



P. texmifolla (slender-leaved). /. white, greenish without. 



solitary between the bracts, pedicellate, erect, lin. wide, disposed 



in simple racemes ; perianth segments spreading. October. 



I., radical ones few, rather long, linear, erect, somewhat rigid, 



6in. to 9in. long; cauline ones one or two, long-sheathed, smaller 



than the radical ones. Stem 2ft. high. South United States, 



1824. (B. M. 1956.) 



PLEIONE. Included under Ccelogyne (which see). 



