246 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Pterocarpns continued. 



P. flavns (yellow). A form of P. indicu*. 



P. indicns (Indian). Burmese Rosewood, fl. yellowish ; racemes 

 axillary, simple or branched. May. Pods acutely mucronate. 

 1., leaflets from five to nine, alternate, acute, glabrous, h. wit. 

 East Indies, 1813. (B. F. S. 23.) SYN. P. dalbergioitles. P.flavus 

 is regarded, by Bentham, as merely a form of this species. 



P. Marsupium (pouched), fl. pale yellow, disposed in terminal 

 panicles. April. I., leaflets from five to seven, alternate, elliptic, 

 somewhat emarginate, coriaceous, glabrous. A. 40ft. Coro- 

 mandel, 1811. (B. F. S. 21 ; B. M. PL 81.) 



P. Robrii (Rohr's). fl. yellow, in simple or slightly-branched, 

 tomentose racemes ; pedicels shorter than the calyx. ApnL 

 Pods sub-orbiculate, about 2in. in diameter. I., leaflets very 

 variable, five to nine, ovate or oblong, acuminate, glabrous, 3m. 

 to 5in. long. h. 20ft Tropical America, 1816. 



FTEROCARYA (from pteron, a wing, and caryon, a 

 nut; referring to the winged fruit). OBD. Juglandew. 

 A small genus (three or four species) of hardy, deciduous 

 trees, natives of temperate Asia. Flowers unisexual, 

 monoecious, in long, pendulous spikes. Fruit drupaceous, 

 dry, angled, having two wings as the ovary, much 

 tapered at the tip, not opening. Leaves ample; leaflets 

 often numerous, narrow. The species are seldom seen 

 in gardens. They thrive best when planted near water ; 

 in such spots, P. fraxinifolia makes one of the most 

 ornamental of deciduous trees. All the species are easily 

 raised from seed, imported or ripened in this country. 

 P. caucasica (Caucasian). A synonym of P. fraxinifolia. 

 P. fraxinifolia (Ash-leaved).* Caucasian Walnut, fl. greenish. 

 May. I., leaflets about nineteen, ovate-oblong, acuminate, acutely 

 serrate, glabrous, h. 20ft to 40ft. Caucasus (in moist woods), 

 1800. SYN. P. caucasica. 



P. rholfolia (Rhoeas-leaved). fl., female catkins sub-terminal, 

 loose-flowered, equalling or exceeding the leaves. J. eight or 

 nine-jugate ; leaflets sessile, rounded from the base, oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, argutely and densely serrulated, glabrous 

 above, softly pubescent on the veins beneath, as well as on the 

 petioles. Japan. (S. Z. F. J. 150.) 



P. Btenoptera (narrow- winged). fl., females sessile ; bracts 

 minute, acute ; wings linear-oblong, attenuated at apex. I. tive- 

 iugate, with a rudimentary odd leaflet ; leaflets sessile, elliptic 

 lanceolate, attenuated at base, obtuse at apex, serrated on the 

 margins. China. 



PTEROCEPHALUS. Included under Scabiosa 

 (which see). 



PTEROCHILUS. A synonym of Microstylis 

 (which see). 



PTEROCOCCUS. A synonym of Calligonum 

 (which see). 



FTERODISCUS (from pteron, a wing, and discus, 

 a disk ; referring to the broad wings of the disk of the 

 fruit). OBD. Pedalinece. A genus consisting of only three 

 species of greenhouse, herbaceous plants, with tuberous 

 roots, or with a thick, succulent stem, which becomes 

 tall under cultivation ; two are natives of South Africa, 

 and the third is Angolan. Flowers purple or lurid- 

 yellow, solitary in the axils, very shortly stalked or 

 almost sessile; calyx small, five-parted; corolla tube 

 gibbous at base, swollen upwards; limb somewhat bi- 

 labiate, with five broadly rotundate, spreading lobes. 

 Leaves opposite or alternate, narrow, toothed or cut, 

 rather thick, canescent. The only species worth growing 

 is P. speciosus. This is a handsome plant, and thrives 

 best under the influence of a full exposure to sunlight. 

 It requires a compost of sandy loam and leaf mould. 

 Propagated by seeds, sown in spring and autumn ; and 

 by dividing the plant, in spring. P. luridus requires 

 similar treatment. 



P. luridus (lurid), fl. dull yellow, tubular. July. I. linear- 

 oblong, deeply lobed, almost pinnatifld. h. lift. South Africa 

 }%* c A /, ou ty-stemmed plant, of little horticultural value! 

 (J>. M. 5784.) 



P. speciosus (showy).* /. of a beautiful lilac or reddish colour, 

 axillary .solitary, large, with a funnel-shaped tube, and a spread! 

 ing, flve-lobed limb. May. I, opposite, sinuate, dentate. Stem 

 branching into several erect, thick branches. Roots large 

 globose, tuberous, the upper part elevated above the earth 

 X. 2ft South Afri'ca, 1848; (B. Ml 4117.) 



PTEROLOBIUM (from pteron, a wing, and lobos, 

 a pod ; the pods are produced into a wing at the ex- 

 tremity). SYNS. Quartinia, Reichardia. OBD. Legumi- 

 nosce. A genus comprising four species of tall, climbing, 

 stove shrubs, armed with recurved prickles; they are 

 natives of tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia. Flowers 

 white (or yellowish ?), small, racemose ; racemes at the 

 tips of the branches, loosely paniculate ; calyx segments 

 five, imbricated; petals five, spreading, imbricated. 

 Pods sessile, compressed, samaroid, indehiscent, the apex 

 produced into an oblique, oblong or falcate wing. 

 Leaves bipinnate ; leaflets small, numerous ; stipules small 

 or inconspicuous ; bracts very caducous. P. indicvm 

 the only species introduced requires culture similar to 

 Caesalpinia (which see). 



P. indicum (Indian). /. yellowish, axillary only from the extreme 

 aves, which gives them an appearance of a large, terminal, leafy 

 nicle. I. alternate, abruptly bipinnate, 5in. to 6in. long, Sin. 



leaves, which gives them an appearance of a large, terminal, leafy 

 panicle. I. alternate, abruptly bipinnate, 5in. to 6in. long, Sin. 

 broad ; pinnae opposite, four to eight pairs, oval, entire, smooth, 



iin. long, Jin. broad ; petioles armed with three prickles. East 

 Indies. SYN. Ccesalpinia lacerarus. 



PTEROLOMA. Included under Desmodinm 

 (which see). 



FTERONEURUM (from pteron, a wing, and neuron, 

 a nerve ; referring to the winged placentas). OBD. Cruci- 

 ferce. A small genus of rock plants, included, by the 

 authors of the " Genera Plantarnm," under Cardamine 

 (which see for culture of the species described below). 

 P. carnosum (fleshy). /., calyx spreading ; corolla twice as long 



as the calyx; petals white, obovate. June. I., segments ovate, 



sub-emarginate, glaucescent h. Sin. Eastern Europe, &c., 1824. 



Hardy perennial. 



PTEROPHYLLUS. A synonym of Ginkgo (which 

 see). 



PTEB.OPHYTON. A synonym of Actinomeris. 



PTEROPSIS. Included under Tsenitis (which see). 



PTEROSPERMUM (from pteron, a wing, and 

 sperma, a seed; referring to the seeds being winged). 

 SYN. Velaga. OBD. Sterculiaceae. A genus comprising 

 about fourteen species of stove, scaly or stellate-tomen- 

 tose trees or shrubs, natives of tropical Asia. Flowers 

 often elongated, sometimes several inches long ; calyx 

 tubular, five-cut or parted, deciduous; petals five, ob- 

 ovate, oblong, or linear, deciduous ; peduncles axillary, 

 short, one or few-flowered. Leaves coriaceous, often 

 oblique, entire or the uppermost ones angularly toothed, 

 penninerved, and three to seven-nerved at the base. 

 The species best known to cultivation are those described 

 below. They thrive in a compost of sandy, fibry loam 

 and lumpy peat; and perfect drainage is most essential. 

 Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened side shoots, cut 

 close to the stem, and inserted in sand, in bottom heat. 



P. acerifolium (Maple-leaved), fl. white ; pedicels shorter than 

 the petioles. July to September. I. broad, peltately-cordate, ob- 

 tuse, with a short acumen, toothed, tomentose beneath, upper 

 surface white, clothed with stellate hairs. East Indies, 1790. A 

 large tree. This species thrives well under greenhouse treatment. 

 (B. M. 620.) 



P. suberlfolium (Cork-tree-leaved). fl. white, axillary, solitary, 

 twin or tern at the tops of the branches ; pedicels hardly the 

 length of the petioles, crowded. I. oblong, acuminate, obliquely 

 cordate at the base, coarsely toothed at the apex, tomentose 

 beneath. East Indies, 1783. A small tree. (B. M. 1526.) SYN. 

 Peittapetes suberifotia. 



PTEROSTELMA. Included under Hoya (which 

 see). 



PTEROSTYLIS (from pteron, a wing, and stylis, a 

 column; alluding to the broadly-winged column). SYN. 

 Diplodium. OBD. Orchidece. A genus comprising about 

 three dozen species of greenhouse, terrestrial orchids, 

 with small, underground tubers ; six are confined to New 

 Zealand, and the rest are all Australian, one being also 

 found in New Zealand and another in New Caledonia. 

 Flowers usually green, often tinged or streaked with 

 red or brown, large and solitary, or smaller and race- 

 mose, on short pedicels ; dorsal sepal broad, erect, in- 



