AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



163 



PLiiURANTHE. A synonym of Protea (which see). 



PLEURIDIUM. Included under Polypodium 

 (which see). 



PLEUROGRAMME. Included under Mono- 

 gramme (which see). 



PLEUROGYITB (from pleuron, a. side, and gyne, 

 the female organ; referring to the stigmas issuing from 

 the side of the seed-vessel). STN. Lomatogonium. OBD. 

 Gentianeae. A small genus (three species) of slender, 

 annual herbs, natives of the mountains of Eastern and 

 Arctic Europe, Asia, and North America. Corolla wheel- 

 shaped, fringed at the throat. Leaves opposite. The 

 species are probably lost to cultivation. 



PLEUROPETALTJM (from pleuron, a side, and 

 pet-alon, a petal ; in allusion to the shape of the corolla). 

 STN. Allochlamye. OBD. Amarantacecs. A genus com- ' 

 prising only a couple of species of slightly-branched, | 

 stove, glabrous shrubs, natives of Mexico, Ecuador, and 

 the Galapagos Islands. Flowers greenish, at length red, 

 small, disposed in terminal, branched panicles, sessile or 

 pedicellate; perianth of equal, oblong, obtuse, concave 

 segments ; stamens five to eight. Leaves alternate, rather 

 large, membranous, elliptic-lanceolate, long-acuminate, 

 entire or with slightly undulated margins, narrowed into 

 a rather long petiole. Only one of the species has been 

 introduced to our gardens. It requires culture Bi'milar to 

 Codiaram (which see). 



P. costaricenae (Costa Rica). JL green, at length scarlet, small, 

 very numerous, in terminal and axillary, sub-corymbose, much- 

 branched panicles, shortly pedicellate ; perianth segments five. 

 Autumn. Vpetioled, alternate, 4in. to 5m. long, elliptic-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, with the tip often drawn out ; margin even, or 

 obscurely undulate. Central America and Mexico, 1883. A 

 small shrub, with green branches. (B. M. 6674.) STN. Melano- 

 earpum Sprucei. 



PLEUROSPERMUM (from pleuron, a side, and 

 sperma, seed; in allusion to the size of the fruit 

 ridges). STNS. Avlacospermum, Hymenolaena, Physo- 

 spermum. OBD. Umbelliferce. A genus comprising about 

 fifteen species of hardy, tall or dwarf, glabrous, biennial 

 or perennial herbs ; three are natives of mostly Eastern 

 Europe and Russian Asia, and the rest are all Hima- 

 layan. Flowers white or dark purple ; petals obovate or 

 cuneate, rather large for the order; bracts of the in- 

 volucres and involucels indefinite, sometimes coloured; 

 umbels compound, many-rayed. Leaves pinnate or pin- 

 nately decompound; segments ovate, toothed, incised, or 

 cut into narrow laciniae. Only one species calls for 

 description here. It thrives in any common soil, and 

 may be readily increased by seeds, or by divisions. 

 P. austriacum (Austrian). JL white; involucre many-leaved. 

 Summer. 1. bipinnatisect ; the segments pinnatifidly cut into 

 acute lobes. Stem fistular. A. 2ft. to 3ft. South Europe, 1597. 

 Perennial. (A. F. P. 43 ; J. F. A. 15L) 



FLEUROTHALLIS (from pleuron, a side, and 

 thaUo, to blossom; in allusion to the inflorescence). 

 STN. Humboldtia. Including Centranthera, Rhyncopera, 

 and SpeclcUnia. OBD. Orchideat. A vast genus (nearly 

 350 species have been described) of stove orchids, of 

 variable habit, natives of the West Indies and tropical 

 America. Flowers small, sometimes very small, in a 

 few species mediocre or rather large, often secund, in 

 bundle - flowered racemes ; sepals erect, connivent or 

 somewhat spreading ; petals shorter or narrower ; pollinia 

 two ; labellum usually articulated at the base of the 

 column. Stems filiform, one-leaved, often sheathed. The 

 species have scarcely any ornamental value, but are 

 curious and interesting from a botanical point of view. 

 A selection from those best known to cultivation is given 

 below. They may be grown either in baskets or pans, 

 suspended from the roof of a cool house, most of them 

 thriving along with the Masdevallias. The small ones, 

 such as P. Grobyi, are best fastened to little tufts of 

 peat or to Fern stems. I 17712. 



Plenxothallis continued. 

 P. . atropnrpnrea (dark purple). /. dark purple, solitary ; bnd 



iin. long ; petals oblique, three-cusped ; lip obtuse, sagittate, 



crested in the middlet I. oblong, laarrowld at base IdmoS 



equalling the stem ; sheaths ventncose, A. 6in. Jamaica, 1858. 



(B. M. 4164, under name of Matdetallia feneetrata.) 

 P. aviceps (bird's-head). JL green, with yellow petals and lip, 



resembling the beak of a bird, t numerous, oblong-lanceolate. 



Brazil, 1871. A pretty little plant, of tufted habit. 

 P. Barberiana (Barber's), fl. few, on a slender peduncle, four or 



five times as long as the leaves ; 



rate; 



thick, keeled beneath. Tropical America, 1881. A small but 



pretty orchid. 



P. bicarinata (two-keeled). JL dull greenish-yellow, in a few- 

 flowered raceme ; sepals aristate, the upper one bifid and bicarr 

 nate; petals oblong, minutely serrulate; lip obovate, fleshy. 

 cordate. J. oblongTSin. long, IJin. broad; sheath on stem IJin- 

 long. A.6in. Brazfl. (B. M. 4142.) 



P. bilameUata (two-ridged). JL cinnabar-red , two or three at the 

 base of a leaf, minute. Rhizome creeping, bearing numerous 

 stems, each terminating hi one cuneate-hgulate, very thick, fleshy 

 leal Mexico, 1870. (Ref. B. 95.) 



iTDeruuut lOKnorUi fi. iew, on a sienaer peauncie, tour or 

 times as long as the leaves ; sepals light ochre, blotched with 

 k purple, aristate, free, ciliated ; petals whitish, smaller, ser- 

 ) ; lip coneate, oblong-clavate. L very small, elliptical, acute, 



P. fulgens (brilliant). JL brilliant cinnabar-red, one to three on 

 a peduncle iin. long; petals washed with greenish-purple; Up 

 of a paler cinnabar. L spathulate-obovate, minutely tndentate 

 at the apex. Stems very short. Costa Rica, 1875. This species 

 is of densely tufted habit. 



P. Grobyi (Groby's). JL yellow, streaked with crimson, small, 

 about a dozen in a loose, zigzag raceme ; sepals costate, acute, 

 the upper one bidentate ; petals membranous, acute ; lip fleshy, 

 oblong, obtuse. L obovate, emarginate, petiolate, forming small, 

 dark green tufts, A. 3m. Brazil, 1834. (B. M. 3682.) 

 P. Lanceana (Lance's). JL yellow, crimson at the base inside, 

 in a pendulous spike ; sepals linear-lanceolate, the upper one 

 bidentate ; petals setaceo-acuminate, fimbriate ; lip unguiculate. 

 L fleshy, broadly oblong. A. 6in. Surinam, 183L (L. B. C. 1767.) 

 P. pieta (painted). JL yellow, striped with crimson, hi a nearly 

 raceme ; sepals smaller than in P. Grobyi (which this 

 closely resembles). L narrow-spathnlate, longer than 

 peduncle, and overtopping the lowest flowers. Demerara, 

 ., &<T (B. R. 1825 ) 



P. prolif era (proliferous). JL deep purple; sepals slightly scabrous; 

 petals pale, linear-lanceolate, serrated upwards ; lip oval, fimbriate 

 at base. A. 6in. Brazil, 1826. "The formation of leaves, in 



rhich gave rise to the specific name, occurs 



>ther 

 B.R.1298'; L. B. C.' 1908.) 



place of flowers, 

 occasionally in many ott 



species" (Lindley). (B. M. 3261; 



P. Reymondii (Raymond's). JL, sepals orange, brown, and green, 

 pubescent, oblong, the dorsal ones larger ; petals two-lobed, one 

 rounded, the other elongated ; lip minute. Z. coriaceous, linear- 

 lanceolate, obtuse, acuminated, shorter than the stem. A. 6in. 

 Venezuela, &c., 1863. (B. M. 5385.) 



P. sanrocephala (lizard-headed). JL yellowish-green, changing 

 to light brown, closely dotted with purple inside, disposed hi an 

 erect, imbricated spike ; dorsal sepal twice as broad as the upper 

 ones. L 4m. long, 2in. broad, coriaceous, broadly oblong, 

 equalling the angular stem. Brazil, 1829. (B. M. 3030 ; B. R. 1968; 

 L. B. C. 157L) 



P. scapha (skiff). JL yellowish- white, marked with purple lines, 

 except the lower sepals, which are wholly dark brownish-purple ; 

 racemes lax, many-flowered. L ovate, coriaceous. 1874. A fine 

 species. (O. C. n. s., XT. 784.) 



P. spectrilinsois (tongue like). JL hyaline, disposed in sub- 

 corymbose racemes ; sepals spotted with mauve-purple, aristate; 

 lip dark olive-brown, with basilar, retrorse horns, and an elliptic, 

 fringed blade. 1. narrow-spathnlate, about Iin. long. 1883. 

 A small species. 



P. strupifolia (strap-leaved). JL in racemes, Sin. to 4in. long, 

 with loose, funnel-shaped, spreading bracts ; dorsal sepal, petals, 

 and lip, white, spotted and striped with purple ; front sepal all 

 purple-speckled. L resembling long straps, lift, long, sometimes 

 Broader Ind shorter. A. lift Mexico, 1838. (B. M. 3897, under 

 name of P. picta.) 



PLICATE. The same as Plaited (which see). 

 PLOCAMA (from plolmmot, bent hairs ; alluding to 

 the pendulous branches). STNS. Bartlingia, Placodium, 

 Placoma. OBD. Rubiaceas. A monotypic genus. The 

 species is a greenhouse, erect shrub, with very slender, 

 pendulous branches. A compost of loam and peat is 

 most suitable for its culture. It may be increased readily 

 by cuttings, which will root in sand, under a glass. 

 P. pendula (pendulous-branched). JL white, minute, axillary and 



terminal ; calyx with a globose tube, and a firr *-- ' =-** 



limb ; corolla infundibular-* 



<sunpanulate, with a short tube and 



a limb of five to seven oblong-lanceolate, ralvate lobes, t oppo- 

 site, or hi whorls of four, linear-oblong, filiform, acute, flaccid ; 

 stipules connate with the petioles. A. 2ft. Canary Islandi 



