877 



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[PHCEN j 



like process at one end. The genus derives 

 its name from the localities in which the 

 species is found. 



The flowers of this plant consist of a yel- 

 low perianth in two segments, and three 

 stamens— one fertile opposite the lower 

 segment of the perianth, two sterile and pe- 

 taloid. Dr. Lindley describes the flower as 

 wanting the calyx, and having a two-leaved 

 corolla ; tout from the fact that the upper | 

 segment is frequently notched, and from 

 the arrangement of the veins and the posi- j 

 tion of the stamens, it seems preferable to 

 consider the parts of the perianth as con- J 

 stituting a calyx rather than a corolla. ; 

 The leaves are equitant, spongy within, and i 

 with partitions of star-shaped cells. The 

 structure of the flower-stalk is like that of 

 an Exogen rather than an Endogen, being 

 cellular on the outside and in the centre, 

 while between the two layers a perfect 

 circle of woody tissue occurs. The pollen- 

 grains are round, and cohere in groups of j 

 four. [M. T. M.] | 



PHLEBODirM. One of the net-veined ! 

 genera separated from Polypodium, with 

 which it agrees entirely in respect to the I 

 fructification. The veins are reticulated, 

 with free included veinlets, which are ex- 

 current; and the sori are placed on the 

 ! converging apices of two or more of these 

 veinlets occupying an elongated areole, the 

 costal areole being transverse and void. 

 The typical species is P. aureum. [T. M.] j 



PHLEBOMORPHA. The mycelium of 

 certain fungals. 



PHLEUM. A genus of grasses belong- 

 ing to the tribe Agrostidece. The inflores- 

 I cence is mostly in oval spike-like panicles ; 

 i glumes boat-shaped, keeled, with short 

 i awns at their points; palesor inner glumes 

 j shorter than the outer, with a short awn 

 I on the back. Of this genus fourteen species | 

 have been described by authors, most of 

 which belong to Northern Europe. P. pra- 

 tense is the Cat's-tail or Timothy Grass of 

 agriculturists, and a very valuable species, 

 being one of the earliest and most produc- 

 tive among British grasses. This species 

 is the badge of the Sutherlands. P. alpi- 

 num is an Alpine plant, and only found in 

 one or two localities on the Scotch moun- 

 tains, at great elevations. [D. M.j 



PHLCEUM. The cellular layer of bark 

 below the epidermis. 



PHLOMIS. A genus of the labiate or- 

 der, having the border of the calyx entire 

 or three-toothed, and the tube of the co- 

 rolla short, theupperlip compressed, entire 

 or notched, and the lower three-cleft and 

 spreading. The species are herbs and 

 shrubs, found in different parts of Europe 

 and Asia, with wrinkled leaves, and flowers 

 yellow, white, or purple. Several have been 

 long known as garden plants. The name 

 is adopted from one used by ancient Greek 

 writers, [G. D.] 



PHLOX. Favourite showy herbaceous 

 plants, mostly perennial, belonging to the 

 Polemoniacem, and distinguished by the fol- 



lowing characters :— calyx deeply five-cleft ; 

 corolla salver-shaped, with an elongated | 

 tubeand wedge-shaped segments, which are | 

 twisted before expansion ; stamens five, in- I 

 serted above the middle of the tube ; cells ' 

 of the capsule one-seeded. Most of the 

 species agree in sending up rod-like un- 

 branched stems, one to four feet high, with 

 opposite undivided leaves, and terminal 

 panicles of handsome flowers, which are 

 white, blue, some shade of red, or varie- 

 gated. They are all natives of North Ame- 

 rica, and many species have been so long 

 cultivated and hybridised that their spe- 

 cific names have given place in many in- 

 stances to the names by which they are 

 distinguished by horticulturists. P.Drum- 

 marndi, an annual species, is among the 

 most showy of the family, and from its low 

 habit, and profusion of flowers of many 

 hues, is deservedly popular. German, 

 Flammeiiblume. [C. A. J.] 



PHOBEROS. Scolopia. 



PHGENICEOTJS. Pure lively red, with a 

 mixture of carmine and scarlet. 



PHCENIX. With the exception of two 

 species found in South-eastern Africa, this 

 genus of palms, of which about a dozen 

 species are known, is confined to Northern 

 Africa and tropical Asia, extending as far 

 east as Hong Kong. As a genus it is readily 

 distinguished by its pinnate leaves from 

 the other genera of the tribe Coryphees, 

 which is characterised by the flowers pos- 

 sessing three distinct ovaries. Some spe- 

 cies have scarcely any trunk, while others 

 (as the Date Palm) rise to a great height, 

 and have their trunks thickly covered with 

 the scars of fallen leaves. The flower-spikes 

 grow out from amongst the leaves and 

 bear flowers of one sex only, the two sexes 

 being upon distinct trees. Both kinds have 

 a cup-shaped three-toothed calyx, and a 

 corolla of three petals with their edges 

 valvate in the male, and overlapping in 

 the female ; the former containing usually 

 six (very rarely three or nine) stamens, 

 with hardly any filaments and narrow erect 

 anthers, and the latter three distinct 

 ovaries with sessile hooked stigmas. Only 

 one of the ovaries, however, comes to per- 

 fection, and ripens into a one-seeded fleshy 

 fruit, the seed being composed of horny 

 albumen with a groove down the front and 

 the embryo placed at the back. 



The Date Palm, P. dactylifera, is culti- 

 vated in immense quantities all over the 

 northern part 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 an article of luxury, 

 affords the principal food of a large pro- 

 portion 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. Numerous varieties are re- 

 cognised by the Arabs and distinguished 



