THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
PURSHIA (of Sprengel). 
dium (which see). 
PURSLANE. See Portulaca oleracea. The 
name is also used for several species of Claytonia, &c. 
PURSLANE-TREE. See Portulacaria afra. 
PUSCHKEINIA (named in honour of M. Pouschkin, 
a Russian botanist). Syn. Adamsia. ORD. Liliacee. 
A genus comprising only a couple of species of hardy 
or half-hardy, bulbous plants, natives of Asia Minor, the 
Caucasus, and Afghanistan. Flowers few, loosely race- 
mose, sometimes solitary on the simple, leafless scape ; 
perianth with a short, campanulate tube, and six longer, 
sub-equal, somewhat spreading segments. Leaves radical, 
few, the first usually oblong, the rest linear. Only one 
of the species is in cultivation. This thrives very well 
in the rock garden and borders, in a compost of sandy 
loam and leaf mould. Propagated by dividing the bulbs, 
which should be done every two or three years. 
P. libanotica (Mount Lebanon). A synonym of P. scilloides. 
A synonym of Qnosmo- 
Fic. 328. PUSCHKINIA SCILLOIDEs, showin 
Habit, detach 
Flower, and Upper Portion o Leaf. : * 
. scilloides (Scilla-like),* Striped Squill. f. white, richl 
striped with pale blue down the centre, and on foun sides of the 
reflexed perianth segments; perianth jin. to nearly lin. across; 
pedicels slender, distant; spikes secund, on slender, bending 
scapes. Spring. J. few, Ain. to 6in. long, lanceolate, concave, 
dark green. h. 4in. to 8in. Orient, 1819. A very handsome little 
one ovan plant. See Fig. 528. (B. M. 2244; Gn., Sept., 1878.) 
. P. libanotica, P. sicul: (F. d. S. 2220), Adamsia secilloid. 
(R. G. 310). A more compact-flowering form is in cultivation, 
under the name of compacta ; its flowers are also more numerous. 
P. sicula (Sicilian). A synonym of P. scilloides. 
PUSILLUS. Very small; weak and slender. 
PUSS MOTH (Dicranura vinula). This moth is of 
interest to gardeners, because the larve feed on leaves 
of Willows and of Poplars, and, at times, do damage to 
those trees. The moths reach 2}in. or 3in. in spread of 
wing, and have large, heavy bodies. Body and wings are 
grey, with many darker markings. Those on the front 
wings are as follows: Near the base of the wing ate 
five or six black spots; then follows a broad, grey cross- 
band ; the middle of the wings is less marked, but the 
hinder part bears about nine long, dark streaks running 
inwards, and a number of V-shaped, dark lines, with the 
tip pointed inwards, The antenne are feathered in both 
sexes, The larve are very curious in form; the head is 
flat, and is drawn back into the second segment, on 
which the body rises to a sharp hump, then it sinks to 
the sixth, then is of uniform breadth to the ninth, and 
behind this it tapers rapidly to the last segment, which | 
ends in two long, slender, curved horns, from each of | 
Puss Moth—continued. 
which a pink filament can be pushed out by the larva 
when irritated. This latter is used for driving away 
ichneumons and other parasites. The horns are believed 
to be the last pair of prolegs modified. There are four 
pairs of prolegs used for grasping, and the larve generally 
hold on by them, keeping the ends of the body raised 
from the twig or leaf to which they cling. In colour, 
they are remarkable, though by no means conspicuous 
while on the trees. There is a white line along each side, 
from the back of the head to the tip of the. hump, 
thence passing obliquel¥*to the middle of each side of 
the eighth segment, and then again rising to the bases 
of the horns. Between the white lines the back is 
white, streaked with purple-brown. This latter colour is 
deepest near the lines. Below them the body is green, 
with a purple mark above the proleg on each side of 
the eighth segment. The head is brown, with black 
sides, and when drawn back is surrounded with a pink 
rim, with two black spots. When full-fed, the larve gnaw 
holes in the bark, in which they form very tough, strong 
cocoons, of chips and a gluey secretion emitted by 
themselves, and in these cocoons they become brown 
pups in autumn. The moths emerge in June. There 
are two or three smaller species of the same genus, 
which are much like the Puss Moth in appearance and 
in habits, and, because of this and of their smaller size, 
are called Kittens. Of these, the Poplar Kitten (D. bifida) 
feeds on Aspen and other Poplars, the Sallow Kitten 
(D. fureula) on Willows, and the Alder Kitten 
(D. bicuspis) on Alder. They are seldom so hurtful as 
to attract observation. 
Remedies. If at any time any of the above are suffi- 
ciently numerous to be hurtful, the only efficient remedy 
is hand -picking the larve, or beating them from the 
branches. The cocoons should be sought for, and the 
pupe destroyed; and the moths should be killed when 
seen. 
PUSTULAR, PUSTULATE. Covered with glan- 
dular excrescences like blisters. 
PUTAMEN. The endocarp of a stone fruit. 
PUTORIA (from putor, a strong smell; in allusion 
to the smell of the leaves). ORD. Rubiacew. A small 
genus (two or three species) of dwarf, half-hardy, branched 
shrubs, inhabiting the Mediterranean region. Flowers 
white or purple, fascicled at the tips of the branches, 
about lin. long; calyx with an elongated-ovoid tube and 
an obtusely four-toothed limb; corolla infundibular-tubu- 
lose, with an elongated tube and a limb of four, rather 
short, spreading, valvate lobes; pedicels bracteolate. 
Leaves opposite, shortly petioled, linear-oblong, a trifle 
fleshy. P. calabrica—the only species in cultivation—is 
a pretty plant. It thrives in a gravelly soil, and is pro- 
pagated by division. 
P. calabrica (Calabrian). fl. red, in terminal, few-flowered 
corymbs. July. J. oblong, obtuse, rather smooth, pale beneath, 
scabrous on the edges and keel ; stipules solitary on both sides. 
Stem much branched; branches clothed with velvety down. 
h. 6in. 1820, 
(S. F. G. 143), 
PUTTERLICKIA (named after A. Putterlick, 1810- 
1845, assistant at the Botanical Museum of Vienna). 
ORD. Celastrineæ. A genus comprising only a couple of 
species of greenhouse, very glabrous, spiny, South 
African shrubs. Flowers green, with a purple disk; 
calyx segments, petals, and stamens, four or five, the 
petals and stamens spreading; cymes axillary, paniculate ; 
pedicels elongated, divaricate.. Leaves alternate or 
fascicled, stalked, obovate, entire or spinuloso-serrate, 
exstipulate. Branchlets angular or terete. For culture 
of the under-mentioned species, see Celastrus. 
P. Pyracantha (Pyracantha- long; calyx 
minute, — — — See ae —— = 
obovate-cuneate, netted veined. h. 2ft. or more (B. M. 1167, 
under name of Celastrus Pyracanthus.) : 
x 
Syns. Asperula calabrica, Hrnodea montana 
