AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



460 



Sphseralcea -continued. 



or shrubs, in habit resembling Malva or Jfalr*frum ; four 

 are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and the rest inhabit 

 the warmer regions of America. Flowers violet (rarely 

 red) or flesh-coloured, shortly pedicellate (rarely long- 

 peduncnlate), solitary or fascicled, axillary, or disposed 

 in terminal racemes or spikes ; calyx five-cleft ; staminal 

 column more or less divided near the summit into nume- 

 rous filaments ; bracteoles three, free or coalescing at 

 base. Leaves generally angled or lobed. The species 

 described below thrive in a rich, well-drained, loamy soil, 

 and like a light, airy place near the glass. They are 

 readily increased by cuttings of the young growths, in- 

 serted in sandy soil, under a bell glass, and kept shaded 

 until rooted. 



S. abuttloides (Abutilon-like). JL rose-coloured ; calyx twice 

 exceeded by the petals ; peduncles axillary, one to fire-flowered. 

 August. I. roundish, angular-lobed, serrated. A. 4ft. Bahamas, 

 1725. Greenhouse shrub. (B. M. 2544, under name of Malta, 

 abutiloides.) 



S. acerifolia (Maple-leaved). jL pink ; peduncles aggregated, 

 terminal. July. I five-lobed, sub-cordate ; lobes acute; dentate 

 or unequally serrate. A. 4ft. North-west America, 1861. A half- 

 hardy, stellate-pubescent shrub. (B. M. 5404.) 

 S. angnstifolia (narrow-leaved). A. pink ; peduncles axillary, 

 solitary or in pairs, one or few-flowered ; involucral leaflets 

 bristly, deciduous. August and September. L lanceolate, 

 toothed, powdery, h. 3ft. to 4ft. Mexico, 1780. Greenhouse 

 shrub. (B. M. 2839, under name of Malta anjvstijolia.) 



F. u 6 , (elegant).* JL pale, with dark purple veins, from the 

 axils of the upper leaves, usually on short, simple stalks. July. 

 L rather distant, deeply three-lobed or three-parted, on petioles 

 of their own length ; lobes cuneate, inciso-pinnatifid, undulated, 

 stellate-tomentose, bluntly toothed. Stems numerous, procum- 

 bent or spreading, 2ft or more long. South Africa, 179L Green- 

 house sub-shrub. 



S. miniate (vermilion).* JL vermilion ; peduncles axillary, race- 

 mose, few-flowered, but sometimes only one-flowered. May to 

 July. 1. ovate, three-lobed, toothed, tomentose. Stems erect 

 A. 1ft South America, 1798. Greenhouse sub-shrub. (B. M. 

 5938 ; & B. F. G. ser. iL 120.) 



S. nutans (nodding). " JL reddish-purple, nodding ; peduncles 

 axillary, usually three-flowered, exceeding the leaves ; involucral 

 bracts subulate. July. L cordate, five-lobed, unequally crenate- 

 toothed, stellate-tomentose ; lobes very acute ; stipules filiform. 

 Stem branched. A. 2ft Guatemala (T), 1852. Stove shrub. 

 (F. d. S. 726 ; L. & P. F. G. iii. p. 173.) 



5. obtusiloba (obtusely-lobed). JL crowded; petals purple, 

 obcordate, with rather dark claws; involucre of three linear 

 leaflets ; peduncles axillary and terminal, corymbosely racemose, 

 many-flowered. July. I. cordate, somewhat five-lobed, crenate ; 

 lobes very blunt A. 3ft to 4ft Chili. 1827. A stellate-tomen- 

 tose, greenhouse shrub. (B. M. 2787, under name of Malta 



6. nmbellata (umbellate). JL of a fiery-violet colour, large ; 

 involucral leaflets obovate, somewhat stipitate, deciduous ; pe- 

 duncles axillary, umbelliferous. January to April. L sub- 

 peltate, five-lobed, obtuse, A. 10ft Mexico, 1814. Stove shrub. 

 (L. B. C. 222 ; B. B, 1608, under name of Malva wnbellata.) 



SFH2ERENCHYMA. Spheroidal or spherical, 

 cellular tissue, such as is found in the pulp of fruits. 



SFH.SRIACE2E. A large family of Fungi, belong- 

 ing to the division of Fyrenomycetes (which see), 

 provided with perithecia, of leathery or carbonaceous 

 texture, distinct from the stroma, or mycelium, which 

 open by a round hole or pore, sometimes in the wall of 

 the perithecinm, but sometimes at the end of a long 

 neck. In this group are various species hurtful to culti- 

 vated plants (see Fleospora). Several of them show 

 pleomorphism very clearly. Formerly, the family was 

 held to include certain other smaller groups that are 

 now regarded as families distinct from it (e.g., Dothi- 

 diacece, with fleshy, and often bright-coloured, perithecia), 

 to which belong various species (e.g., Polystigma rubrum 

 on Plum-leaves) that destroy living plants. The spores 

 and sporidia in Sphceriaceae vary greatly in different 

 genera in complexity of structure, and in the modes of 

 production. 



SFH.ZEROCARFUS. A synonym of Gloo&o. 



SFHS.ROCARYA. A synonym of Fyrularia 

 (which see). 



SFHJEBOCHLOA. A synonym of Erioeaulon. 



SFHHOCIOXITJM. Included under Humeno- 

 phyllum. 



SPH.ZROGYNE. Included under Tocoea (which 

 tee). 



SFHJEROLOBITJM (from tpJiaira, a sphere, and 

 lobos, a pod; alluding to the globular pods). ORD. 

 Leguminosce. A genus comprising thirteen species of 

 greenhouse, evergreen, glabrous shrubs or under-shrubs, 

 with Bush-like stems, generally leafless, restricted to 

 Australia. Flowers yellow or red, disposed in terminal 

 racemes, or in lateral racemes or clusters; calyx lobe* 

 imbricated, the two upper ones falcate, united; petals 

 with short claws ; standard orbicular or reniform, emar- 

 ginate; wings rather shorter. Pods small, oblique, glo- 

 bular, or compressed. Leaves, when present, narrow, 

 entire, alternate or irregularly opposite or whorled. 

 Two of the species have been introduced : these succeed 

 in a compost of loam and peat. Propagation may be 

 freely effected by young cuttings, inserted in sand, 

 under a glass. 

 S. acuminatum (taper-pointed). A synonym of S. medium. 



S. medium (intermediate), jt. 

 densely clustered in terminal racemes 

 longer than the calyx. Summer. I. 



red or orange, usually numerous, 

 ; standard orbicular, rather 



small, subulate, oftn opposite or in whorls of three. Stems erect, 



SYS. S. acumi- 



on the barren branches 

 f thr 



1803. 



, , 



1ft to 2ft high ; flowering ones leafless. 

 natum. 



S. vlminenm (twiggy). rL yellow, numerous, usually clustered 

 two or three together along the smaller branches, forming dense 

 or interrupted, terminal racemes ; petals about twice as long as 

 the calyx; pedicels very short Summer. Stems ascending or 

 erect, from a few inches to 2ft. high, with slender, wiry branches ; 

 all leafless, or the barren ones bearing a few scattered, linear or 

 narrow-lanceolate leaves, iin. long. 1802. (B. M. 969 ; L. B. C. 

 1753.) 



SFH2BROMA. A synonym of Spharalcea (which 

 see). 



SFH2GBOFHORA (of Blume). A synonym of 

 Moxinda (.which see). 



SPXLXROFHYSA (from sphaira, a sphere, and 

 pliysa, a bladder; alluding to the shape of the pods). 

 Including Phyllolobium. OED. Leguminosce. A genus 

 comprising three species of hardy, glabrous or hoary, 

 perennial herbs or sub-shrubs, natives of Russian Asia 

 or the Orient. Flowers red, disposed in axillary 

 racemes; calyx teeth sub-equal, or the two upper ones 

 approximating ; standard orbicular, laterally reflexed, 

 naked within ; wings falcate-oblong ; keel incurved at 

 apex, obtuse. Pods long-stipitate, inflated. Leaves 

 imparipinnate ; leaflets three or numerous, entire, ex- 

 stipellate. The species, like some other salt-loving 

 plants, are difficult to preserve in gardens. S. salsula 

 should be grown in sandy loam, and salted water should 

 be occasionally applied. Propagation may be effected 

 by seeds, which sometimes ripen in this country. 

 S. casplea (Caspian). A synonym of S. taltula. 



a (salt-loving). /. dirty pale purple, marked with more 

 veins. July and August L with eight pairs of oval, 

 TII -"-^p leaflets. Stems erect, and, as well as the 



obscure 



obtuse, mncronate leaflets. Stems erect, and, 

 leaves, clothed with adpressed pubescence A. IJft. 

 Siberia to North China, 1818. SYS. S. eatpiea. 



Russia. 



SFILSROPSIDEJE. A very large section of Fungi, 

 resembling the Pyrenomycetes in external appearance, 

 with pycnidia quite like perithecia except in size, 

 but inclosing no asci, the sporidia being produced singly 

 on the tips of more or less evident stalks, inside the 

 pycnidia (these almost always open by a hole or slit). 

 The plants were formerly regarded as true species, but 

 now they are considered, with good reason, to be only 

 an imperfect stage of species of Pyrenomycetes. Many 

 of them grow on living plants, which they destroy or 

 weaken. The leading genera parasitic on living plants 

 are : Ascochyta, with two-celled, transparent, pale sporidia ; 

 Diplodia, with two-celled, brown sporidia; Hend rtonia, 



