PHL 
PHY 
in strong rich earth, being stronger when 
only of annual duration. The seed 
should be saved and sown in spring, in 
heat, and afterwards the plants may be 
placed in the borders of the house where 
they are to bloom; its flowers are blueish 
lilac : aconitifolius ' microspermus and syl- 
vestris are-also ornamental, and may be 
grown in the same manner. 
PPILOGACANTHUS (Nees von 
Essenbeck.) Nat. Ord. Acanthaceee. 
Three species have been separated from 
Justicia under this name; they are cur -* 
vijlorus, guttatus , and thyrsiflorus, all of 
them ornamental stove plants ; the first 
being valuable for its habit of blooming 
in winter, its bright orange and yellow 
flowers being then very showy; all of 
them grow freely in peat and loam, if 
allowed plenty of pot-room. 
PHLOMIS (Linn.) Nat. Ord. Labi - 
ata. The majority of this genus are 
hardy border plants of easy culture, and 
very beautiful; their flowers are of va¬ 
rious shades of yellow or purple, and 
are plentifully produced in summer ; of 
this class we prefer the following: 
atpina, purple; armeniaca , yellow; fru- 
ticosa, yellow; italica, blue ; purpurea, 
purple; and tuberosa, purple. Some 
few require the protection of a pit 
through the winter; the best of these 
are angustifolia, pale yellow; Jtoccosa, 
yellow; and Nissolii, yellow. All of 
them grow well in any light rich soil. 
PHLOX (Linn.) Nat. Order Pole- 
moniacees. These plants are among the 
very best of the hardy ornaments to 
the flower garden; they grow with free¬ 
dom in any good soil, and never fail to 
bloom well; and we think few objects 
can exceed in beauty a well-assorted 
bed of phloxes. Eor planting in masses 
they offer many advantages, as their 
heights run through every gradation 
from positive creeping plants up to a 
stature of four feet. The blossoms also 
are variously and delicately shaded from 
pure dazzling white to a pleasing pur¬ 
ple, and being produced in dense heads, 
always afford a brilliant display. It 
would be merely a waste of space to 
attempt a selection, for every indivi¬ 
dual deserves to be grown; but no gar¬ 
den should be without the following: 
acuminata, corclata and its varieties, 
Ingramii , lata, Lorainii, Murrayana, om- 
niflora , Princess Marianne, rejlexa, Van 
Houtii, and Wlieeleriana. Nor must the 
lovely little annual species P. Drum- 
mondii be forgotten. The seed of this 
plant should be sown in March on a 
gentle hot-bed, and as soon as the plants 
can be handled they should be potted 
into rich earth, and set in a cold frame 
until re-established, after which abun¬ 
dance of air should be given them, with 
but a moderate supply of water. The 
frequent failures complained of arise in 
nearly every case from over-nursing; by 
keeping them too close the plants are 
drawn up weakly, and have not power 
to assimilate the water given them, 
which ends in their speedy destruction. 
By the end of May they may be removed 
to the borders of the flower garden, or 
if placed in large pots, will be found 
useful for decorating the conservatory 
through the summer months, when its 
usual occupants are out of doors. 
PHflENOCOMA (Don.) Nat. Order 
Composites. The single species (P. gyro- 
lifer a) of this genus is an indispensable 
plant to all greenhouse collections; its 
silvery-lookingleavesandbright-coloured 
everlasting flowers render it very orna¬ 
mental. Like its allies, the Aphetexis, 
it should be grown in sandy peat, well 
drained, have abundance of air, espe¬ 
cially in summer, and a careful applica¬ 
tion of water at all times. 
PHYCELLA (Lindley.) Nat. Ord. 
Amaryllidacece . Pretty bulbous-rooted 
plants, almost hardy, requiring merely 
to be kept from frost; they grow freely 
in a mixture of peat, loam, and sand, and 
if potted or placed in a cold pit or the 
greenhouse, will flower well throughout 
the summer months. 
PHYSURIS (Lindley.) Nat. Ord. 
Orcliidaceat. The only species known, 
P. pictus, is among the most delicately 
beautiful objects which the researches 
of modern botanists have furnished to 
our collections. Its leaves are a rich 
tender green, reticulated with number¬ 
less silvery-looking veins of the most 
exquisite workmanship, having the ap= 
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