NEW TLANTS AND SHRUBS. 
551 
from the mountain Orizaba. No evidence has 
yet been gained of its hardiness. 
PlTCAIRNIA UNDULATIFOLIA, Hooker, 
(broad waved-leaved Pitcairnia.) — Bromelia- 
ceas. — A stove herbaceous plant, of very showy 
character, growing from one to two feet high, 
with long and broad sword-shaped leaves, the 
stem being terminated by a close cone shaped 
spike of flowers ; the petals of the flowers are 
very long and narrow, white, and emerge from 
the bosom of the large broad scarlet bracts 
which invest the top of the stem. It flowers 
in May, and was probably introduced from 
Brazil. 
Pittosporum glabratum, Lindley, (shin- 
ing-leaved Pittosporum.) — Pittosporaceas. — 
An evergreen greenhouse shrub, with obovate 
leaves, rather blistered on the surface, and 
shining as if varnished : the flowers are small, 
of a pale greenish white, and very sweet- 
scented, and often grow in terminal um- 
bels. It was introduced in 1845, from Hong 
Kong, by Mr. Fortune, who found it growing 
on the tops of hills, and flowering in the 
spring. 
Plattcerium biforme, Bhime, (two- 
formed Platycerium.) — Polypodiacere § Poly- 
podese. — One of the most curious and noble of 
the. epiphytal ferns. The sterile fronds (leafy 
expansions) may be likened to the two spread 
flaps of a saddle (other dead and withered ones 
lying beneath these) ; from between these two 
a new frond breaks out, and with a very rapid 
growth (six weeks or two months) it extends 
and reaches beyond one of the previous flaps ; 
when this has attained its size another breaks 
out from the same frond, and covers the other 
flap, and so on. The fertile fronds issue from 
the same point, and project forward three feet 
or more in length, cut into a number of deep 
segments or lobes. There is something pecu- 
liarly delicate and beautiful in the texture, 
colour, and veining of the fronds. It grows in 
the stove, attached by numerous fibres against 
the flat surface of a perpendicular board. It is 
found in the Malay Islands and the tropical 
parts of the. East Indies and New Holland. 
It isalsocalled P.grande; Acrostichumgrande: 
A. fuciforme, and A. biforme. 
Platycoi>on grandiflorus, Alph. Da 
Candolle, (great flowered Platycodon.) — 
Campanulacea? § Lightfootere. — Under this 
name, a somewhat handsome plant, sent from 
China by Mr. Fortune, has been identified 
with the old Campanula grandiflora. It is a 
dwarf growing plant, with ovate lanceolate 
leaves, and bearing large, deep blue, bell shaped 
flowers, at the latter part of the. summer. 
Pl.ATVCODON GRANDIFLORUS, VOI\ (llb/IS 
semlplenus. — A greenhouse shrubby eam- 
panular-flowered plant, with ovate oblong 
leaves, and white flowers, which consist of two 
bell-shaped corollas placed one within the 
other, the five lobes of each of which are so 
exactly alternate, as to form a large white 
star of ten points : in other respects the plant 
resembles its blue flowered type. Mr. Fortune 
sent it, in 1845, from China, where he found 
it in the nursery gardens near Shanghae. 
Pleroma elegans, Gardner, (elegant 
Pleroma.) — Melastomaceas \ Osbeckiea?. — A 
very handsome stove shrub, growing five or 
six feet high, and branching ; it has opposite 
ovate, or elliptical leaves, marked, as is usual 
in this family, by prominent longitudinal ribs ; 
the flowers are large and of a rich velvety 
purple, and usually grow singly at the ends of 
the shoots ; they are produced in the summer. 
It is a native of the Organ mountains in 
Brazil, and was sent thence by Mr. Lobb, to 
Messrs. Veitch of Exeter, with whom it bloomed 
in 1846. 
Polygonum complexum, A. Cunningham, 
(complex Polygonum.) — Polygonacea? § Poly- 
goneas. — A suffruticose half-hardy species, of 
trailing twiggy habit, growing into dense 
bushes. It has small sub-orbiculate, or kid- 
ney shaped fleshy leaves. It flowers iD De- 
cember only. It is not ornamental, except as 
regards its neat foliage and habit. Introduced 
from New Zealand in 1842. 
POLYPODIUM LACHNOPODIUM, J. Smith, 
(downy Polypody.)— Polypodiaceos § Poly- 
podeaj. — A strong growing stove fern, with 
bi-tripinnatifid fronds, three feet or more in 
length, the pinna? one foot, and the pinnules 
two to four inches long. It has been intro- 
duced from Jamaica, and is quite new to our 
gardens. 
Primula ijjvolucrata, Wallich, (invo- 
lucred Primrose.) — Primulaceaj § Primulida\ 
— A hardy perennial rock plant, growing best 
in a somewhat shaded situation. AVhen not 
growing the plant forms a large egg shaped 
bud, almost a bulb ; this produces a tuft of 
oblong, obtuse, shining leaves, and a scape 
six or nine inches high, bearing three or four 
sweet-scented flowers, about the size of a cows- 
lip, at first white, or slightly yellow, and in 
age acquiring a tinge of blush. It flowers in 
the open air, in March ; and is from the north 
of India, at an elevation of 11,500 feet, grow- 
ing near water. It is the P. zpathiriata of 
Royle. 
Pterostigma grandiflorum, Bcntham, 
(large -flowered Pterostigma.) — Scrophnla- 
riaeex § Gratiolea?. — This is an upright grow- 
ing stove perennial, in its wild state not more 
than a foot or eighteen inches high, but when 
cultivated growing three feet and upwards, by 
which its beauty is lessened. The stems are 
round, the leaves opposite, ovate, crenate ; 
the flowers are nearly, as large as those of a 
digitalis, and grow singly from the axils of 
