AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



183 



lip, 

 (B. 



Polycycnis continued. 



P. leplda (neat), fl., sepals and petals light brown, slightly 

 tipped with yellow at the apex ; lip light yellow, spotted with 

 chocolate-brown, and white towards the apex ; raceme drooping, 

 from fifteen to twenty-flowered. Pseudo-bulbs about Sn. high, 

 tapering, dark green. Columbia, 1870. A very pretty species. 

 (L H. ser. iii. 19.) 

 P. muscifera (fly-bearing). This is the correct name of plant 



described in this work as Cyenoehes mugciferum. 

 P. vittata (striped). /. yellow, streaked with so much deep 

 chocolate that the former colour is scarcely discernible on the 

 , disposed in an erect raceme, h. 1ft British Guiana, 1841. 

 B. 1841, 69, under name of Houlletia vittata.) 



POLTDESMUS COMPLANATTJS. See Milli- 



pedes and Myriapoda. 



POLYGAIiA (the old Greek name used by Dios- 

 corides, from polys, much, and gala, tnillr ; in reference to 

 its reputed quality of promoting the secretion of milk). 

 Milkseed; Milkwort. Including Chamcebuxus, Isolophus, 

 and Senega. OBD. Polygalecs. An eitensive genus (200 

 species have been described) of greenhouse or hardy, 

 annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or sub-shrubs, distri- 

 buted over the temperate and warmer regions of the 

 globe. Flowers sometimes showy, small, variable in 

 colour; spikes or racemes terminal or lateral, rarely 

 axillary, sometimes in contracted heads, rarely panicu- 

 late. Leaves alternate, or rarely opposite or verticil- 

 late. Only a comparative few of the species are now 

 in cultivation. The hardy sorts are desirable subjects 

 for borders and rockwork. The greenhouse species are 

 fine and very distinct plants amongst the hard-wooded 

 section. They are more easily grown than most others, 

 and flower profusely each spring. Fibrous peat, with 

 some silver sand intermixed, forms a suitable compost 

 for Polygalas, which should be potted firm. Propagated, 

 in spring, by cuttings of the young shoots, taken when 

 about Sin. long, inserted in sandy peat, under a bell 

 glass, placed in an intermediate temperature, and kept 

 shaded. 



P. Chamsebmrus (dwarf Box). Bastard Box. fl. cream-coloured 

 or yellow, tipped with purple, fragrant ; racemes axillary, few- 

 flowered. Early summer. L oblong-lanceolate, mucronate. 



or yellow, tipped with purple, fragrant ; racemes axillary, few- 

 flowered. Early summer. L oblong-lanceolate, mucronate. 

 Stem shrubby, branched, procumbent. A. 6in. Mountain woods 



in many parts of Europe, 1658. A very pretty, neat-habited, 

 hardy sub-shrub. (B. M. 316.) P. C. purpurea is a handsome 

 variety, dark brown, with purplish leaves. (Gn., Jan., 1878.) 



P. F'lfr'^""*. (St. Hilaire's). fl. the largest of the genus ; three 

 outer sepals small, ovate ; two inner ones corolloid, white, tinged 

 with green and black ; inner petals mostly combined into a tube, 

 white ; lateral ones sub-acute, rose-coloured at the apex ; racemes 

 six to ten-flowered. Spring. I. 4m. to Sin. long, oblong-ovate, 

 sub-acute. Stem unbranched, erect, 1ft high. Bahia. Green- 

 house shrub. (B. M. 5057.) 



P. myrtifolia grandiflora (Myrtle-leaved, large-flowered).* 

 JL rich purple ; wings obliquely and broadly obovate ; keel large, 

 veiny ; pedicels shorter than the flowers. April and May. L on 

 very short petioles, oblong or oblong-obovate, somewhat mucro- 

 nate. h. 4ft. to 6ft South Africa. A much-branched, green- 

 house shrub. (B. M. 3616.) P. Dalmaigiana of gardens, a 

 popular greenhouse plant, is either a form of P. myrtifolia, or a 

 hybrid between it and P. opporiti folia. 



P. oppositifolia (opposite-leaved).* fl. purplish, with a yellowish- 

 green keel, in terminal, sub-corymbose racemes. L opposite, 

 cordate, ovate, acute, h. 3ft to 4ft Cape of Good Hope, 1790. 

 Greenhouse shrub. (B. R. 636.) 



P. o. cordata (heart-shape-leaved). I broadly cordate, acute or 

 acuminate, h. 3ft Cape of Good Hope, 1791. 



P. o. latifolia (broad-leaved). L broadly ovate, cuspidate- 

 acuminate. (B. B. 645.) 



P. pancifolia (few-leaved), a. of a fine purple colour, large, in 

 threes, terminal, the keel crested. May to August. L ovate. 

 Stems very simple, erect naked below, h. Sin. North America, 

 1812. Hardy herbaceous perennial (R M. 2852.) 



P. Senega. Seneca Snake-root, fl. almost sessile ; wings round- 

 obovate, concave ; crest short May and June. L lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, with rough margins. Stems several, from thick 

 and bard, knotty rootstocks, simple, 6in. to 12m. high. North 

 America. Hardy perennial herb. (B. M. 1051 ; B. M. PL 29 ; 

 L. B. C. 1380.) 



P. virgata (twiggy), fl. purple or flesh-coloured, in long racemes. 

 I. scattered, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Cape of Good 

 Hope. Greenhouse shrub. 



P. v. speciosa (showy), fl. purplish, with spreading pedicels, 

 in loose racemes. May to October I. oblong-cuneate, obtuse, 



Polygala continued. 



mucronate, upper ones linear, and, as well as the twiggy 

 branches, glabrous, h. 6ft Cape of Good Hope, 1814 A showv 

 greenhouse shrub. (B. M. 178CL) 

 | P. vnlgaris (common). Common Milkwort ; Procession Flower 

 Rogation Flower. /. varying in colour, blue, lilac, purple, pink! 

 or white, about iin. long, in terminal racemes. June. L small! 

 oblong or lanceolate, glabrous. Stems prostrate or erect, 

 numerous, slender. Europe, Ac. (Britain). Perennial herb. 

 (Sy. En. B. 185.) 



POLYGALE.E. A natural order of herbs or under- 

 shrubs, occasionally twining, or erect or climbing shrubs, 

 rarely small trees, glabrous, tomentose or villous, dis- 

 persed over the temperate and warmer regions of the 

 globe. Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular, solitary or centri- 

 petally spicate or racemose, rarely paniculate, axillary 

 or terminal ; sepals five, free, closely imbricated, the two 

 inner ones larger, petaloid, wing-formed ; petals three or 

 five, hypogynous, the two lateral free or united at their 

 base with the lower concave or galeate (keel), in the gamo- 

 petalous corolla split behind, rarely absent; upper two 

 sometimes equal to the lateral, enveloping the keel in 

 aestivation, sometimes small, scale-like, or absent ; stamens 

 eight, rarely five or four, above the middle monadelphous 

 or rarely free, the outer ones often more or less connate 

 with the petals; pedicels usually articulate at base, 

 bracteate and bracteolate. Fruit a capsule, berry, or 

 drupe. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, simple, 

 entire; stipules none. The species contain tonic and 

 astringent properties. Several of the European Polygalas 

 find a place in our Materia Medica as remedies for lung 

 diseases ; the root of P. Senega has a stimulating action 

 on the pulmonary mucous membrane. The order includes 

 fifteen genera and about 400 species. Illustrative genera 

 are : Monnina, Muraltia. and Polygala. 



POLYGONASTRUM. A synonym of Smilacina 



(which see). 



POLYGON ATUM (the old Greek name, used by Dios- 

 corides, from poly, many, and gonu, a knee-joint ; alluding 

 to the numerously-jointed stem). Solomon's Seal. STNB. 

 AxUlaria, Evallaria. OBD. Liliaceae. A genus comprising 

 (according to Mr. Baker) twenty-three species of pretty, 

 mostly hardy, herbaceous, border plants, broadly dispersed 

 over North temperate regions. Flowers nodding or pendu- 

 lous, solitary in the arils, or frequently shortly and loosely 

 racemose or sub-umbellate, on short peduncles; perianth 

 marcescent, at length deciduous, with short, erecto-patent 



FIG. 224. POLTGONATUM JAPOXICCM, showing Habit and 

 detached Flower. 



lobes. Berry globose, pulpy. Leaves alternate, opposite, 

 or whorled, ovate, lanceolate, or linear, in one species 

 shortly cirrhose-acuminate at apex. The species, the 

 best known of which are here described, are of very 

 easy culture in a moderately good, loamy soil They are 

 all hardy, except where otherwise stated, and are admirably 

 adapted for naturalising in woods and copses. P. multi- 

 florum, the common Solomon's Seal, is a fine subject for 

 forcing. The plants may be grown in tho open ground all 



