The New International Encyclopædia/Philadelphus

PHIL′ADELPH′US (Neo-Lat., from Gk. φιλάδελφον, philadelphon, sort of flowering shrub, perhaps jasmine; named in honor of Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt). A genus of shrubs of the natural order Saxifragaceæ. Several species are natives of the southern Atlantic and Pacific States and Japan. Philadelphus inodorus grows in the mountains from Virginia southward. Philadelphus grandiflorus grows in lower ground in the same region. Philadelphus hirsutus grows in Tennessee and North Carolina. Philadelphus Gordonianus and Philadelphus Lewisii are natives of the Pacific Coast States. The most common and best representative of the genus, however, is Philadelphus coronarius, the common mock orange or syringa, much cultivated in gardens. Its native country is not known, but it was probably brought from Japan to Southern Europe, where it appears to be indigenous. It has erect branches, oblong ovate leaves, which when crushed have very much the odor and taste of cucumbers. Its cream-colored flowers, borne in large clusters, are well known for their exceeding fragrance.