PHRYNIUM 



PHYLLANTHUS 



1317 



allied to Calathea and Maranta and is often confused 

 witli them. The Marantas are New World plants with 1 

 seed-bearing locule in the fruit, whereas Calathea and 

 Phrynium usually have 3 seed-bearing locules. In Cala- 

 thea, the flower-cluster is terminal on a leafy stem or 

 rarely on a leafless scape arising directly from the rhi- 

 zome; in Phrynium, the cluster is lateral from the 

 sheathing petiole. In Calathea tlie corolla-tube is usu- 

 ally slender; in Phrynium it is usually short. Phry- 

 niums are grown the same as ( 'alathfjis and Marantas 

 {which see). It is prol)uble tliat tli'-rt- are no true Phry- 

 niums in the Amer. trade. P. variegatum, N. E. Brown, 

 is Maranta ariindinacea, var. variegata. It is a stove 

 plant of dwarf habit with ovate-lanceolate acuminate 

 green leaf-blades which are marked with cream-white 

 or white stripes and bands. I.H. 33:606. F.K. 3:469. 

 Gt. 46, p. 581. J.H. III. 28:27. It is a worthy plant, 

 now coming to be popular. For Phrynuan eximiuni, 

 see Calathea exiniea. L^ jj^ g^ 



PHYGfiLIUS (flight and sm», because it was said to 

 love the shade). Scrophnlaridcew. Two species of 

 south African shrubs, one of which is in the trade. 

 The flowers are long and tubular, not unlike those of a 

 Pentsteraon in looks, scarlet, with exserted stamens in 

 2 pairs, and a long, filiform declined style: fr. a many- 

 seeded capsule. The Ivs. are opposite and petiolate, 

 crenate -dentate. 



CapSnsis, Meyer. Cape Fuchsia. Fig. 1770. Erect, 

 becoming woody at the base, glabrous, the stem with 4 

 angles or narrow wings: Ivs. ovate, rounded at the base, 

 firm and veiny, bluntly small-toothed : fls. slender, 2 in. 

 long, somewhat curved, 2-lipped, purple - scarlet, 1-4 

 together on the ends of straight-spreading peduncles, 

 drooping. Cape of Good Hope. R.H. 1857, p. 599; 1886, 

 p. 473. B.M. 4881. F.S. 11:1111. -A fine subshrub 

 blooming in summer and hardy in protected places as 

 far north as Philadelphia. In the North it is lately 

 becoming known as a greenhouse plant. It is excellent 

 for planting out, enduring heat and dry weather as well 

 as geraniums, or even better. It is propagated by seeds 

 and also by cuttings. The cuttings may be taken from 

 the late fall shoots of outdoor plants. Phygelius is a 

 showy plant, deserving to be better known, l H. B. 



PHYLLAGATHIS (Greek, divine leaf). Melasto- 

 7nAce<e. Pour species of herbs from the Malay Archi- 

 pelago belonging to a family noted for its numerous 

 stove foliage plants. The Ivs. of P. rotundifolia are 

 praised for their colors, both above and below, their 

 venation, their plaited character, and their strong shad- 

 ows and reflected light.s. The Ivs. are glossy green 

 above, tinted along the nerves with metallic blue and 

 purple; beneath they are a rich coppery red, with the 

 prominent nerves of a brighter color. Alumt 10 strong 

 nerves sweep with graceful curves from base to apex. 



These plants have short, thick stems: Ivs. opposite or 

 the terminal solitary, large-petioled, roundish, cordate 

 at the base, entire or denticulate: fls. crowded into a 

 short-peduncled head, rosy, about Kin. across; petals 

 6, rarely 3; stamens 8, rarely 6: ovary 4-celled, rarely 

 3-celled; capsule top-shaped, 4-valved. The nearest 

 ally in cult, is Sonerila, which ordinarily has 3 stamens, 

 rarely 6. 



" Phyllagathis rotundifolia belongs to the same family 

 as the better known Sph(Frogyne latifolia and Cyano- 

 phylliim specfabile. It somewhat resembles the former 

 in general appearance. A few plants of it were given a 

 test outside during the summer at Washington, D. C, 

 in 1899, in a position partly shaded from the sun. 

 They behaved well, and in siich a situation, where 

 the surface of the soil is covered with some low-grow- 

 ing plant, as Hydrocotyle or Lysimachia, to keep the 

 8uu from the roots, it may become a valuable feature 

 for outdoor decoration. But for indoors, it may be used 

 as a substitute for the more gaudy-leaved Sphferogyne, 

 as it succeeds in an atmosphere in which the majority of 

 greenhouse plants can be grown. Propagation for small 

 plants is by the leaf, the petiole of which is inserted in 

 sand, the blade lying flat on the surface, and the ribs 

 severed in several places. From the cut parts nearest 

 the petiole, numerous small growths are made: these 

 may be potted when an inch or so high. For making 



specimen plants quickly, old subjects which have been 

 encouraged to branch may be cut up, and the pieces 

 inserted in pots in bottom heat. They send out roota 

 very quickly."— Oliver's "Plant Culture." 



TOtiindifolia, Blurae. Stem rooting at intervals, 4-sided, 

 dark purple: Ivs. 6 in. or more by 4K in., roundish ovate, 

 abruptly acuminate, denticulate: floral parts in 3's or 

 4's. Sumatra. B.M. 5282. -^ jj 



1770. Phyeelius Capensis (X %). 



PHYLLANTHUS ( Greek, ;);i ,1/ «o«, leaf, an^os, flower; 

 because the tlowers are apparently borne on leaves). 

 Eiipli"rl>inii'ip. lIiTbs or shrubs, without milky juice: 

 Ivs. small, alternate, entire, usually in 2 lateral rows on 

 the small branchlets which then appear like pinnate 

 Ivs.: fls. axillary, apetalous, moncecious or dicecious, 

 the staminate in small clusters without a rudimentary 

 pistil, pistillate solitary; sepals 4-6, separate from the 

 disk, imbricated; stamens 2-6 or -more, usually 3: cap- 

 sule with 3 to many 2-seeded cells, often fleshy; embry* 

 large: cotyledons broad. 



More than 400 species, mostly in tropical regions. A 

 few only are cult., mostly for their graceful foliage. 

 Monographed by Mueller in DC. Prod. 15, 11:274, where 

 he divided the genus into 44 sections, some of which, 

 as Emblica, Cicea and Xylophylla, have been considered 

 by others as separate genera. 



