HEXDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



169 



PHY 



from the mountain regions of Mexico and South 

 America. The several species have the same 

 general character, the flowers being red or scarlet, 

 marked with yellow, produced in early summer. 

 They should be planted as early in spring as 

 possible, in light, well-drained soil. After 

 flowering, and as soon as they show signs of rip- 

 ening, take up and store in the same manner as 

 Hyacinths. They may be increased by offsets. 

 Introduced in 1825. 



Phylica. From phi/llikns, leafy ; in allusion to 

 the abundant evergreen foliage. Linn. Pentan- 

 dria-Monoqynia. Nat. Ord. Rhamnacea;. 



Pretty little heath-like plants, natives of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, with narrow leaves, and 

 little terminal heads of fragrant white flowers, 

 which begin to appear in autumn, and continue 

 during winter and early spring. They are gen- 

 erally grown in a green-house, and require the 

 same treatment as the Cape Heaths. 



Phyllanthus. From phi/lion, a leaf, and anthos, a 

 flower; the flowers are produced on the edges of 

 the leaves. Linn. Monoecia-Monaddphia. Xat. 

 Ord. Euphorbiacea;. 



A large and very interesting genus of tropical 

 plants. The species include low, creeping an- 

 nuals, and moderate-sized trees. They are re- 

 markable for the neatness of their foliage and 

 general aspect. P. latifolius is frequently culti- 

 vated on account of the pretty and at the same 

 time singular appearance of its leafless, leaf-like 

 branches, covered over at the edges with multi- 

 tudes of pink flowers. It requires to be grown 

 in a warm green-house. 



Ph.yllarth.ron. From phi/lion, a leaf, and arthros, 

 a joint; leaves supposed to be joined, or leaflet 

 articulated on leaf-stalk. Linn. Didynamia-Qyiii- 

 nospermia. Nat. Ord. Crescent iaceoe. 



A small genus of shrubs or small trees, con- 

 fined to the islands of Eastern Africa. They 

 are remarkable for their peculiar jointed leaves. 

 The flowers are pink, and appear in terminal 

 and axillary racemes. They produce a fruit 

 much used in jellies. They require the same 

 treatment as the Bignonias, to which they are al- 

 lied. 



Phyllocactus. From phyllpn, a leaf, and Cactus. 

 Linn. Icosandria-Mono<jyn>a. Nat. Ord. Cacta- 

 cece. 



"Several species and varieties of this genus 

 of Cactacece are cultivated in hot-houses and 

 green-houses for the sake of their fine white or 

 crimson flowers, which are among the largest 

 and most showy of the order. Some confusion 

 exists in their nomenclature, owing to many of 

 the species having formerly been referred to the 

 genera Epipht/llum and Cereus. They are, how- 

 ever, distinguished from the latter by their cu- 

 rious, flat, broad, leaf-like branches; and from 

 the former by their flowers being produced from 

 the notches or indentures along the edges of the 

 branches instead of at the end, and having 

 small, sepal-like segments scattered wide apart 

 on the tube, and numerous long petals variously 

 expanded, so as to form a rose-like, or a funnel, 

 or salver-shaped corolla, with the stamens at- 

 tached to the orifice of the tube, the outer ones 

 being longer than the inner. The nine species 

 described by botanists are found in Mexico, 

 Central America, and Brazil. P. Ackermanni, a 

 native of Mexico, has flowers measuring as much 

 as seven inches across, and of a rich scarlet 

 color, like those of some varieties of Cer&is spe- 

 ciosissimns, with broad, very sharp-pointed, 

 slightly waved petals. Its stems are rounded at 



PHY 



the base, and bear little tufts of short brirtles, 

 and its flat branches are from two to two and a 

 half inches broad, and waved or deeply dented 

 along the margin. P. anguli,jer is a West Mexi- 

 can species, and is remarkable for having its 

 flat branches deeply and sharply lobed, so as to 

 resemble pinnately cut leaves, the lobes almost 

 forming right-angled triangles; its flowers, which 

 are large and fragrant, have brownish petals, 

 and pure white inner ones." P. spefiosti* has 

 beautiful rose-colored flowers. The species are 

 readily increased by cuttings, which should be 

 allowed to dry a day ortwo after being taken off. 



Phylloteenium. Agenusof .draco*, established 

 on a New Grenadian species, formerly called 

 Xanthosma. It resembles the Cabtdiwn, but dif- 

 fers in its persistent leaves, acrid, milky juice, 

 and the absence of rudimentary organs. 



Physalis. Ground Cherry, Strawberry Tomato. 

 From physa, a bladder; alluding to the calyx. 

 Linn. Pentandria-Monotjynia. Nat. Ord. Solana- 



This genus is composed principally of weeds. 

 One or two species have been introduced into 

 the green-house, with, however, but little inter- 

 est or profit. P. Alkelcensji is the Strawberry To- 

 mato, common in cultivated grounds and waste 

 places, having become naturalized from Europe. 

 Physianthus. From physo, a bladder, and an- 

 thos, a flower; alluding to the corolla being in- 

 flated at the base. Linn. Pentandria-Digynia. 

 Nat. Ord. AsclepisidacecK. 



A small genus of green-house climbing plants, 

 natives of Brazil and Buenos Ayres. P. aibens 

 bears immense quantities of pure white, fragrant 

 flowers, in axillary clusters, very much like a sin- 

 gle Tuberose, which are much used in the forma- 

 tion of bouquets during the summer months. 

 It is well adapted for covering trellises, or for any 

 situation where a climber is required, and suc- 

 ceeds best in the warmest situation. It has large 

 and handsome seed-vessels, which look like oval 

 gourds, and which, when opened, are found to 

 contain the seeds, enveloped in a quantity of 

 fine, silky substance, which looks like the co- 

 coons of si Ik -worms after the fine silk has been 

 spun off. They are rapid growers, sometimes 

 growing twenty feet in a summer. They re- 

 quire the protection of the green-house during 

 winter. A wonderful peculiarity of this plant 

 is its power to trap insects. For this reason 

 Professor George Thurber has well named it 

 " The Cruel Plant," and describes the trap con- 

 trivance thus: "The anthers are so placed that 

 their spreading cells form a series of notches in 

 a ring around the pistil. The insect, in putting 

 its proboscis down for the honey, must pass it 

 into one of these notches, and in attempting t<> 

 withdraw it, the end is sure to get caught in a 

 notch, boot-jack fashion, as it wore, and the 

 more the insect pulls, the more its trunk is 

 drawn towards the point of the notch." Thus 

 caught, the insect starves to death; hence the 

 well-deserved namo of "Cruel Plant." Prop- 

 agated by cuttings or by seeds. Introduced in 

 1830. 



Physostegia. From physa, a bladder, and steye, 

 a covering; alluding to the calyx. Linn. Dithfr 

 Kiimi't-Gymnospermia. Nat. Ord. Lamiaeeee. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials, na- 

 tives of North and South America. The several 

 species produce white, pink, purple, and red 

 flowers, in terminal, leafless clusters. They are 

 nearly allied to the Dracocephalum, and require 

 the same treatment. 



