HOT-HOUSE OB STOVE PLANTS. 



125 



being 1 pure snow - white, 

 sometimes mottled with 

 green, and changing with 

 age to bright green. Island 

 of Tauna, New Hebrides. 

 P. roseo-pictus— beautifully 

 diversified leaves : some 

 are rich crimson, 



crimson suffused with a 

 coppery hue, others are 

 cream - colour blotched 

 with green and rose.others 

 green mottled with cream, 

 whilst some have all the 

 colours suffused in one. 

 New Hebrides. 



Phyllocaetus. — This is a genus of Cactacece, 

 which do well in an Intermediate House ; flowers 

 large and gorgeous, having flat- jointed leaf -like 

 branches, which has led to their being mixed up 

 with Epiphyllums ; they differ from this genus, how- 

 ever, in producing their flowers from the side, and 

 not from the points of the growths. Pot in rough 

 loam and sharp sand ; drain well, as they cannot 

 withstand stagnant water ; during winter just enough 

 to keej) them from shrivelling will he sufficient. Dry 

 Intermediate House. 



P. Ackermanii — brilliant 



crimson. 

 P. anguliger — pure white. 

 P. biformis— reddish-purple. 



P. creuatus — white. 



P. latifrons— creamy-white. 



P. phyllanthoides— white. 



Phyllotasnium. — A genus of Araceee, which 

 require abundance of heat and moisture to develop 

 their beauties. Pot in peat and loam, and drain 

 well. Stove. 



P. Lvidcnii. — A very ornamental plant, with large 

 persistent sagittate leaves, which are bright light 

 green, the midrib and primary veins silvery- white. 

 New Grenada. 



Pilocereus. — This genus, called the Old Man 

 Cactus, has handsome fluted columnar stems ; it is 

 separated from Cereus on account of the long white 

 hairs which surmount the apex, and the flowers being 

 mostly composed of one row of petals. Treatment 

 same as for Cereus. 



P. Dautwitzi. 

 P. Hoppeustedti. 

 P. Houlletti. 

 P. nobilis. 



P. PeacocMi. 

 P. senilis. 

 P. Verheyenus. 

 P. Williamsii. 



Pitcairnea. — This genus of Bromeliads is 

 characterised by their slender habit, and some little 

 distinctions in the arrangement of the flowers. The 

 name was given upwards of a hundred years ago to 

 honour one Dr. William Pitcairn, of London, a most 

 zealous collector of plants. They require more water 

 at the roots than most plants of this order. Peat and 

 sandy loam. 



feet long, and narrow, 

 destitute of spines ; deep 

 green above, white be- 

 neath. Plower-spike erect, 

 as long or longer than the 

 leaves, flowers two shades 

 of yellow, sepals golden, 

 petals greenish - yellow. 

 Spring and early summer. 

 South America. 

 P. pungens — leaves long and 

 recurved, spiny. Flowers 



P.Andreana— leaves narrow, 

 ligulate, waved, entirely 

 destitute of spines ; deep 

 green above, with a slight 

 scurfy tomentum beneath. 

 Spike erect, dense, flowers 

 long and tubular, lower 

 part scarlet, upper rich 

 yellow. Summer months. 

 Chaco, New Grenada. 



P. flavescens — leaves re- 

 curved, upwards of two 



rich orange-red. Summer 

 and autumn months. 

 Andes of New Grenada. 

 P. staminea — leaves very 

 long and narrow, deep 

 green ; spikes long and 

 slender ; flowers tubular, 



long, and pendulous, the 

 ends of the petals rolled 

 back, stamens very much 

 exserted, deep reddish- 

 crimson. Winter and 

 spring months. Tropical 

 America. 



Plumbago. — P. coccinea belongs to the order 

 Phvmbaginew ; for treatment of the genus see green- 

 house division ; it is a free-growing; free-flowering 

 plant, and will serve to keep the stove gay through 

 the whole of the dull winter months, with its long- 

 panicles of rich bright scarlet blooms. East Indies. 



Poinciana.— Handsome Leguminose shrubs allied 

 to Csesalpinia, which in their native countries assume 

 the proportions of trees. They have been much ne- 

 glected by horticulturists for plants of less beauty. 

 Pot in rich loam and peat, adding some sharp sand. 

 In winter, Intermediate House ; summer, stove. 



P. elata is a species with 

 twice-pinnate leaves, and 

 large clusters of golden- 

 yellow flowers. Summer 

 months. East Indies. 



P. Gilliesii — leaves bipin- 

 nate, unarmed, bright 

 green ; flowers produced 

 in large clusters, rich y el- 

 low; stamens very long, 

 deep crimson. Summer 

 months. Chili. 



P. pulcherrima — this is a 



dwarf spiny plant, and is 

 much used for hedges ; the 

 flowers are red and yellow, 

 and very showy. Summer 

 months. East Indies. 

 P. regia — leaves bipinnate, 

 bearing upwards of a 

 dozen pairs of leaflets ; 

 flowers produced in axil- 

 lary racemes, rich crim- 

 son, very showy. Sum- 

 mer months. Madagascar. 



Poixisettia. — A genus of Huphorbiacece, which 

 has very little, if any, distinctive character to sepa- 

 rate it from Euphorbia ; when well grown they produce 

 a brilliant effect in the stove during winter. They 

 should be potted in good sandy loam, peat, and leaf- 

 mould, in about equal parts, adding some sharp sand 

 to keep it porous. The plants may be grown in a cool 

 house or frame during the summer months. About 

 September they should be removed into warmer 

 quarters, when the bright bracts will soon begin to 

 appear ; after flowering keep the plants dry and cool, 

 with only just water enough to prevent shrivelling 

 until the end of May, when growth may again be 

 encouraged for the next winter's display. The 

 bracts must be kept from damp, or they will soon 

 become spotted and decay. 



P. pulcherrima. — This may be grown as single- 

 stem specimens, or as much-branched shrubs, accord- 

 ing to the pleasure of the cultivator ; the flower-heads 

 are composed of small green blooms, but the nume- 

 rous brilliant scarlet bracts which surround them are 

 very showy. There is a form with white bracts, 

 called alba ; another in which the bracts are very 

 numerous, giving the head a double appearance, and 

 named plenissima ; and one in which the bracts are 

 a soft rose, called rosea-carminata. All are winter 

 bloomers. Mexico. 



