Phylica
(from phyllikos, leafy; alluding to the abundant evergreen foliage). Including Soulangia and Trichocephalus. ORD. Rhamneae. A genus comprising about sixty-five species of greenhouse, evergreen shrubs, rarely trees, often Heath-like, tomentose or pubescent; they are very numerous in extra-tropical and South Africa, and rare in Tristan d'Acunha and Madagascar. Flowers small, axillary, or in very densely crowded heads or spikes, shortly pedicellate, bracteate or ebracteate, very rarely loosely cymose; calyx with an obconical, urceolate, or cylindrical tube and five lobes; petals five, cucullate or setiform, or absent. Fruit pisiform, dead black. Leaves coriaceous, often small, alternate, thick, very rarely large, frequently white-tomentose beneath; margins entire, recurved or revolute. The species mentioned below are all South African shrubs. They thrive in sandy peat, and succeed best in a greenhouse temperature. Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened shoots, inserted in sandy soil, under a bell glass, in a warm greenhouse. P. buxifolia (Box-leaved). fl. greenish, disposed in heads at the tips of the branches. May to September. l. ovate, spreading, smooth above, but covered with hoary down on the under surface. h. 6ft. 1759. SYN. Soulangia buxifolia. (L. B. C. 848.) P. capitata (headed). fl. white, disposed in roundish heads about the size of a chestnut May to August. l. linear-lanceolate, somewhat villous; lower ones reflexed, smooth; floral ones very villous, spreading a little. h. 2ft. 1800. (B. R. 711.) SYNS. P. plumosa (L. B. C. 2?33), P. pubescens (of Alton). P. ericoides (Heath-like). fl. pure white, disposed in hemispherical heads. April to September. l. linear-lanceolate, rather blunt, spreading, smooth, downy beneath. Branches somewhat umbellate. h. 3ft. 1731. (B. M. 224.) P. plumosa (feathery). fl. whitish; bracts villous or feathery, forming a beautiful plume at the tips of the branches. Autumn. l. linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, awl-shaped, smooth above, hairy beneath, with revolute margins. h. 1ft. to 2ft.
P. p. squarrosa (squarrose).* fl. white, disposed in roundish heads; calyx segments erect, acute. August to November. l. linear-lanceolate, spreading, villous and hoary on the under surface; lower ones rather smooth; floral ones longer than the rest, spreading. h. 2ft. 1800. (L. B. C. 36.) SYN. P. pubescens (L. B. C. 695).
P. plumosa (feathery), of Loddiges. A synonym of P. capitata. P. pubescens (downy), of Aiton. A synonym of P. capitata. P. pubescens (downy), of Loddiges. A synonym of P. plumosa squarrosa. P. rubra (red). fl. red, disposed in terminal heads. December. l. lanceolate, acute; under surface downy. h. 3ft. 1827. SYN. Soulangia rubra. (B. R. 1498.) P. spicata (spike-flowered). fl., perianth white, small, thick, and fleshy; spike about 2in. long. August. l. scattered, rather remote, all but the upper ones patent, or even reflexed, linear, somewhat acute, semi-cylindrical, the margins revolute; upper ones passing into bracts. A small, slender shrub. P. stipularis (stipular). fl. white, disposed in terminal, sessile heads; bracts short, naked, usually bifld. May to September. l. alternate, lanceolate-linear, slightly acute, smooth above, hoary-velvety beneath, with revolute edges. h. 3ft. 1786. SYN. Trichocephalus stipularis.