Persoonia
(named after C. H. Persoon, 1755-1837, a distinguished botanist, author of "Synopsis Plantarum" and other botanical works). SYNS. Linkia, Pentadactylon. ORD. Proteaceae. A genus comprising sixty species of greenhouse, ornamental shrubs or small trees; one is a native of New Zealand, and the rest are all Australian. Flowers yellow or white, small or mediocre, solitary in the axils, or, owing to the abortion of the floral leaves, forming short racemes, rarely in slender, terminal, one-sided racemes; perianth regular, the segments recurved in the upper portion. Leaves entire, alternate, or rarely here and there almost whorled. A selection of the species best known to cultivation is given below. They require a compost of equal parts loam, peat, and sand. Cuttings of the ripened shoots will root readily in sand, under a bell glass. The undermentioned species are shrubs, except where otherwise stated.
P. Drummondii (Drummond's). A synonym of P. longifolia. P. ferruginea (rusty).* fl. yellow, solitary in the axils, or often densely clustered, terminal or pedunculate in the upper axils; perianth densely ferruginous-pubescent. June. l. ovate, oblong-elliptical, or almost lanceolate, acute or obtuse, with a callous point, 2in. to 4in. long. Young branches and shoots slightly ferruginous or hoary-tomentose. h. 3ft. 1823. (S. E. B. ii. 83.) P. Fraseri (Fraser's). A synonym of P. saccata.
P. hirsuta (hairy). fl. yellow, very shortly pedicellate, solitary within each floral leaf, but crowded into short heads or clusters at or below the ends of the branches. June. l. crowded, narrow-linear, acute and rigid, but scarcely pungent-pointed, channelled beneath, with revolute margins, mostly about 1/2in. long. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1800. Plant pubescent or hirsute, spreading. (L. B. C. 327.) P. lanceolata (lanceolate). fl. yellow; pedicels exceedingly short, solitary or two together. June. l. lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, mucronate-acute, much contracted into a short petiole, mostly 1 1/2in. to 2 1/2in. long, flat. Young branches and shoots hoary-pubescent. h. 4ft. 1791. (A. B. R. 74; L. B. C. 25.) P. 1. laevis (smooth). l. rather longer and thinner than in the type, broad and narrow. Whole plant glabrous. (A. B. R. 280 and L. B. C. 1509, under name of P. latifolia.) P. linearis (linear-leaved). fl. yellow, on solitary pedicels. July. l. rather crowded, linear, acute or almost obtuse, contracted at the base, 1in. to 2in. long. h. 10ft. to 20ft. 1794. A tall shrub or small tree. SYNS. P. pinifolia, P. pruinosa. (A. B. R. 77; B. M. 760.) P. longifolia (long-leaved).* fl. yellow, solitary in the axils, but, owing to the abortion of floral leaves, forming often terminal or sub-terminal racemes. July. l. linear or linear-lanceolate, 5in. to 8in. long, callous-pointed or obtuse, narrowed into a short petiole. h. 10ft. to 20ft. 1850. A tall shrub or small tree. SYN. P. Drummondii.
P. macrostachya (large-spiked). A synonym of P. saccata. P. nutans (nodding). fl. yellow; pedicels axillary, solitary or rarely twin, spreading or at length reflexed. July. l. narrow-linear, acute, contracted at base, 3/4in. to above 1in. long, flat or with the margins slightly recurved. h. 1ft. 1824. An erect, but low and bushy shrub. (L. B. C. 922, under name of P. flexi-folia.) P. pinifolia (Pine-leaved). A synonym of P. linearis. P. pruinosa (bedewed). A synonym of P. linearis.
P. rigida (rigid).* fl. yellow, almost sessile and solitary in the axils, but sometimes several crowded at the base of axillary shoots; perianth densely villous. June. l. varying from obovate to linear-spathulate, mucronate, much contracted at the base, but scarcely petiolate, 3/4in. to 1 1/2in. long, the margins usually recurved or replicate, softly or scabrous-pubescent when young, glabrous when old. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 1824. (L. B. C. 1199, under name of P. spathulata.) P. saccata (pouched). fl. yellow; pedicels mostly at or below the ends of the branches, and crowded into racemes; upper segment of perianth saccate. July. l. linear-terete, sometimes almost filiform, 2in. to 4in. or more long. h. 2ft. to 6ft. 1837. SYNS. P. Fraseri, P. macrostachya. P. Toro (Toro). fl. yellowish; racemes 1in. long, six to ten-flowered. Summer. l. 3in. to 8in. long, very narrow, linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed into the petiole, acuminate or obtuse and apiculate, quite entire, polished on both surfaces. New Zealand. A small tree.