Portlandia
(named in honour of a Duchess of Portland, who corresponded with J. J. Rousseau, and had some knowledge of English plants). ORD. Rubiaceae. A genus comprising about eight species of handsome, very glabrous, shiny, stove shrubs and small trees, natives of the West Indies and Mexico. Flowers white or scarlet, large, often odorous, disposed on axillary, one to three-flowered, bracteate or ebracteate peduncles; calyx with an obovoid or campanulate tube, and a five-lobed, persistent limb; corolla large, sub-campanulate or clavate-infundibular, with a limb of five triangular, reduplicately valvate lobes. Leaves opposite, thickly coriaceous, petiolate, oblong or linear-oblong, with broad, intrapetiolar, deciduous stipules. Only three species have been introduced. These require a mixture of fibrous loam and leaf mould in equal parts, with the addition of a good quantity of sand; and plenty of heat and moisture are essential. Propagated by cuttings of rather firm shoots, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, and in a brisk, sweet bottom heat.
P. coccinea (scarlet). fl. scarlet, with yellow anthers, 3in. long, 2in. broad, axillary, pedicellate, solitary. l. ovate or elliptical-oblong, pointed, shining, 3in. long, 2in. broad. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Jamaica, 1812. P. grandiflora (large-flowered). fl. white, reddish inside at the throat, 5in. long, 1 1/2in. broad, very fragrant at night, axillary, solitary, pedicellate. June to August. l. elliptic or elliptic-oblong, pointed, shining. h. 10ft. to 14ft. West Indies, 1775. (B. M. 286.) P. platantha (broad-flowered).* fl. pure white; tube 1in. long; the five-lobed limb nearly 4in. across. Summer. l. somewhat ovate or obovate, acute, deep shining green. h. 3ft. Native country unknown, 1849. (B. M. 4534.)