300 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



PAN 



worth its weight in gold. The genuine Man- 

 churian Ginseng consists of a stem from 

 which the leaves spring, of a centre root, and 

 of two roots branching off at the same point 

 from each side of the centre root; the stem 

 somewhat resembles the head and neck ; the 

 side roots the shoulders and arms of a man ; 

 the main root represents the body, and a 

 fork which the main root frequently forms, 

 supplies the legs. The Chinese, with a not 

 ungraceful feeling, believe that a plant which 

 thus expands into the human form, amid 

 thicket and jungles on which the foot of man 

 never trod, must be intended to alleviate the 

 sufferings of the human race. It is now so 

 scarce that the collection of the wild root is 

 prohibited by imperial edict. The roots of P. 

 quinquefolium, a native species found in most 

 of the United States, is collected and exported 

 to China in large quantities, though it is not 

 so highly valued as the indigenous plant. It 

 is now being largely gathered by Chinamen in 

 some of our western States, who sell it in 

 large quantities to wholesale druggists for 

 shipment to China, which we believe is the 

 only market for it. It is always sold by 

 weight, and is collected mostly by American- 

 ized Chinese, who, to make it weigh well, 

 often carefully drill holes in the largest roots 

 into which they run melted lead, and cover it 

 in so ingeniously that it can only be dis- 

 covered by handling and weighing each root 

 individually ; so in this case, as well as in 

 card playing : " For ways that are dark, and 

 tricks that are vain, the heathen Chinee is 

 peculiar." 



Pancra'tium. From pan, all, and kratys, potent ; 

 supposed medicinal qualities. Nat. Ord. 

 A maryllidacecB. 



An extensive genus of half-hardy and green- 

 house, lily-like, bulbous plants, with long 

 strap-like leaves, mostly deciduous, a few 

 only being persistent. The flowers are white 

 or greenish-white, pi'oduced in an umbel on a 

 solid scape about two feet high. The species 

 are found in the south of Europe, north 

 Africa, Syria, Arabia, and in several of the 

 more southern of the United States. P. mar- 

 itimum is the Sea Daffodil, common in the 

 sands on the coast of the Mediterranean. Its 

 flowers are pure white and delightfully fra- 

 grant. P. Carolinianum is common in salt 

 marshes from South Carolina to Florida. 

 Chapman, in his " Southern Flora," makes no 

 distinction in the two species. There are 

 several other species noticed in his Flora, but 

 these are the best representatives of the 

 genus. P. ovatum is a most showy species, 

 bearing an umVjel of fifteen to twenty-five 

 pure white, sweet-scented fiowers. It is an 

 exceedingly attractive plant and can be had 

 in bloom twice a year. P. calathinum, a. 

 native of Brazil, with pure white fragrant 

 flowers, placed under Hymenocallis by some 

 botanists, is often found in cvilrivation as 

 Jsmene Knightii (see Ismene). They all require 

 green-house treatment, and should be grown 

 in light loam and leaf-mould, and allowed a 

 season of rest. They are propagated by off- 

 sets. 



Pandana'ceae. A natural order of curious trees 

 or bushes, sometimes with adventitious roots, 

 long imbricated, amplexicaul leaves, usually 

 with spiny margins and backs, and unisexual 



PAN 



or polygamous flowers, covering the whole 

 spadix. They are mostly natives of the Ma- 

 layan Archipelago, and Seychelles, a few being 

 found in Asia, Africa, tropical Australia, 

 and the West Indies. The species, number- 

 ing about eighty, have no great economic 

 value, and are classed under two genera, 

 Freycinetia and Pandanits. 



Pandanophy'llum. Derivation of name ob- 

 scure. Nat. Ord. Cyperaceoe. 



P. humile, the only described species, is a 

 very ornamental plant, having, as its name 

 Avould imply, very much the appearance of 

 the Pandanus. It is a native of Java, and has 

 glossy, deep green, arching leaves, which are 

 furnished with two secondary ribs, giving the 

 surface of the foliage a peculiar channeled ap- 

 pearance. The end of the leaf, which is from 

 six to nine feet long, and about two inches 

 broad, is suddenly narrowed down into a long 

 threadlike termination. This is the only 

 species under cultivation, though five or six 

 others have been found. 



Pandanus. Screw Pine. From pandang, a 

 word in the Malay language, signifying con- 

 spicuous. Nat. Ord. PandanacecB. 



An extensive genus of exceedingly orna- 

 mental, dwarf-growing trees, common in the 

 East Indian Islands. The leaves are imbri- 

 cated, and embrace the stem, bearing some 

 resemblance to those of the Pine-apple. They 

 are from three to five feet long, and are placed 

 in three spiral row.s round the extremities of 

 the branches. The most remarkable peculi- 

 arity of the Screw Pine is its singular method 

 of propping itself in the soil, by means of 

 aerial or adventitious roots, which are pro- 

 jected from the sides of the trunk at an angle 

 suited for its mechanical support. This is a 

 beautiful provision for the exigencies of the 

 plant, which acquires an enormous top weight 

 by the accumulation of its thick, fleshy leaves, 

 and would lose its balance but for its power 

 of throwing down new roots when they are 

 required. The flowers of P. odoratissimua 

 yield a most delightful fragrance, for which it 

 is largely cultivated in Japan. P. utilis, 

 which best deserves the name of Screw Pine, 

 is the species most frequently met in our 

 green-houses, and is, perhaps, the most valu- 

 able of any plant used in decoration, as it 

 withstands gas, dust, and ill usage generally 

 better than almost any known plant. It is 

 the most useful in its native country, the 

 Mauritius, where it is not only common, but 

 is cultivated for the sake of its leaves, which 

 are extensively used in the manufacture of 

 the bags or sacks in which sugar is exported. 

 They are increased by seed, or may be propa- 

 gated by cuttings, the former being the 

 method by which a stock is usually obtained 

 in this country. There has lately been intro- 

 duced into the green-house two very orna- 

 mental kinds, P. Javanicus variegata and P. 

 Veitchii, both with foliage striped green and 

 white. As decorative plants they are exceed- 

 ingly valuable, both for the green-house and 

 parlor. They are increased by offshoots or 

 suckers, which root rather slowly. The tem- 

 perature in which they are propagated should 

 not be less than 75°. 



Pandurate or Panduriform. 



die-shaped. 

 Panic-Grass. See Panicum. 



The same as Fid- 



