Clje Crcasurj) al 3Sotaiij). 



[PHAG 



species present an immense variety in re- 

 spect of form, size, colour, and clothing, 

 and are generally remarkable for elegance. 

 Some are mere specks, while others are 

 several inches across. They grow on the na- 

 ked ground, and upon all sorts of decaying 

 vegetable substances, a few being essen- 

 tially inhabitants of the dung of auimals. 

 Some of the large species approach very 

 near to Helvella, and there is little doubt 

 that such species as P. Acetabulum are 

 .equally wholesome with the esculent Eel- 

 velke. ' A form of P. coclileata is sometimes 

 sold as a substitute for morels. Amongst 

 the most conspicuous in this country are 

 P. aurantia, which grows about the stumps 

 of old felled oaks, and is of the brightest 

 orange ; P. coccinea, which grows on dead 

 sticks supported by a decided stalk, is white 

 externally and of a bright scarlet within ; 

 while P. onotica, which is ear-shaped, is of 

 the most delicate orange inclining to rose- 

 coloured. Many other species might be 

 quoted of almost equal beauty, though 

 scarcely so brilliant and attractive inpoiut 

 of colour. In a few there is a large tuber- 

 ous root, which, like the tuber of a phseno- 

 gam, lies dormant for a time, and two or 

 three species are almost strictly subterra- 

 neous. The Pezizce have their maximum 

 in the temperate zones, but the tropics pro- 

 duce some exquisite species. [M. J. B.] 



FFEES. An Indian name for Chamcerops 

 Bitchiana. 



PFEIFFERA. A name given to a genus 

 of Cactucew, in honour of Dr. PfeifEer, a 

 German author of several works on that 

 order of plants. The only known species, 

 P. cereijormis, a native of Mexico, is an 

 erect branching fleshy plant afoot or more 

 in height, resembling a Cereus in general 

 appearance, having a three or four-sided 

 stem, and branches of the same shape, with 

 the angles wan', and bearing at short dis- 

 tances white downy cushions furnished 

 with five to seven sharp bristly spines. 

 The flowers are white tinged with rose- 

 colour, and have two rows of erect seg- 

 ments, the outer ones or sepals being 

 shorter and the inner lance-shaped and 

 forming a funnel-shaped corolla; their nu- 

 merous stamens are shorter than the co- 

 rolla, and the columnar style bears a five 

 or six-rayed stigma. The young berries 

 are bluntly five-sided, with tufts of spiny 

 bristles on the angles, but become globular 

 tabout half an inch in diameter), pellucid, 

 and of a reddish-violet colour,crowned wi th 

 the withered flower. [A. S.J 



PHACA. A genus of Leguminoscp, long 

 adopted as distinct from Astragalus, in 

 that the partition— which, in the latter 

 genus, almost or quite completely divides 

 the pod into two cells— is reduced in Phaca 

 to a slightly prominent rib, or at most pro- 

 jects halfway across the pod. A consider- 

 able number of American and a few Eu- 

 ropean and Asiatic species were referred 

 to it; but now that a much greater number 

 of Astragali have been carefully examined, 

 this difference in the pod is found to be in 



many instances so vague, and always to 

 bear so little relation to habit and other 

 characters, that the species of Phaca have 

 now all been reunited with Astragalus. 



PHACELIA. Annual or perennial herbs, 

 with branched tufted stems, incised leaves, 

 and spikes of blue flowers, which when in 

 bud are circinate like those of heliotrope. 

 They belong to the Hydrophyllacece, and 

 are marked by the fugacious corolla and 

 two-celled capsule. All are natives of Ame- 

 rica, and some of the annual species are 

 cultivated as border-plants. [C. A. J.J 



PHACIDIACEI. A natural order of as- 

 cigerous Fungi with a coriaceous or carbo- 

 naceous receptacle, and the disk at length 

 exposed by the regular or irregular fissure 

 of the outer coat. They are in fact Helvella- 

 cei as far as the hymenium is concerned, 

 and Sph&riacei as regards the receptacle 

 orperithecium. In the typical genus, Pha- 

 ciclium, the depressed receptacles burst 

 above by a few angular laciniEe. The finest 

 and most common of our British species, 

 P. coronatum, occurs on dead leaves in 

 woods, and is often very pretty with its 

 yellow disk surrounded by black teeth. 

 Bysterium borders very closely on Opegra- 

 pha, as does the genus Splucria among the 

 Sphceriacei on Verrucaria. [M. J. B.J 



PHACOCAPNOS. A genus of Fumaria- 

 cece from the Cape of Good Hope, consisting 

 of a climbing herb with the habit of Cory- 

 clalis claviculata, but differing from that 

 genus in having the seeds without a stro- 

 phiole at the hilum. [J- T. S.J 



PH/EDRANASSA. A genus of Amaryl- 

 lidacece, comprising a few bulbous plants 

 of Peru and Quito. They have broadish 

 ovate leaves, and terete scapes supporting 

 an umbel of several drooping flowers. The 

 perianth is tubular funnel-shaped, shorter 

 on the lower side, the tube short, and the 

 limb nearly erect, of spathulate convolute 

 segments. There are six exserted stamens 

 growing from the top of the tube ; a straight 

 style with simple clavate stigma; and a 

 three-celled ovary with the ovules crowded 

 in two rows in each cell. P. chlo^acra is 

 a very handsome plant with flowers up- 

 wards of two inches long, the short tube 

 green and the convolute limb segments 

 purplish-rose, tipped with green. [T. M.J 



PH2ENOCARPOUS. Bearing a fruit 

 which has no adhesion with surrounding 

 parts. 



PBLEXOGAMOT3. 

 flowers. 



Having manifest 

 Prefixed to Greek 



PH^O, PHAIOS 

 compounds = fuscous. 



PH/EOCORDYLIS. PJiopalocnemis. 



PHiEOCYST. The name given by De- 

 caisne to the Cytoblast. 

 PHiEOSTOMA. Clarkia. 



PHAGNAEON. A genus of the tribe 

 Aslerece of Composite, readily recognised 

 by its habit. Its essential character is 



