The outer florets are ligulate and radiat- 

 ing, the inner ones tubular and hermaphro- 

 dite : the achenes have a. pappus of simple 

 bristles. Two species are in cultivation: 

 P. gracilis, with purple flowers and stem- 

 clasmng leaves like those of a Manglesiu; 

 and P. chrysantha, with yellow flowers. 



PODOLOBIUM. A genus of Leguminosce 

 of the suborder Papilionacece and tribe Po- 

 dalyriew, with the general habit, opposite 

 leaves, veilow flowers, and most of the cha- 

 racters' of OxyloMum; but the leaves are 

 divided into three or five prickly lobes, 

 the axillary racemes are usually looser, and 

 the pod is borne on a much longer stalk. 

 There are two species known, both from 

 Kew South "Wales. 



PODOPHYLLUM. A small genus of Ea- 

 nunculacece, comprising a United States 

 and a Himalayan species, both herbaceous 

 plants with thick creeping rootstocks 

 which send up in spring a stem bearing 

 two leaves, with a solitary flower between 

 them. The leaves are large, deeply palmate- 

 lobed, and peltate; and the flowers are 

 composed of six thin sepals which fall off 

 before the flower expands ; six or nine 

 spreading petals; as many or double as 

 many stamens; and an egg-shaped ovary 

 crowned by a large thick-crested peltate 

 stigma,and containing numerous ovules at- 

 tached in several rows to a broad placenta 

 down one side. The ovary ultimately be- 

 comes a fleshy berry, enclosing numerous 

 seeds enveloped in pulp. P.peltatum, the 

 American species, grows in damp shady 

 places in woods, and is distinguished by 

 the stamens being double the number of 

 the petals. Its leaves are from five to nine- 

 lobed ; its flowers large white and nodding; 

 and its fruits egg-shaped and yellowish, 

 somewhat resembling a small lemon, and 

 hence sometimes called Wild Lemon, but 

 more generally May Apple. The plant is 

 also known by the name of Mandrake. Its 

 herbage is narcotic and poisonous, but the 

 acid pulp of the fruit is eatable though of 

 a mawkish flavour ; and its rhizomes pos- 

 sess active medicinal properties, a resinous 

 extract from them called podophyllin being 

 much in use among American 'eclectic' 

 practitioners as a substitute for mercurials; 

 it has lately been introduced into this coun- 

 try as a cathartic. [A. S.] 



PODOSPERM. The cord by which some 

 seeds are connected with their placenta 

 The same as Funiculus. 



PODOSPERMUM. A genus of Compo- 

 sites nearly related to Tragopogon, but dif- 

 fering in the beakless achenes, as well as 

 in the involucral scales being in many in- 

 stead of one series ; and from all others in 

 the achenes being each supported on a 

 short hollow swollen stalk. There are 

 about a dozen species known, chiefly na- 

 tives of the Mediterranean region. One 

 of the commonest is P. laciniatum, a per- 

 ennial herb with a root like the dandelion, 

 a tuft of pinnatisect (rarely entire) leaves 

 close to the ground, and arising from their 

 midst a simple or branching flower-stem 



three inches to a foot high with a few leaves 



below, each branch terminating in a pale- 



, yellow flower-head. The achenes have a 



white feathery pappus ; they have a very 



I weedy appearance. The generic name re- 



j fers to the stalked fruit. [A. A. B.] 



I PODOSTACHYS. A name given by 



Klotzsch to two Brazilian herbs belonging 

 to the order Euphorbiacece, and which other 

 botanists consider as forming a section of 

 Croton. 



PODOSTEMACEJE. (Podostemads.) A 

 natural order of monochlamydeous dicoty- 

 ledons belonging to Lindley's rutal alliance 

 of hypogynous Exogens. They are herba- 

 ceous branched floating plants, furnished 

 with capillary linear lacerated or minute 

 and imbricated leaves ; the flowers naked, 

 or with an imperfect perianth, bursting 

 through an irregularly lacerated spathe; 

 stamens hypogynous, distinct or monadel- 

 phous ; ovary free, two to three-celled ; 

 ovules numerous. Fruit slightly pedicel- 

 late, capsular, two to three-valved, the 

 seeds indefinite. They are natives chiefly 

 of South America, and of the islands to 

 the east of Africa. There are a score of 

 genera, including Podostemon and Lads, 

 and about a hundred species. [J. H. B.] 



PODOSTEMOIST. A genus of herbs found 

 in rivers and moist places in South Ame- 

 rica, Madagascar, and other warm climates. 

 They attach themselves to rocks, the roots 

 of trees, &c; and have a rootstock varying 

 in shape, linear or finely divided leaves 

 which clasp the stem at their base, and 

 solitary terminal oraxillary flowers. These 

 have a tubular involucre, two stamens, 

 and a ribbed capsule with two unequal 

 valves. The genus gives its name to the 

 order Podostemacew. [M. T. M.] 



PODOTHECA. A genus of Compositce 

 of the tribe Gnaphaliem, consisting of 

 erect glabrous or nearly glabrous annuals, 

 with alternate entire decurrent or stem- 

 clasping leaves, and solitary terminal heads 

 of yellow florets. The genus is allied to 

 LTelichrysum, but remarkable for the long 

 green cylindrical imbricate involucre, and 

 for the florets being all tubular and her- 

 maphrodite. There are two species known, 

 natives of South-west Australia, not nearly 

 so handsome as most of the allied plants. 



POE. The Sandwich Island name for 

 the fermented corms of Colocasiaesculenta, 

 which are eaten. 



PCECILANDRA. A handsome Guiana 

 shrub, with alternate oblong smooth and 

 shining evergreen leaves, and bright yel- 

 low flowers in a terminal panicle. It con- 

 stitutes a genus of Ochnacem, distinguish- 

 ed amongst its allies chiefly by having two 

 rows of staminodia outside the stamens, 

 those of the outer row short and spathu- 

 late, the inner ones long and filiform. 



PGECILOCHROMA. A genus ofPeruvian 

 shrubs of the order Solanacem. The flowers 

 are axillary solitary or in pairs, the flower- 

 stalks dilated at the top and coloured. The 



