AND GENERAL HOETICULTUEE . 



317 



PEU 



the green-house or in a hot-bed, and trans- 

 planted into the border. If the soil is rich, 

 the plants should be set three feet apart each 

 ■way. A peculiarity of the blotched varieties, 

 particularly among the double ones, is that, 

 when propagated from cuttings for a few 

 years, the tendency is to run back to the dark 

 color, all white markings being obliterated. 

 Plants from cuttings will flower from June 

 until after they have had several degrees of 

 frost. 



Peuce'danum. The old Greek name used by 

 Hippocrates. Nat. Ord. UmbellifercB. 



A large genus of pereimial, rarely annual, 

 herbs, or shrubs, dispersed over the Northern 

 Hemisphere, the Andes of tropical America, 

 and tropical and southern Africa. The species 

 are of little horticultural value. Pastinaca 

 sativa, the Parsnip, is by some authors placed 

 under this genus. 



Peu'mus. Said to be the native name in Chili. 

 Nat. Ord. Monimiacem. 



P. Boldus, the only described species, is a 

 small evergreen, fragrant green-house shrub, 

 bearing its terminal cymes of white flowers in 

 May. The leaves are used in medicine, the 

 fruit is edible, and the bark Is used in tanning. 



Pe3?Tou'sia. A synonym of Lapeyrousia, which 

 see. 



Pfa'ffia. Named in honor of 0. H. Pfaff, Profes- 

 sor of Chemistry at Kiel, 1774-1852. Nat. Ord. 

 Amarwnthouxoe. 



A genus of erect, slender, plant-stove herbs, 

 natives of Brazil. P. Gnaphaloides, the only 

 introduced species, has white flowers, borne 

 in dense spikes or heads. It is seldom met 

 with in cultivation. Syn. Celoaia. 



Fha'ca. Bastard Vetch. Prom pAa^o, to eat ; a 

 name adopted by Dioscorides. Nat. Ord. 

 Legv/minoscB. 



A genus of showy, hardy, herbaceous, per- 

 ennial plants, suitable for the front of shrub- 

 bery borders. Their flowers are of many 

 shades of white, yellow, rose, or purple. The 

 species are common throughout the States. 

 This genus is now included by Bentham and 

 Hooker under Astragalus. 



Phace'lia. From phakelos, a bundle ; in refer- 

 ence to the disposition of the flowers. Nat. 

 Ord. Hydrophyllacece. 



Very curious plants, which produce their 

 flowers in one-sided fascicles, which unroll 

 themselves slowly The flowers are rather 

 pretty in themselves, but are half-hidden by 

 their bracts and coarse-growing leaves. Some 

 of the species are perennials, and others bien- 

 nial or annual. The Californian species are 

 annuals with blue flowers, but the South 

 American kinds are biennials or perennials 

 with pink flowers. Syn. Cosmcmthus. 



Phaedrana'ssa. Queen Lily. Prom phaidros, 

 gay, and anassa, queen. Nat. Ord. Amarylli- 

 dacece. 



A small genus of bulbs, natives of Peru and 

 Quito. They are found at an elevation of 

 9,000 feet above the sea, growing among the 

 rocks, where there is notj seemingly, suffi- 

 cient earth to sustain vegetable Ufe. They are 

 handsome, though not very showy plants. 

 The flowers are about two inches long, in the 

 form of a slender tube, of a light pea-green 

 color, tipped with pink. The bulbs require a 

 long season of rest after flowering, which is 



PHA 



usually in winter. They are easily grown in 

 a cool green-house with the most ordinary 

 care, and are increased by offsets. Intro- 

 duced in 1844. 

 Fhaenoco'ma. From phaino, to shine, and home, 

 hair ; referring to the color and nature of the 

 involucre. Nat. Ord. Compoaitce) 



P. proUfera, the only species, is an^xceed- 

 ingly handsome, small, hard-wooded, ever- 

 green shrub, which has a most interesting and 

 peculiar hoary appearance at all seasons of 

 the year. The plant commences to produce 

 its bright pink, everlasting blossoms when in 

 a small state, and remains in full beauty for 

 nearly three months. It is a great favorite in 

 Europe in all collections of hard-wooded 

 plants, but, though many attempts have been 

 made, we are not aware that it has been suc- 

 cessfully imported to this country. It is a 

 native of the Cape of Good Hope, and was 

 introduced in 1789. Syn. Elichryewm and 

 Xercmthemum proliferum. 



Fhaeno'gamous. A term applied to such plants 

 as are visibly furnished with sexual organs. 



Fhaenospe'rma. From phaino, to shine, and 

 sperma, a seed; alluding to the glistening 

 seeds. Nat. Ord. Graminacem. 



P. glohoawm, introduced from China in 1874, is 

 the only described species. It is a tall, hardy, 

 ornamental grass, easily increased by seeds 

 sown in spring. 



Phai'ua. From phaios, shining; in allusion to 

 the beauty of the original species. Nat. Ord. 

 Orchidaceoe. 



An interesting genus of Orchids, generally 

 terrestrial natives of tropical Africa, Aus- 

 tralia, the Pacific Islands, China and Japan. 

 The species are free-flowering and are of easy 

 management. They thrive best in a compost 

 of turfy loam, leaf-mould and well rotted 

 cow dung; plenty of heat and moisture are 

 essential during the growing season, but in 

 winter, or when at rest, they should be 

 kept in a low temperature, such as that of 

 the green-house, and while there should be 

 nearly dry. In early spring re-pot them, 

 and replace them in the hot-house, where 

 they soon grow and ultimately flower. P. 

 Wallichii, P. BensoncB (syn. Thwnia), P. albws 

 (syn. Thunia) and P. grandifolius, are all desir- 

 able species, and should be in every collection. 

 The latter is often grown under the name of 

 BUtia Tankervillim. See Orchids. 



Phalaeno'psis. Moth Orchid. Sometimes 

 called the East Indian Butterfly Orchid. 

 From phalaima, a moth, and opsis, like; in 

 allusion to the appearance of the flowers, 

 which bear a striking resemblance to that 

 insect ; whence the common name. Nat. Ord. 

 Orchidacem. 



The various species of Phalaenopsis are 

 prized by growers as among the most beauti- 

 ful of cultivated Orchids. The flowers, which 

 are nearly circular in outline and about two 

 inches and a half in diameter, vary from pure 

 white to a beautiful rose-color, the central 

 portion being marked with delicate streaks of 

 crimson ; the sepals and petals are thick and 

 leathery, and, as the name implies, a fancied 

 resemblance may be traced between the flow- 

 ers of this plant and a large white moth. In 

 culture the species requires a very high tem- 

 perature ; it should be grown in the hottest 



