phyl] 



Elje QCxeagurv at ^fltanp. 



882 



glossum. It may be added that the germi- 

 nation of Ophioglossum, as far as is known, 

 seems to confirm the affinity. [M. J. B.] 



Phylloglossum Drummondi. 



PHYLLOIDEOUS. The same as Folia- 

 ceous. 



PHYLLOMA. The leaf-like thallus of 

 algals, as in Viva. 



PHYLLOMANIA. The production of 

 leaves in unusual numbers, or in unusual 

 places. 



PHYLLOPHORA. A genus of rose-spor- 

 ed Algcs belonging to the Cryptonemiacew, 

 with compound nuclei, tetraspores collect- 

 ed in raised warts, and a flat flabelliform 

 cleft frond. P. rubens is very common on 

 our coast, and extremely beautiful when 

 clear of parasites, but generally rough with 

 Melobesice or zoophytes. Three others oc- 

 cur in our seas, of which P. membranifolla 

 alone is at all common. [M. J. B ] 



PHYLLOPTOSIS. As the leaves of plants 

 are temporary organs, they are of course 

 subject to decay. In some cases their con- 

 , tinuation with the stems is so intimate 

 I that they hang on to it when dead, till de- 

 I composition due to atmospheric agents 

 completely destroys them. In many cases 

 they are articulated to the stem, and when 

 vitality is reduced below a certain point 

 toy excess of heat, deficiency of moisture, 

 old age, or any other cause, they fall off, 

 and leave a scar behind. Schacht supposes 

 that a layer of cork cells is formed at the 

 point of division, which renders their sepa- 

 ration easy and protects the scar. We 

 have observed something like this in pears, 

 but we cannot find that it is a universal 

 condition. Trees lose their leaves at very 

 different periods ; in most cases they fall 

 the first year; the Scotch fir retains them 

 three years, and the silver fir and spruce 

 eight or ten years. [M. J. B.] 



PHYLLOTA. A genus of Leguminosw, 

 of the suborder Papilionacece, consisting 

 of Australian shrubs with heath-like leaves 

 and yellow flowers. They have the habit of 

 Lilhnjnia, and their characters are inter- 

 mediate between that genus and Pultencea. 



PHYLLOTAXIS. The manner in which 

 are distributed over a stem. 



PHYLLULA. The scar left on a branch 

 toy the fall of a leaf. 



PHYLLUM. A sepal. In Greek com- 

 pounds = a leaf. 



PHYMATODES. Pleopeltis. 



PHYSALIS. This name, derived from 

 the Greek phusa, a toladder, is applied to a 

 genus of herbs and shrubs of the family 

 Solanacece. The calyx is five-cleft, and 

 greatly increases in size after the corolla 

 falls off, so that the fruit is enclosed within 

 a large leafy bladder, whence the name. 

 Thecorolla isfolded in the bud, bell-shaped 

 or wheel-shaped, and conceals the five sta- 

 mens within its tube; the anthers open by 

 long slits; and the fruit is succulent, two- 

 celled, enclosed within the distended calyx. 

 The species are widely distributed in tro- 

 pical countries, both of the Old and New 

 World, and one is found even in the south- 

 ern and middle districts of Europe. 



Several species are grown in English gar- 

 dens, the best known being the hardy Euro- 

 pean species, P. Alkekengi, better known 

 as the Winter Cherry, a name which it has 

 received in consequence of its scarlet 

 cherry-like fruit enclosed within the en- 

 larged calyx, which also assumes a bright 

 red colour, and thus renders the plant very 

 ornamental in the toeginning of the winter 

 season. The calyx of this plant is fre- 

 quently macerated so as to separate and 

 preserve the fibrous network of A^eins by 

 which it is traversed, in the same manner 

 as in the skeleton leaves. In Arabia, and 

 even in Germany and Spain, the fruits, 

 which have a slightly acid taste, are eaten 

 for dessert. The fruits of P. peruviana are 

 likewise edible, as well as those of P. pit- 

 besceus, the Camaru of Brazil. 



Several of the species are considered to 

 possess medicinal properties ; those already 

 mentioned are said to beusef ul as diuretics, 

 while P. somnifera has, as its name implies, 

 narcotic properties, on which account it 

 was mentioned by Dioscorides. The leaves 

 of this plant steeped in warm castor-oil 

 are employed in India as an application to 

 carbuncles and other inflammatory swell- 

 ings. They are very bitter, and are given 

 in the form of infusion in fevers. The 

 seeds are stated to be employed to coagu- 

 late milk. According to Kunth, the leaves 

 of this plant have been found with the 

 Egyptian mummies. [M. T. M.J 



PHYSEMATIUM. Woodsia. 



PHYSEUMA. The toranch of a Chara. 



PHYSIC, CALVER'S. A North Ameri- 

 can name for Veronica virginica. — , IN- 

 DIAN. An American name for Gillenia 

 trifoliata 



PHYSIOLOGY. That part of Botany 

 which treats of the functions of plants. 



PHYSOCALYMMA. The beautifully 

 striped rose-coloured wood imported from 

 Brazil, and called Tulip-wood toy our catoi- 

 net-makers, the Rosenholz of the Germans, 

 Bois de Rose of the French, and Pao de 

 Rosa of the Portuguese— a wood which has 



