124 



CASSELL'S POPULAR QAEDENIN&. 



showy ornaments in the plant-houses. Pot in 

 sandy loam, drain well, and water freely. Stove. 



P. MaTcoyana. — ^A small erect shrub, with oblong- 

 lanceolate coriaceous leaves ; deep green ; flowers in 

 terminal racemes, calyx large, bright rosy-carmine, 

 from which the dark purple corolla protrudes. Sum. 

 mer months. Brazil. Now called Goethea Makoyana. 



F. multijlora. — This, like the preceding, is a pro- 

 fuse bloomer; calyx brUhaiit red, fringed at the 

 edges, coroUa deep purple, stamens much exserted, 

 and bright blue. Summer and winter months. 

 Brazil. Now called Goethea multijlora. 



Pentas. — A genus of soft-growing shrubs, be- 

 longing to the Cinchonads. They are plants of 

 easy culture and great beauty, but require frequent 

 stopping to keep them bushy. The flowers are 

 admirably adapted for cutting for bouquets, or, in- 

 deed, any other purpose where choice flowers are 

 required. Pot in leaf-moidd, peat, loam, and sand, 

 in about equal parts. Stove. 



F. carnea. — Leaves opposite, slightly hirsute and 

 bright green ; flowers tubular, with a flat spreading 

 limb, composed of five ovate segments ; these are 

 produced, in dense termiual trusses ; soft pink in 

 colour. Winter months. West Africa. 



P. rosea. — A slightly stronger-growing plant than 

 the previous one, differing chiefly in the colour of 

 its flowers, which are a rich deep rose. Winter 

 months. West Africa. 



Peperomia. — A genus of Pepper- worts, but with 

 no economic properties ; there are an immense num- 

 ber of species, but although aU are interesting, few 

 are sufficiently attractive to flnd a place in the plant- 

 houses of amateurs. Pot in peat and loam, with some 

 sand added. Stove. 



P. argyrea — a handsome 

 dwarf plant, seldom ex- 

 ceeding ten inches in 

 heiglit; leaves orbicular, 

 snme £Te incUes long, 

 t_iok and fleshy in tex- 

 tile ; bright green, mar- 

 bled with silvery-white. 

 BrazU, 



F. marmoratar— leaves thick 

 and fleshy, ovate and 

 acuminate ; bright green, 



maxbled and spotted with 

 white. Brazil. 

 P.prostrata — an elegant pen- 

 dulous plant ; should be 

 grown in a hanging basket. 

 Leaves alternate, small, 

 nearly round, supported on 

 long pendent tluead-like 

 stems, thick and fleshy; 

 ground-colour light green, 

 veined silvery-white, varie- 

 gated with brown. 



Petrsea. — A genus of Verbenaceous plants, 

 mostly climbers ; they are very showy and deserve 

 greater attention than usually falls to their lot. Pot 

 in equal parts of peat and loam, with a little sand. 

 Stove, 



P. erecta. — The leaves of both species are rough, 

 harsh, and very unpleasant to handle ; the ^flowers 

 of this plant are produced in long pendent racemes' 

 and are rich bright blue. Summer months. Tropical 

 America. 



F.'voluiilis.—A climbing plant, producing long 

 pendent racemes of bloom ; the calyx soft lavender, 

 corolla rich violet-purple. Summer months. Mexico. 



Philodendron. — ^A large genus of Aracece, all 

 natives of various parts of Tropical America, most of 

 them are bold-growing plants, climbing the trunks 

 of the forest trees by the aid of their stout aerial 

 roots. As young plants, and before they begin to 

 climb, they are extremely ornamental and well de- 

 serve more extensive cultivation ; by cutting them 

 down from time to time they can be kept from 

 climbing. Plants of easy culture, requiring plenty of 

 heat and moisture ; pot in peat and loam in equal 

 parts. Stove. 



P. Carderi— leaves cordate ; 



intense deep satiny-green, 



the midrib and principal 



veins light green with a 



glaucous hue, reverse 



side reddish-purple, veined 



"with green. 

 P. elegans — ^leaves pinna- 



tifid, deep shining green 



above, somewhat paler 



below. 

 P. erubescens — leaves large, 



cordate ; deep bronzy- 

 red when young, changing 



to dark shining green. 

 P. gloriosum — leaves cor- 

 date ; deep bottle-green 



with a satiny surface, 



the midrib and principal 



veins ivor^^-white, reverse 



side greenish-white. 

 P. melanochrysum — leaves 



medium-sized, and <^deep 



green, the upper side 



burnished with gold. 



F. pinnatifidum — afinebold. 

 growing species, having 

 large deep green pinnatifid 

 leaves ; it makes a fine 

 sub-tropical plant in sum- 

 mer. 



P. punctatum— this is not a 

 climbing plant ; the leaves 

 are deep green and pinna^ 

 tifid, the large spathes are 

 freely produced amongst 

 the petioles ; pure white, 

 spotted with blood-red. 



P. Simsii — a grand and mas- 

 sive species, with cordate- 

 acumiuate leaves, rich 

 bright shining green 

 above, paler below. 



P. Williamsii — this is a 

 superb species with large 

 sagittate leaves of a bright 

 green, with pale green 

 midrib and veins, reverse 

 Bide light green, veined 

 with heavy pxurple. 



Phyllagathis. — ^A genus of Melastomads, re- 

 quiring very strong heat and a moist atmosphere, or 

 the edges of the leaves become brown. Pot in rough 

 peat, leaf-mould, and sand. Stove. 



P. rotundifolia. — This is a thoroughly distinct and 

 handsome-leaved plant. Stem stout, quadrangular, 

 about a foot in height ; leaves opposite, almost round, 

 measuring from six to nine inches across ; the upper 

 surface plaited and polished, intense deep blackish- 

 green, flushed with red, under side deep red, veins 

 prominent ; the flowers, which have little beauty, are 

 borne in terminal corymbs. 



Phyllanthus. — A large genus of MuphorUacea, 



with much diversity in habit, some of the species 



being extremely ornamental; their leaves are entire, 



but so arranged as to present the appearance of 



pinnate leaves to a casual observer. They enjoy a 



high temperature and moist atmosphere ; pot in peat 



and a little loam. Stove. 



F, atropurpureus— a slender with age to deep purple. 



twiggy plant with dull South Sea Islands, 



purple stems ; the round- P. nivosus — similar in halnt 



ish entire leaves are green to the preceding ; the 



when young, changing leaves in a young state 



