March.'] GREEN-HOUSE REPOTTING. 249 



There are several others very recently introduced, which 

 have not bloomed so as to allow us to judge of their merits ; 

 but their foreign characters are highly flattering. The re- 

 potting of the geranium tribe should be done as early in the 

 month as possible, or even about the end of last month would 

 be advisable in some seasons. (Soil No. 12, with a little 

 more manure.) 



PJidrmium tenax, New Zealand flax lily, the only species ; 

 foliage resembling an Iris, and very thready. In New Zea- 

 land and Norfolk Island the natives manufacture from this 

 plant a kind of stuff like coarse linen, cordage, &c. ; the plant 

 is very hardy, and we would be nowise surprised to see it stand 

 the severity of our winters. It bears exposure to the open 

 air in Europe in the fifty-sixth degree of north latitude. The 

 flowers are said to be yellow and lily -like ; of the easiest cul- 

 ture. (Soil No. 7.) 



Phi/licas, above twenty-five species. Several of them are 

 very pretty-growing evergreen shrubs, and of easy culture. 

 P. horizontals, P. squarrosa, P. imbricdta, P. myrtifblia, P. 

 callbsa, P. Mcolor, and P. ericoides, are all neat-growing; 

 flowers small white, in heads : drain the pots well, and keep 

 them in an airy situation. The foliage of several -of the 

 species is downy. (Soil No. 6.) 



Phaseolus caracdlla, or snail flower, is a very curious 

 blooming plant, with flowers of a greenish yellow, all spirally 

 twisted, in great profusion when the plant is well grown. 

 (Soil No. 12.) 



Phoenix dactylifera, common date palm; a plant that 

 attains a large size and of rather a rugged appearance; its 

 fruit is the common well-known date. (Soil No. 12.) 



Pimileas, about fourteen species. Most of them are highly 

 esteemed, and are not often seen in our collections. P. 

 decussdta is the finest of the genus, both in foliage and 

 flowers, which are red, and in large terminal clustery. P. his* 

 pida, P. rbsea, P Hnifolia, P. spicdta } and P. spectdbilis t ar* 



