2610 



PHYSIANTHUS 



PHYSOCARPUS 



with somewhat salver-shaped fls. Schumann, in Engler 

 & Prantl, separates Schubertia from Araujia, with more 

 than half the species of the combined groups. Under 

 this disposition, A. graveolens is transferred from 

 Araujia. See Schubertia. 



The species of Araujia resemble in superficial char- 

 acters the popular stephanotis, having the same large 

 white waxy fragrant 5-lobed fls. A. graveolens, in par- 

 ticular, has been suggested as a rival to the stephanotis, 

 especially as it requires less winter heat, but its foliage 

 when bruised emits a strong and offensive odor, espe- 

 cially with young plants. A. sericofera has considerably 

 smaller fls. and is one of the several plants advertised 

 as "cruel plants," because they entrap insects, though 

 they may not digest their dead bodies as in the case of 

 nepenthes. These "cruel plants" are mostly members 

 of the milkweed and dogbane families, which have 

 essentially the same kind of floral structure a highly 

 complicated and specialized type adapted to cross- 

 fertilization by insects. In Fig. 398 of this work, an 

 insect is seen struggling in the clutch of a common 

 milkweed, with a pair of pollen-masses (a) , like saddle- 

 bags, which he may extract with one of his legs. Araujia 

 sericofera catches moths in a slightly different fashion. 

 See G.C. III. 20:523. For other "cruel plants," see 

 Cyananchum and Vincetoxicum. 



When well grown, araujias or physianthuses bloom 

 freely throughout September and October. They seem 

 to have no special soil requirements and may be flow- 

 ered outdoors from seed sown indoors in early spring, 

 or they may be kept permanently in a cool greenhouse 

 and grown from cuttings. It is seldom that A. graveo- 

 lens is seen grown well in greenhouses, the plants being 

 usually sickly and infested with mealy-bug. As a 

 summer vine in the open it makes vigorous growth, and 

 after midsummer it usually blooms profusely. The 

 flowers are larger than those of stephanotis. Cut- 

 tings make the best flowering vines. These may be 

 taken from the ripe wood before cool weather. Seeds 

 are freely produced, and germinate well soon after being 

 sown. Araujias are considered hardy in the most 

 favored parts of England, and are grown outdoors in 

 California. A. graveolens can be flowered in pots, but 

 the border of the greenhouse is better. (G. W. Oliver.) 



The two species likely to be met with in cult, may be 

 characterized as follows: Araujia graveolens, Mast. 

 (.Physidnthus graveolens, Hort. P. auricomus. R. Gra- 

 ham. Schubertia graveolens, Lindl.) Stout, woody 

 climber, densely covered with harsh spreading yel- 

 low hairs: Ivs. 3-4^x2-2% in., obovate, acuminate, 

 greatly narrowed and cordate at the base, hairy on both 

 sides: fls. funnel-shaped, i. e., swollen at the throat, 

 2-2J-3 in. across, umbellate. S. Brazil. B.M. 3891. 

 B.R. 32:21. G.C. III. 4:271. See discussion under 

 Schubertia. Araujia sericdfera, Brot. (A. dlbens, 

 Don. Physidnthus dlbens, Mart.). Name originally 

 spelled, by Brotero, sericofera, in description and on 

 plate, but usually now written sericifera. Nearly gla- 

 brous: Ivs. 3x1% in., oblong-acuminate, wide and 

 square at the base, minutely pubescent below: fls. 

 salver-shaped, i.e., not swollen at the throat, pale rose 

 in the bud and only faintly odorous, 1 in. across, 

 cymose. S. Brazil. B.M. 3201. B.R. 1759. G.C. III. 

 2:653; 20:523. R.H. 1857, p. 89; 1883, p. 488. Gn. 

 24, p. 409; 34, p. 397. Mn. 6, p. 206. G. 6:363. The 

 plant as above described is the Physianthus albens or 

 Araujia albens of the trade. A. hortorum, Fourn., is 

 probably a form of this species. WILHELM MILLER. 



L. H. B.t 



PHYSIC NUT: Jatropha Curcas. 



PHYSOCARPUS (Greek, physa, bladder, and karpos, 

 fruit; alluding to the inflated capsules). Syn., Opulds- 

 ter. Rosaceae, tribe Spiraeex. NINEBARK. Ornamental 

 shrubs, grown for their white flowers, the attractive 

 inflated pods and the bright green foliage. 



Deciduous: bark peeling off in thin strips: Ivs. 

 alternate, petioled, stipulate, serrate and more or less 

 lobed: fls. in umbel-like racemes; calyx-tube cup-shaped; 

 sepals 5, valvate; petals white or rarely pinkish, spread- 

 ing; stamens 20-40; pistils 1-5, more or less united at 

 the base: follicles inflated, opening along both sutures; 

 seeds 2-4, yellowish shining. Thirteen species have 

 been distinguished in N. Amer. and* one in N. E. Asia. 

 Formerly usually referred to Spiraea, from which it is 

 easily distinguished by the stipulate Ivs., by the 

 inflated follicles and the long glossy seeds; sometimes 

 united with Neillia, which differs chiefly in the not 

 inflated pods dehiscent only along the ventral suture, 

 the campanulate or tubular calyx-tube, and in the 

 elongated inflorescence. 



The ninebarks are hardy, small or medium-sized 

 spreading or upright shrubs with usually 3-lobed 

 leaves and with umbel-like heads of whitish or some- 

 times pinkish flowers appearing late in spring, and fol- 

 lowed by clusters-of small pods, inflated in some species 

 and often assuming a bright red color late in summer. 

 They are well adapted for shrubberies and grow in 

 almost any soil. They propagate easily by either hard- 

 wood or greenwood cuttings, also by seeds. 



A. Carpels 4~5, rarely 3. 



B. Pods glabrous. 



opulifdlius, Maxim. (Spiraea opulifolia, Linn. Opu- 

 Idster opulifdlius, Kuntze. NeUlia opulifdlius, Brew. 

 & Wats.). NINEBARK. Fig. 2936. Shrub, to 10 ft. 

 high, with wide-spreading and recurving branches: 

 Ivs. roundish ovate, usually cordate at the base, 

 3-lobed, with the lobes crenately dentate, 1-3 in. long, 

 usually glabrous beneath: corymbs 1-2 in. broad, 

 many-fld.; pedicels and calyx glabrous or pubescent: 

 pods 3-5, inflated, twice as long as the calyx-lobes. 

 June. Que. to Ga., west to Man. and Kans. B.B. (ed. 

 2)2:244. R.H. 1912, p. 221. Var. mteus, Kirchn. (var. 

 aftreus, Hort.). Lvs. bright yellow at first, changing 

 to golden bronzy yellow. Var. Debrichyanus, Schneid. 



(var. "DeBrichy," 

 Simon-Louis). 

 Lvs. elongated, 

 irregularly lobed, 

 yellowish varie- 

 gated. Var. nanus, 

 Kirchn. Dwarf 

 form with smaller, 

 less lobed, dark 

 green Ivs. 



BB. Pods tomen- 



tose. 



amurensis, 

 Maxim. (Spirsea 

 a m u r e n sis, 

 Maxim. Opuldster amurensis, 

 Kuntze. Neillia amurensis, 

 Nichols.). Similar to the former, 

 higher and of more vigorous 

 growth : Ivs. 3-5-lobed, with acute 

 or acuminate, doubly serrate lobes, 

 usually pubescent beneath, 2-5 

 in. long: fls. large, with grayish 

 tomentose pedicels and calyx: 

 pods only one-third longer than 

 calyx - lobes. June. Amurland. 

 Gt. 14:489. 



intermedius, Schneid. (Opuldster 

 intermedium, Rydb. 0. Ramdleyi, Nelson). Shrub, to 5 

 ft. : Ivs. orbicular in outline, 3-lobed with rounded lobes, 

 doubly crenate, usually sparingly hairy beneath or 

 glabrous, 1-2 5^ in. long: corymbs dense; pedicels and 

 calyx finely pubescent: pods 3-5, inflated, one-third 

 longer than the calyx-lobes. June. 111. and Mo. to 

 Colo, and S. D. 



2936. Ninebark. 

 Physocarpus opulifolius. 

 (XM) 



