Polyscias
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| Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture |
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Polyscias (many and shade; referring to the abundant foliage). Araliaceae. Large shrubs or trees, glabrous, comprising the pinnate-leaved tender aralias of greenhouses, grown for the ornamental foliage. Leaves pinnate, with variable lfts., in many horticultural forms much cut, modified and often variegated: fls. very small, usually 5-merous (sometimes 4-merous), the calyx truncate or toothed, the petals valvate, the ovary 5-8-loculed; the styles usually of the same number and distinct. — About 70 species are described, from India, Trop. Afr., and Pacific Isls., some of which probably belong in other.genera. Recent introductions from New Caledonia and other islands have given interesting forms for the cultivator. In cult. very rarely flowering; some specimens of P. fruticosa known to be 15 years old or more have never blossomed. From the temperate Aralia, comprising the Hercules' club, the genus is easily told by its lack of spines and also by the technical floral characters of little value to horticulturists, as the tender sorts rarely flower. From Panax, the ginseng, the genus is separated by its woody habit. From Fatsia, the true Polyscias is distinguished by having the pedicel usually articulated beneath the fl. The genus Dizygotheca is distinguished by digitate lvs. of many lfts., and 4-celled anthers and 10-celled ovary (the allied genera have 2-celled anthers and mostly less than 10-celled ovary). The glasshouse aralias are much confused botanically. The genus Aralia as understood by the older botanists turns out to be a polymorphous group, and in the segregation of other genera it is often difficult properly to redistribute the species. This is particularly true of the cultivated forms, many of which are not only variable but the flowers and fruits may be unknown. Any arrangement of these forms must be considered to be tentative. Four distinct types or forms of tender greenhouse aralias are illustrated herewith. Fig. 3111 is the Aralia Chabrieri of gardens. It has very long glossy stiffish long-pointed leaves with a dark red midrib, the margin entire or remotely denticulate and more or less revo- lute. These leaves are opposite or nearly so on short side branches, as if parts in a compound leaf, and apparently confusion has arisen in descriptions. In the illustration, a leaf is shown at a, in the axil of which is a branch bearing the leaves. This plant, which is cultivated in its juvenile state, has been little understood botanically. It is not an aralia nor of the aralia family, although referred doubtfully to Polyscias. It is now considered to be Elaeodendron orientale (see page 1107, where the matter is left in doubt). Harms, an authority on these plants, has recently gone over the question (Gt. 62, pp. 533-5, and 63, p. 117), and has concluded that the plant is E. orientale. Guillaumin (R.H. 1912, p. 491) considers it to be an Elaeodendron but not E. orientale. The long linear leaves with red mid-nerves are merely the young form of the species, and they pass into the broad-lanceolate or shorter oval or obovate thick leaves of the mature plant. Aralia Chabrieri apparently appeared first under this name in 1881 in the catalogue of Van Geert, Ghent. For portraits of it, see R.B. 13:20 (1887); R.H. 1891, p. 224 ;Gn. 39, p. 576. The florists plant shown in Fig. 3112 is Dizygotheca elegantissima, Vig. & Guill. (Aralia elegantissima, Veitch). Very similar plants are Aralia Veitchii, Hort. Veitch, and its var. gracillima, Hort. Bull. (A. gracil-lima, Hort. A. gracilina, Lind. R.H. 1877, p. 38), its var. robusta, Hort., and A. Kerchoveana, Hort. It is not unlikely that all the plants mentioned above in this paragraph are foliar forms of one species, representing a juvenile state of a Dizygotheca (page 1062), although it is possible that other generic disposition will be made of these things when the different forms and the flowers and fruits are known. These names, as represented in plants in the trade, however, are of two groups: (1)Aralia Veitchii, A. Veitchii robusta, and A. gracil- lima with undulate nearly or quite entire leaflets, which may be tentatively called Dizygotheca Veitchii, Hort.; (2) the other group is A. Kerchoveana and A. elegantissima, with strongly notch-toothed leaflets, which are about 1 in. broad in the former and about half as wide in the latter; the former is Dizygotheca Kerchoveana, Hort., and the latter D. elegantissima, Vig. & Guill. The plants shown in Figs. 3113 to 3117 are by some referred to Nothopanax; but until their position is better determined, they may be described tentatively under Polyscias. Nothopanax as understood by Harms has leaves primarily digitate whereas Polyscias has leaves on the pinnate order; as defined by others, however, Nothopanax comprises species with leaves simple, pinnate or pinnately decompound. As in many of the araliads, the leaves in this general group are very variable. Harms calls attention to the fact that in Nothopanax the leaves may be different on the same plant in successive ages. On the young plants the leaves are mostly digitate with the leaflets often once-pinnatisect; older plants have simple leaves and the leaflets entire or toothed or once-pinnatisect, or sometimes only digitate leaves. The culture of the several kinds of plants known to florists and greenhouse men as aralias is not difficult. Among the most desirable tropical kinds, are those known in the trade as Aralia (Elaeodendron) Chabrieri, A. elegantissima, A. Veitchii, A. gracillima, A. leptophylla (all Dizygotheca), A. monstrosa, A. Victoriae, A. plumatum, (all Polyscias) and others. Aralias are increased by cuttings and by grafts. A. leptophylla, and the forms of A. Veitchii, are rarely propagated except by grafting. The stock considered by many to be the best to use is A. reticulata (probably Oreopanax reticulatum, Fig. 2676, Vol. IV, which is Meryta Denhamii). Cuttings of it about the thickness of an ordinary pencil may be secured, and established in small pots, when they may be cut back to a little above the base, and the cion inserted. Either the cleft or wedge method has been successful. They must be kept in a night temperature of not less than 70°F.. and placed in a tight moist case until they unite. Aralias may also be propagated from cuttings, eyes, or pieces of the root. A plant that has become bare of leaves may be cut down near the pot; the stem should be cut in 2-inch lengths, and put in as eye-cuttings, in a brisk heat in the propagating- bed. The old stool may be put in bottom heat, when many of the varieties will throw several nice cuttings from the base. These should be removed with a heel, when about 6 inches long, and put in as cuttings, in a bottom heat of about 75°, and potted off when rooted. To procure root-cut tings, one of the strongest plants should be turned out of the pot. and the soil washed out of the roots with a hose. Cut the stronger parts of the roots in 2-inch lengths, and place in small pots. The end nearest the stem should be nearest the surface of the pot. Plunge the pots in a tight case, in 70° to 75° bottom heat, and water carefully until they throw up shoots.— A sandy peat is the best soil in which to grow the finer rooting varieties. The stronger-growing kinds thrive in a richer compost,—say two parts fibrous loam, one part leaf-mold, a little well-rotted manure, charcoal, and sand enough to keep the whole porous. Greenhouse kinds should be in a night temperature of not over 50° when established in their pots. They may be set outdoors in a shady position in summer. The tropical kinds must be kept at not less than 60° night-temperature. Aralias must at all times be shaded from strong sunshine. Watering with soot-water gives a nice gloss to the foliage. Aralia, or Panax, Victoriae may be treated the same as the other aralias. Insect pests can be kept in check on aralias by the syringe and by fumigating with hydrocyanic gas, one-half ounce to the thousand cubic feet. The usual precautions of lowering the temperature to 60°, and having the foliage dry when the operation is performed, should be observed. (George F. Stewart.) The above account comprises the cult, aralias that are most likely to be met with and to be referred to this group. Undoubtedly some of the garden names under Panax belong in Polyscias. CH
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| Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture |
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{{{1}}} The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text. |
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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