172 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



PODALYRIA (Podalyrius, in heathen mythology, 

 was the son of JSsculapins). OBD. Leguminosoe. A genus 

 comprising seventeen species of greenhouse, evergreen 

 shrubs, more or less silky or silvery-pubescent, natives 

 of South Africa. Flowers one or two, rarely three or four, 

 on axillary peduncles ; calyx widely campanulate, remark- 

 ably indented at its insertion on the stalk ; vexillum sub- 

 orbiculate, emarginate. Pods ovoid or oblong, turgid. 

 Leaves simple, alternate, continuous with the petioles ; 

 stipules subulate, often deciduous. The species, which 

 are rarely seen in cultivation, require a well-drained com- 

 post of sandy loam and fibry peat. Propagated, in spring, 

 by cuttings of stubby side-shoots, inserted in sand, under 

 a bell glass. 



P. argentea (silvery), ft. white; calyx three-toothed, sub- 

 bilabiate, rusty-tomentose ; standard large, obcordate, longer 

 than the clawed, axe-shaped wings ; keel shorter than the wings. 

 June. 1. oval, sharp at both ends, with rust-coloured margins. 

 h. 6ft. 1789. SYN. P. liftora (B. M. 753). 



P. blflora (two-flowered). A synonym of P. argentea. 



P. buxifolla (Box-leaved), ^.purple, with paler wings ; pedicels 

 one-flowered, about the length of the leaves. May to July. 

 I. oval or oblong, bluntish, glabrous above, silky beneath, h. 2ft. 

 to 4ft. 1790. (B. R. 869.) 



P. calyptrata (covered).* ft. pale purple ; pedicels one-flowered, 

 about equal in length to the leaves. May to July. I. oval 

 or obovate, mucronate, pubescent, reticulated beneath, h. 6ft. 

 1792. (B. M. 1580.) SYN. P. styracifolia. 



P. sericea (silky). African Satin-bush, ft. pale purple ; pedicels 

 one-flowered, much shorter than the leaves, and, as well as the 

 calyces, clothed with appressed, silky pubescence. January to 

 October. I. oblong-ovate, mucronate, silky on both surfaces. 

 h. 4ft. to 6ft. 1778. (B. M. 1923.) 



P. styracifolia (Styrax-leaved). A synonym of P. calyptrata. 



FODANTHES (from pous, podos, a foot, and anthos, 

 a flower; alluding to the flowers being borne on long 

 pedicels). SYN. Obesia. OBD. Asclepiadea. A genus 

 comprising about eight species of stove shrubs, allied to 

 Stapelia, confined to South Africa. Flowers rather large, 

 solitary, twin or rarely sub-fasciculate ; calyx with five 

 acute segments; corolla pale or spotted above, broadly 

 campanulate or at length rotate, the lobes valvate. 

 Stems low, leafless, thick-fleshy, deeply sub -quadrangular ; 

 angles decussate a,nd deeply few-toothed. The best- 

 known species are those described below. For culture 

 see Stapelia. 



P. gemlnata (twin).* ft. usually twin ; corolla orange-yellow, 

 dotted with blood-colour ; segments lanceolate, acuminate, hairy 

 inside, the margins revolute ; outer corona flve-lobed. May to 

 November. Joints of branches proliferous, creeping, sub-oval, 

 obscurely tetragonal, floriferous at the tops. 1795. Plant creep- 

 ing. (B. M. f326 and L. B. C. 300, under name of Stapelia 

 geminata.) The correct name of this plant is Piaranthus 

 geminatus. 



P. irrorata (bedewed), ft., corolla sulphur-coloured and spotted 

 with blood-colour, more semi-quinquefid than in P. pulchra, the 

 bottom blood-coloured ; segments tipped with purple, lanceolate 

 acuminated; pedicels usually solitary. July to September! 

 Branches numerous, erectish, decumbent. 179"5. (L. B. C. 127, 

 under name of Stapelia irrorata.) 



P. pulchra (fair), ft. on long, bent pedicels, twin, semi-quin- 

 quefld, corrugated; segments of corolla green outside and 

 sulphur-coloured inside, deltoid, acuminated, with numerous 

 dark brown warts ; bottom of corolla dark brown, girded by a 

 few glandular hairs. 1800. Plant weak and much branched, 



P. p. yerrncosa (warted). ft., corolla pale yellow, with dark 

 purple marks ; segments of the outer corona emarginate ; the 

 inner one of ovate, yellow corpuscles. Branches longer and 

 thicker than in the type. (B. M. 786, under name of Stapelia 

 verrucosa.) 



FODANTHUS (from pous, podos, a foot, and anthos, 

 a flower; in allusion to the stalked flowers). SYN! 

 Euxenia. OBD. Composite. A genus consisting of only 

 two species (closely related) of greenhouse or hardy, 

 much-branched, scabrous-puberulous, resinous shrubs^ 

 natives of Chili. Flower-heads yellow, small, dioecious', 

 at length globose, at the tips of the branches or in the 

 upper axils, shortly pedunculate ; achenes slightly 

 scabrous-pilose or papillose; involucre small, with few, 



Podanthus continued. 



narrow bracts ; receptacle convex. Leaves opposite, 

 entire or toothed. The species thrive in a compost of 

 peat and loam. Propagation may be effected by 

 cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass. 



P. Mitiqui (Mitiqui). I. oval-lanceolate, long-cuneate at base, 

 acuminate at apex, deeply serrate, h. 3ft. 1824. Greenhouse. 



P. ovatifolius (ovate-leaved). I. broadly ovate, not decurrent 

 into the petiole. A. 2ft. 1825. Greenhouse. SYN. Euxenia 

 grata. 



PODIUM, PODUS. Used in Greek compounds, 

 these signify a stalk, stipe, &c. ; e.g., Podocephalus, stalked- 

 headed ; Leptopodus, slender-stalked. 



PODOCALLIS. A synonym of Massonia (which 

 see). 



PODOCARPUS (from pous, podos, a foot, and karpos, 

 a fruit; the fruits are footstalked). Including Nageia. 

 OBD. ConifercB. Of this genus, upwards of sixty species 

 have been enumerated; but, according to the authors of 

 the "Genera Plantarum," less than forty are entitled to 

 specific rank. They are stove, greenhouse, or half-hardy, 

 evergreen trees, rarely shrubs, frequently found in Southern 

 extra-tropical regions, and in tropical mountainous and 

 Eastern Asia ; a few inhabiting the mountainous parts of 

 tropical America. The species are absent in Europe, 

 Western Asia, North Africa, and North America. Flowers 

 monoecious or dioecious, axillary or sub-terminal ; males 

 solitary, or two to five in a whorl, or many at the sides 

 of a loose, elongated, spicate rachis; females solitary or 

 rarely twin. Fruit drupaceous or nut-like, rarely exceed- 

 ing 4 in. in diameter, often shortly stipitate above the 

 receptacle. Leaves variable. The species thrive in any 

 well-drained, friable loam, and are readily propagated by 

 means of cuttings of the nearly ripened young shoots, 

 inserted in sandy soil, under a bell glass, in a close house 

 or frame, and shaded, during bright sunshine, until rooted. 

 The under-mentioned are the species best known to cul- 

 tivation. Except where otherwise stated, they are trees, 

 and require greenhouse treatment. 



P. ftflid'nq. (Andes).* Plum Fur. fr. resembling in form and size 

 the berry of an ordinary White Grape, but in structure that of 

 a Cherry, the kernel being contained in a hard stone, or nut, 

 surrounded by a soft, fleshy pulp, inclosed in a tough rind ; when 

 ripe, the fruit has an agreeable flavour. I. linear, flattened, Jin. 

 to |in. long, sub-distichous, deep green above, and slightly glau- 

 cous beneath, h. 40ft. to 50ft. Valdivia, Chili, 1860. Hardy. 

 The trunk is well furnished with branches, the lower ones droop- 

 ing, often sweeping the ground. SYN. Prumnopitys elegans. 



P. Bidwilli (Bidwill's). A synonym of P. Totara. 



P. chinensis (Chinese). Chinese Yew-tree, ft., males numerous, 



axillary ; females on lateral footstalks, fr. cylindrical-oblong, 

 globular when old. I. linear-lanceolate, reflexed on the margins, 

 closely placed, alternate, somewhat two-rowed, Ijjin. to 3in. long, 

 two to three lines wide, the elongated rib terminating in an 

 obtuse point. Branches erect, spreading, alternate or opposite, 

 sometimes somewhat vertical, h. 20ft. China and Japan, 1838. 

 A large bush or small tree. SYNS. P. MaTci, Taxus Makoya. 

 P. coriacea (leathery), fr. globose, solitary, axillary, very small. 

 I. elliptic-lanceolate, rather thick, leathery, shining, sessile or 

 at the base into a very long footstalk, almost obtusely 

 at apex, 2in. to Sin. long, nearly iin. broad, with an 

 elevated midrib. Branches spreading, horizontal, alternate or 

 opposite, naked on the greater part of the larger ones. h. 40ft. to 

 50ft Jamaica, &c. 

 P. coriacea (leathery), of gardens. A synonym of Cephalotaxus 



drupacea. 



P. dacrydioides (Dacrydium-like). I. of two forms of young 

 trees, and on twigs of old, distichous, iin. long ; those on old 

 branches imbricated. Diameter of trunk 4ft. h. 150ft. New 

 Zealand. 



P. elongata (elongated). South African Yellow- wood, fr., seeds 

 about the size of a gooseberry, marbled on the outside. /. linear 

 or oblong-lanceolate, straight, rarely falcate, attenuated, stiff, 

 rather thick, liin. to 1 jin. long, two lines broad, dark green or 

 glaucous-blue, sessile or regularly tapering to a short footstalk. 

 Branches opposite or in whorls ; upper ones ascending, lower 

 ones sometimes deflected, h. 30ft. to 70ft. Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



P. Endlicheriana (Endlicher's). I. alternate, closely arranged 

 on the branches, somewhat two-rowed, straight or slightly 

 falcate, undulated ; those on the branchlets almost oval or 



