328 Solanacece Sotanum. 



bearing small white flowers followed by black, yellow or red 

 berries. 



Although there are no hardy ornamental species in cultivation, 

 there are many species employed for Summer decoration 

 in the flower-garden. These species are so numerous that 

 imperfect descriptions are of little service ; but as the scope of 

 our work will not admit of space for complete differential 

 descriptions, we must content ourselves with a superficial notice 

 of a few of those in general cultivation. 



S. gigdnteum, a large prickly shrub from the Cape of (rood 

 Hope, attaining a height of 20 feet. Leaves large, ovate, 

 covered with a whitish pubescence. Flowers numerous, small, 

 violet. 8. margindtum, a very handsome shrubby species 

 about 6 feet high, from Abyssinia. Leaves prickly, cordate, 

 clothed with a white indumentum. Flowers large, white with 

 a purple centre. 8. lacinidtum, syn. 8. aviculare, a succu- 

 lent glabrous species with large pinnatifid leaves and blue 

 flowers, a native of New Zealand. 8. robustum, a Brazilian 

 species with decurrent spiny very large leaves which are clothed 

 with a white or rufous pubescence. 8. verbascifolium, a tall 

 unarmed species from India and Australia, with large ovate 

 leaves densely clothed with a soft velvety tomentum. 8. 

 betdceum, a splendid species from 6 to 12 feet high with 

 large cordate shining leaves and white flowers. Besides these 

 we may enumerate : 8. crinltum^ S. auriculdtum, S. aculea- 

 tissimum, S. glaucophyllum, 8. callicdrpuwi, S. galedtum, 

 and S. macrdnthum. Cultivators have recently devoted some 

 attention to these plants, and they have already raised many 

 fine hybrid varieties. 



4. PHYSALIS. 



Herbs or shrubs, differing from the last genus in the calyx, 

 which enlarges after the expansion of the flower, and ultimately 

 becomes much inflated, and encloses the baccate fruit. The 

 anthers, too, open by longitudinal chinks instead of terminal 

 pores. With the exception of one European species these 

 plants are from tropical or sub-tropical regions, occurring 

 in both the Old and New Worlds. The name is from </>Oaa, a 

 bladder, the form of the mature calyx. 



1. Ph. Alkekengi. Winter Cherry. A dwarf branching 

 perennial with geminate ovate entire acute leaves and solitary 

 axillary small white flowers on slender peduncles. Calyx 



