320 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OP PLANTS 



PHL 



food from the trees they grow upon. Nat. Ord. 

 LoramthacecB. 



A genus of shrubby plants with coriaceous 

 greenish foliage and small, white, pulpy, one- 

 seeded berries. P. flaveacens, the American 

 Mistletoe, found parasitic on various decid- 

 uous-leaved trees from New Jersey to Illinois 

 southward and westward, has in many 

 Instances proved destructive to the forest 

 trees upon which it fastens itself, more 

 especially to the Elms, Hickories, and Wild 

 Cherries. Though not so ornamental as the 

 English Mistletoe, it is largely used as a sub- 

 stitute for it during the hoUdays. 

 Phlox. From phlox, a. flame ; in reference to 

 the brilliancy of the flowers. Nat. Ord. Pole- 

 moniacecB. 



This extensive and interesting genus is ex- 

 clusively North American, and contains many 

 of our most valuable hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials, and one invaluable hardy annual. What 

 are commonly termed Perennial Phloxes are 

 seedlings, varieties from P. panic/ulata, which 

 is common from Pennsylvania to Illinois and 

 southward. Of this species there are several 

 varieties, all of the same general character, 

 producing immense terminal clusters of white, 

 pink, purple, and crimson flowers. From 

 this species and from P. maailata, a lower 

 growing species, common in the Middle and 

 Western States, have originated the many 

 rare and beautiful varieties that are now 

 attracting such universal attention. The 

 hybridizing of this class has chiefly been done 

 by European florists ; a pleasant and proflt- 

 able work that should not have passed out of 

 our own hands, and would not but for the too 

 common error, that plants, as well as all other 

 commodities, to be truly valuable, must be 

 stamped with a foreign seal. It is claimed by 

 some of the foreign horticulturists that the 

 finer hybrids are crosses between the annual 

 and perennial species, and the brilliant color 

 so characteristic of them gives some credence 

 to the assertion. Many of the species have 

 long been cultivated, and regarded as the 

 most valuable plants for the border. A few 

 of the more valuable are worthy of special 

 mention. P. subulata. Moss Pink or Ground 

 Pink, is a beautiful dwarf-growing species, 

 rarely exceeding six inches in height, andgrow- 

 ing in dense tufts, and producing its pink, 

 purple, or white flowers, which usually have 

 a dark centre, in great profusion in early 

 spring. This species is very common from 

 New York to Michigan and southward. P. 

 reptans, OTStolonifera, is another dwarf species, 

 of a rambling habit, with neat foliage and 

 numerous clusters of bright crimson flowers. 

 It is one of our most showy early spring flow- 

 ering plants, blooming early in May. The 

 flowers are nearly as large as the late, tall- 

 growing species. P. divarieata, produces blu- 

 ish-lilac flowers from April to June, and grows 

 about the same height as the former species. 

 This species is found in moist, rocky woods 

 in the Middle States, north and west. P. 

 pilosa grows about one foot high, and pro- 

 duces its lovely pink flowers in May and June. 

 P. DrwmmondM, the only annual species, is a 

 native of Texas, where it was discovered in 

 1835 by Mr. Drummond, a botanical collector 

 sent out by the Glasgow (Scotland) Botanical 

 Society. The seeds of this were sent home, 

 and soon after the discoverer fell a victim to 



PHCE 



the fever in Cuba, aad died. For this reason 

 Sir W. J. Hooker named the plant Phlox 

 DrummondAi, that it might " serve as a fre- 

 quent memento of its unfortunate discov- 

 erer." There can be no stronger proof of the 

 value and beauty of this species than the 

 extent to which it is grown. Each year new 

 varieties are added to the list, and, thus far, 

 each year shows a marked improvement over 

 the past, both in size and color of the flower, 

 and in their extraordinary markings and 

 variations. The varieties now include white, 

 pink, rose, purple, and scarlet colors, and a 

 near approach to yellow. Some of the scar- 

 lets have pure white eyes, and many of the 

 others have the same distinctive marking. 

 The only treatment required for this species 

 is to sow the seed in early spring, where the 

 plants are wanted to grow ; and for perfection 

 of flower the plants should be thinned out to 

 one foot apart each way. They may also be 

 started in the green-house or in a hot-bed, 

 and pricked out in pots and boxes, and 

 earlier flowers thus secured. The perennial 

 species are increased by cuttings or by divis- 

 ion of roots in spring. They should in no 

 case be allowed to stand undivided more than 

 three years, and they produce larger and finer 

 flowers if separated every spring. 



Phoeniceus. Deep red, with an admixture of 

 scarlet or carmine. 



Fhcsmcophc'rium. From Phcemix, date, and 

 phoreo, to bear. Nat. Ord. PalmcuxcB. 



A genus of rare and beautiful Palms, natives 

 of the Seychelles Islands. P. SeycheUarum, 

 the only representative of the genus, was 

 formerly called Stevensonia grandlfolia. It is 

 a stemless species, from whose base spring 

 numerous leaves with copper-colored stalks 

 studded with black spines. The blade of the 

 leaf is wedge-shaped, and of a bronzy hue. 

 The young leaves are of a rich cinnamon- 

 brown color. This Palm is now cultivated for 

 decorative purposes, and is one of the hand- 

 somest and most admired plants for that, 

 purpose. Toung plants are obtained from 

 seed. 



Phoe'nis. Date Palm. The Greek name of the- 

 Date. Nat. Ord. PalmacecB. 



This genus, though not extensive, is one of 

 the most interesting of the order. The spe- 

 cies are chiefly confined to northern Africa, 

 and tropical Asia. Some of the species are 

 dwarf-growing, but they mostly attain the 

 height of from fifty to sixty feet. " The Date 

 Palm, P. dactylifera, is cultivated in immense 

 quantities all over the northern parts of 

 Africa, and more sparingly in western Asia 

 and southern Europe ; and in some of these 

 countries its fruit, though only known by us 

 as a preserved fruit, affords the principal 

 food of a large proportion of the inhabitants, 

 and likewise of the various domestic animals, 

 dogs, horses, and camels being alike partial 

 to it. The tree usually grows about sixty or 

 eighty feet high, and lives to a great age, 

 trees of from one to two hundred years old 

 continuing to produce their annual crop of 

 Dates. The fruit, however, is not the only ' 

 valuable part of this widely dispersed tree; 

 for, as with the Cocoanut tree, nearly every 

 part is applied to some useful purpose. The 

 huts of the poorer classes are entirely con- 

 structed of its leaves ; the fibre surrounding 



