298 Solanacee@—Solanum. 
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. gigantewm, a large prickly shrub from the Cape of Good 
Hope, attaining a height of 20 feet. Leaves large, ovate, 
covered with a whitish pubescence. Flowers numerous, small, 
violet. — S. marginadtum, 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.—S. laciniatum, syn. S. aviculire, a succu- 
lent glabrous species with large pinnatifid leaves and blue 
flowers, a native of New Zealand.—S. robtstum, a Brazilian 
species with decurrent spiny very large leaves which are clothed 
with a white or rufous pubescence.—S. verbascifoliwm, a tall 
unarmed species from India and Australia, with large ovate 
leaves densely clothed with a soft velvety tomentum.—S. 
bettcenum, a splendid species from 6 to 12 feet high with 
large cordate shining leaves and white flowers. Besides these 
we may enumerate: S. crinitum, S. auriculatum, S. aculea- 
tissimum, S. qlancophyllum, 8. callicdrpum, S. galeatum, 
and S. macranthum. 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 dvca, a 
bladder, the form of the mature calyx. 
1. Ph. Alkehingi. Winter Cherry—A dwarf branching 
perennial with geminate ovate entire acute leaves and solitary 
axillary small white flowers on slender peduncles. Calyx 
