302 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



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across, and brilliant scarlet. There are several 

 other varieties all highly ornamental plants. 

 P. nudicaule, the Iceland Poppy, a native of 

 Siberia and the northern parts of America, 

 has large, rich, yellow flowers on naked stems, 

 and is a handsome plant for borders or rock- 

 work. P. umbrosum is a strikingly brilliant 

 hardy annual from the Caucasus, and there- 

 fore perfectly hardy. The color of the flower 

 is a dazzling scarlet with a jet-black blotch 

 on the inner base of each petal, which is 

 sometimes margined with ashy-gray. The 

 varieties known as the Carnation, Picotee, and 

 Ranunculus Poppies are double varieties of 

 Papaver Rhceas, tlie common Corn Poppy, and 

 possess almost every shade of color except 

 blue and yellow. They are also known as 

 French and German Poppies, and are exceed- 

 ingly showy. P. somniferum is a beautiful 

 and most variable Poppy. It generally grows 

 about two feet iu height and varies in color 

 from white to deep crimson. By selec- 

 tion a type called the Peeony-flowered, with 

 very double broad-petaled flowers of many 

 colors, from pure white to deep crimson, varie- 

 gated, etc., has been obtained, and is one of the 

 most showy annuals for summer decoration. 

 The original species, P. somniferum, is the 

 plant especially cultivated in India, Persia, 

 Asia Minor, Egypt, etc., for the production of 

 Opium, which is the inspissated milky juice 

 obtained by making incisions in the capsule. 

 The seeds are destitute of any narcotic quality 

 and may be eaten. White Oil or Oleum is 

 manufactured from them in France, and they 

 are sold as birds' food, under the name of 

 Maw. 



Papavera'ceae. A natural order consisting of 

 herbs or shrubs, usually with milky or colored 

 juice, having alternate, exstipulate leaves, 

 and long, one-flowered peduncles. The species 

 are chiefly European, but they are found 

 pretty generally distributed over the world. 

 The order possesses well-marked narcotic 

 properties. Opium is the concrete milky 

 juice procured from the unripe capsules of 

 Papaver somniferum and its varieties. There 

 are about twenty genera, as, Papaver, Esch- 

 scholtzia, Argemone, Fumaria, and nearly one 

 hundred and fifty species. 



Papaw Tree. See Asimina. 



Paper Mulberry. See Broussonetia papyrifera. 



Paper Narcissus. (See Narcissus Tazetta var. 

 papyraceus.) This, like the Roman Hyacinth, 

 Lily of the Valley and other bulbs, is largely 

 forced for cut llowers in all the principal 

 cities of the United States. The manner of 

 doing this is exactly like that practiced with 

 the Roman Hyacinth, which see, under Hya- 

 cinth. 



Paper Plants. Few persons imagine how many 

 different plants have of late years been util- 

 ized in the maniifacture of paper. Rags of 

 course still furnish the bulk of our paper, but 

 large quantities are also made of wood, straw, 

 and Esparto-Grass Stipa (Macrocloa) tena- 

 cissima, and Lygeum Sjjartium, and in A'arious 

 parts of the world successful experiments 

 have been made with a multitude of materials 

 that have not yet been brought into general 

 use. In France paper has been manufactured 

 out of leaves which are cut, pressed into 

 blocks, and then steeped in lime-water to 



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reduce them to pulp. In Ireland the Mallow, 

 the Hop-vine, the Yellow Iris, and even the 

 Red Clover have furnished paper pulp, and in 

 Scotland the stems of the Hollyhock, Bracken, 

 Flags and Rushes of several kinds, and even 

 Peat have been utilized. Sea- weed and Tan 

 have also been used in Europe and the East, 

 Ramie Pine-apple fibre, Bamboo stalks, and 

 the refuse of Sugar-cane. 



Paper Reed. See Papyrus. 



Paper Tree. Trophis aspera. 



Paphi'nia. From Paphia, a surname of Venus. 

 Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 



The only species known, P. cristata, was 

 formerly included in the genus Maxillaria, 

 but on a revision of that genus was separated 

 by Dr. Lindley, as above. It is a splendid 

 plant, bearing richly-colored flowers, and is 

 rather difficult to cultivate. The best manner 

 of managing it is to pot it in a mixture, turfy 

 peat and sphagnum moss, elevating it con- 

 siderably above the rim of the pot, allowing 

 it to stand in the warmest part of the hot- 

 house, and being careful to avoid over-water- 

 ing at any time. It delights in a high, moist 

 temperature while growing, but should be 

 kept nearly dry when at rest. The young 

 shoots which spring from the base of the 

 pseudo-bulbs are very impatient of stagnant 

 moisture, and should therefore be kept clear 

 of the surrounding surface. It is now inclu- 

 ded by some botanists under Lycaste. 



Papiliona'ceae. A sub-order of Leguminosce, 

 spread over the whole world, but principally 

 inhabiting the north temperate Hemisphere. 

 There are some two hundred and ninety-five 

 genera, and about forty-seven hundred 

 species. 



Papilionaceous. Having such a corolla as that 

 of the Pea ; butterfly-shaped flowers. 



Pappoose Root. The popular name of Caulo- 

 phyllum. 



Pappus. Thistle-down. The down crowning 

 the achenium of the Thistle, and other Com- 

 positae represents the calyx, so the scales, 

 teeth, chaff, as well as bristles, or whatever 

 takes the place of the calyx in this family, 

 are called pappus. 



Papyraceous. Of a texture or the consistency 

 of writing paper. 



Papy'rus. From the Syrian babeer, pronounced 

 papeer^ whence the Egj'ptian word papyrus, 

 paper. Nat Ord. Cyperacece. 



A small species of aquatic plants, mostly 

 inhabitants of tropical countries. P. anli- 

 quorum, the Egyptian Paper Reed, is the plant 

 Avhich yielded the su])stance used as paper by 

 the ancient Egyptians. The underground 

 root-stalks spread horizontally under the 

 mud where the plant grows, continuing to 

 throw up stems as they creep along. These 

 stems are from eight to ten feet high, a por- 

 tion of them being above the water. The 

 largest portion of the stalk was chosen and 

 was split down one side ; the soft centre was 

 removed, and the sheath, about eight inches 

 in breadth, was pressed, polished, and rubbed 

 with oil of Cedar to preserve it from decay. 

 Two sheets were then gummed, one upon the 

 other, in such a way that the fibres of one run 

 at right angles to those of the second, in 

 order that sufficient consistency might be 



