216 THE DICTIONARY 
OF GARDENING, 
Prenanthes—continued. 
a (purple).* _jl.-heads purple, disposed in loose 
panicles, long-stalked, — August. T oblong-lanceolate, 
bom ie 5 4 sub-denticulate, glaucous beneath. h. 4ft. 
Europe, 1658. (J. F. A. 317.) 
P. virgata (twiggy). /l.-heads lilac, clustered, and mostly uni- 
lateral; involucre purplish, of about eight scales. August. 
l. lanceolate, acute, closely sessile, the upper ones reduced to 
bracts, the lower ones toothed or pinnatifid. Stem simple, 2ft. 
to 4ft. high. North America, 1823. 
PREPTANTHE. A synonym of Calanthe. į 
PREPUSA (from the Greek word prepo, which means $f 
“I am handsome”; on account of the beauty of the 
flowers). ORD. Gentianee. A small genus (three species) 
of herbaceous or shrubby, erect, slightly branched, green- 
house plants, confined to Brazil. Flowers large, few, 
long-stalked, at length often nodding; calyx inflated, 
campanulate, shortly six-lobed; corolla campanulate, 
with six broad, short, twisted lobes. Leaves opposite, 
slightly fleshy, mostly approximate at the base of the 
stem; upper ones scattered, sessile or connate. For 
culture of P. Hookeriana, the only species hitherto intro- 
duced (probably not now in cultivation), see Leianthus. 
P. Hookeriana (Hooker’s).* A. disposed in racemiform cymes 
of three to five; pedicels naked, elongated ; corolla tube cam- 
a, the limb pale yellowish-white, with obovate, apiculate 
obes. March. ¿. spathulate-lanceolate, slightly obtuse ; cauline 
ones few, sub-connate at base. Stem herbaceous, purplish, 
almost simple. A. lft. 1839. (B. M. 3909.) 
PRESCOTIA. Sce Prescottia. 
PRESCOTTIA (named after John D. Prescott, a 
botanist, of St. Petersburgh). Erroneously spelt Pres- 
cotia. Syns. Decaisnea (of Brogniart), Galeoglossum. 
Orv. Orchidew. A genus comprising about a score 
species of stove, tropical American, terrestrial orchids, 
with fascicled, sometimes fleshy root-fibres, and leafy, 
slender, or tall, simple stems. Flowers small, spicate, 
sub-sessile; lateral sepals connate with the lip into a 
sac, the lip being fleshy, cucullate, and entire, with a 
couple of ears at its base. Leaves clustered at the 
base of the stem or radical, sessile or long-stalked, 
small or ample, membranous. The best-known species 
are given below. They are similar, both in habit and 
leaf characters, to Stenorrhynchus, and require a green- 
house temperature; they should be potted in well- 
drained loam. 
P. colorans (coloured n, in , erect, dense 
—— 
ong, acuminate, cucu 
as fong as the petioles. Brasil, 134, (B. B. wis)” 2 
P. densiflora (dense-flowered). jl. whitish ; and 
revolute, almost round, acute, Aa with fapa ha — 
l. rosulate, oblong, obtuse, many-nerved. Brazil, 1866. 
P. plantaginea (Plantain-like). fl. greenish-white, disposed in 
————— age ——————— Shei eE ig s 
: -oblo: rowed into a le which is shi 
the blade. Brazil, 1822. (H, E. F. 115; L. B. C. 990.) ; 
PRESLIA (named in honour of C. B. and L. 8. 
Presl, of Prague, authors of “Flora Sicula,” 1818, 
“Flora Cechica,” 1819, and other works). ORD. Labiate. 
A monotypic genus. The species is a hardy, prostrate, 
perennial herb, allied to Mentha. It thrives in any 
moist soil, and may be readily increased by divisions. 
P. cervina (stag). A. e lish, disposed i many- 
flowered, axilla: ———— rather PAR —— floral 
leaves ; calyx tubular, equal, four-toothed ; corolla tube included, 
the limb equal and four-parted. June to August. l sessile, 
linear, obtuse, quite entire, dotted, somewhat fascicled in the 
—*—* — Mediterranean region, 1684. SYN. Mentha 
 PRESTOEA (named after H. Prestoe, the present 
_ Director of the Trinidad Botanic Gardens). ORD. Pakar. 
A genus comprising two species of pinnate-leaved, slen- 
der, dwarf, stove palms, with a reed-like caudex. For 
culture, see Phonix. — 
D. montana (m is is 
) ied in —— — * is * correct name of the plant 
P. pubigera (puberulous).* j. minute, sessile: outer 
‘workesfed, Sin Tong, te tntetor one IE to Ti lone peda 
Prestoea—continued. 
Zin. to 4in. long; spadix branches twenty to thirty, the inferior 
ones 6in. long, much thickened at the base. fr. an ovoid berry. 
l. 3ft. to 4ft. long, pinnatisect at base, on petioles more than 2ft. 
long, green, with pale nerves, glabrous, chartaceous ; lower seg- 
ments somewhat distant, 14ft. to 2ft. long, three lines broad 
Trunk 10ft. to 12ft. high, West Indies. SYN. Hyospathe 
pubigera. 
. PRESTONIA (named in honour of ©. Preston, M.D., 
a correspondent of Ray). Syns. Exothostemon and Hama- 
dictyon. ORD. Apocynacee. A genus comprising about 
thirty species of tall, climbing, twining, hirsute, pubes- 
cent or glabrous, stove shrubs, natives of tropical, 
America. Cymes often densely corymbose or almost um- 
belliform, pseudo-axillary, sessile or shortly pedunculate. 
Leaves opposite, penniveined. Perhaps the only species 
worthy of mention is the one here described. It should 
be grown in a stove, and potted in a light, loamy soil. 
It makes a pretty specimen when trained upon pillars 
or a balloon trellis. Propagated by cuttings, rooted under 
a bell glass, in bottom heat. 
P. venosa (veined). fl. yellowish-green, pale in the centre, in 
drooping racemes. June. l lanceolate, glabrous, beautifully 
traversed by crimson veins. St. Vincent, 1821. Syn. Echites 
nutans (B. M. 2473). 
PRETTY FACE. Sce Calliprora lutea. 
PRICKING OFF, or PRICKING OUT. A 
term in constant use, which is applied to the removal of 
small seedling plants from the position in which they 
have been reared, and their insertion in single pots, or 
at a wider distance apart in pots, pans, or beds, where 
there is more space in which they may grow. The object 
is that of encouraging growth, and getting plants sufti- 
ciently strong to be placed in’ their permanent quarters 
without fear of injury. Pricking Out is generally best 
practised so soon as the first leaves appear after those 
which the seed produces from its interior.: The necessity 
for this work may be much lessened by thin sowing; 
but still there are numerous instances in which it is un- 
avoidable. Small plants, when Pricked Out, must receive 
every attention until they become so far established as, 
to a certain extent, to take care of themselves, and get 
large enough for transplanting or potting permanently. 
PRICKLES. Sharp, hard, conical elevations of the . 
epidermis or epiphlcum. 
PRICKLY PEAR. See Opuntia. 
PRIESTLEYA (named after Dr. Joseph Priestley, 
1733-1804, the famous chemist). —— Achyronia. 
ORD. Leguminose. A genus comprising fifteen species of a 
greenhouse, often silky-villous shrubs, natives of South : 
Africa. Flowers yellow, in terminal, crowded heads or 7 
racemes, or rarely axillary; standard sub-orbiculate ; 
wings falcate-obovate; keel incurved, beaked or sligbtly 
obtuse. Pods oblong or broadly linear, oblique, com- 
pressed, two-valved. Leaves simple, entire ; stipules none. 
The species thrive iù sandy peat. Water must be care- 
fully administered ; if too much is given, the plants wìll 
die. Propagation may be effected by cuttings of very 
young wood, inserted in sand, under a glass, and kept 
free from damp. i 
P. ericæfolia (Heath-leaved). jl. capitate, terminal, or in fascicles 
eas 
— 
in the upper axils of the leaves; keel fuscous-purple at apex- 
June ama July. Z linear-lanceolate, rather ate din. long, 
with somewhat revolute margins, hairy beneath, but at length 
—— above. Branches and calyces silky. h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1812. 
h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1794, 
(Thunberg’s). fl. axillary, pedicellate. July and 
A l , acute, smooth, th ins beset with 
silky hairs Branches hairy. hoe wet 18 
under name of 
name of L. vestita.) 
