326 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



PIM 



of Jamaica, whence the berries or Pimento of 

 commerce are exported in large quantities. 

 This tree grows to the height of about thirty 

 feet, with a smooth brown trunlc and shining 

 green leaves, resembling those of the Bay ; 

 the branches coming out on all sides, the 

 trees are clothed in the most luxuriant 

 foliage. The great profusion of white flowers 

 contrasts pleasingly with the dark green 

 leaves, the whole forming an object of vege- 

 table beauty rarely surpassed ; wlule the rich 

 perfume which the flowers exhale renders an 

 assemblage of these trees one of the most 

 delicious plantations of even a tropical clime. 

 The Pimento tree grows spontaneously in 

 many parts of Jamaica, but abounds more 

 particularly on the northern side of the 

 island, in elevated spots near the coast. 

 When a new plantation is to be formed, no 

 regular planting or sowing takes place. It is 

 usual to appropriate a piece of land either in 

 the neighborhood of a plantation already 

 formed, or in a part of the woodlands where 

 these trees are scattered in a native state. 

 The land is then cleared of all wood except 

 these trees, which are left standing, and the 

 felled timber is allowed to remain, where it 

 falls to decay. In the course of a year young 

 Pimento plants are found springing up in all 

 parts of the land. At the end of two years the 

 land is thoroughly cleared, only those plants 

 being left that promise a vigorous growth ; 

 these arrive at maturitj- in from five to seven 

 years. Plantations are thus formed with 

 apparently little trouble ; this, however, can 

 only be done in those parts where the tree is 

 of spontaneous growth. This tree is purely 

 a child of Nature, and seems to mock all the 

 labors of man in his endeavors to extend or 

 improve its growth ; not one attempt in fifty 

 to propagate the young plants or to raise 

 them from the seed, in parts of the country 

 where it is not found growing spontaneously, 

 having succeeded. Tlie berries have to be 

 gathered very soon after the flowers fade ; if 

 left to ripen on the tree they lose their pun- 

 genc}', and become valueless. When picked 

 they are spread out thinly on floors, exposed 

 to the full heat of the sun, for about a week, 

 or until fit for exportation. 



Pime'nto. The dried berries of the West Indian 

 Eugenia Pimenta, and E. acris. 



Pimpernel. See Anagallis. 



Pina'ceae. A natural order now included under 

 Coniferce. 



Pina'nga. A local Malayan name. Nat. Ord. 

 Palmacece. 



A genus of stove-house Palms, usually low 

 and slender-stemmed, natives of India and 

 the Malayan Archipelago. They are very 

 ornamental plants, and are closely allied to 

 Seaforthia, and Areca, under which genera 

 some of the species are placed by botanists. 

 P. spectahilis, is a very choice and beautiful 

 species, the dark green leaves, mottled with 

 light green, and the nerves prominently 

 raised on the upper surface, the under sur- 

 face having a light silvery appearance. P. 

 lepida, is another elegant-growing Palm, the 

 young leaves having a brown-crimson tint, 

 gradually changing as the foliage matures. 



Pincenecti'tia. Lindley says this is "a name 

 under which some plants allied to Cordyline, 



PIN 



and Dasylirion, have been sent out by Belgian 

 horticulturists. It is supposed to have arisen 

 from the blunders of ignorant gardeners, who 

 mistook the plant for a Freycinetia, but who 

 wrote the name so badly that it was read as 

 above." The species are described as a genus 

 of Liliacece, under the name of Beaucarnia, 

 which see. 



Pi'nckneya. A genus of small trees, natives of 

 the Southern States from Carolina to Florida, 

 and belonging to the Nat. Ord. Rubiacew. 



P. pubens, the Bitter-bark Tree, is quite a 

 handsome tree, with red downy, purplish- 

 spotted flowers, and large, downy, ovate 

 leaves, rendered still more conspicuous by 

 reason of the large pink bracts underneath 

 the inflorescence. 



Pincushion Flo-wer. The genus Scabioaa. 



Piiie-apple. See Ananassa. 



Pine-barren Beauty, or Little Pixie. Pyxidan- 



thtra barbulata. 



Pine-tree. The popular name for Pinua; the 



name is also applied to several other genera. 

 Aleppo or Jerusalem. Piniis Halepensis. 

 Amboyna. Damarra orientalis. 

 Austrian. Pinus Austriaca. 

 Bhotan. Pinus excelsa. 

 Black. Pinus Austriaca. 

 Black, of New Zealand. Podocarpus ferruginea, 



and P. spicata. 

 Brazilian. Araucaria Braziliensis. 

 Calabrian. Pinus Laricio. 

 Californian Giant. Pinus Lambertiana. 

 Celery-leaved, of New Zealand. Phyllocladus 



trichomanoides. 

 Celery-leaved, of Tasmania. Phyllocladys 



rhomboidalis. 

 Chili. Araucaria imbricala. 

 Chinese. Pinus Sinensis. 

 Chinese Lace-bark. Pinus Bungeana. 

 Cowrie or Kauri. Damarra Australis. 

 Crimean. Pinus Pallasiana. 

 Cluster. Pijius Pinaster. 

 Cypress. Frenella verrucosa. 

 Frankincense. Pinus Tceda. 

 Georgia. Pinus australis. 

 Golden. Pinus Kcempferi. 

 Hickory. Pinus Balfouriana. 

 Highland. Pinus sylvestris, var. horizontalia. 

 Hudson's Bay. Pinus Banksiana. 

 Italian Stone. Pinus Pinea. 

 Kauri or Cowrie. Damarra Australia. 

 King. Abies Webbiana. 

 Labrador or Banksian. Pinus Banksiana. 

 Loblolly. Pimcs Toeda. 

 Mahogany. Podocarpus Totara. 

 Monterey. Pinus insignis. 

 Moreton Bay. Araucaria Cunninghami. 

 Mountain. Pinus Monticola and P. pumvla. 

 Nepal. Pinus Gerardiana. 

 New Caledonian. Araucaria Cookii, and A. 



Rulei. 

 New Jersey Scrub. Pimts inops. 

 New Zealand. Dacridium cupressinum. 

 Norfolk Island. Araucaria excelsa. 

 Norway. Abies excelsa. 



" Norway," of North America. Pinus resinosa. 

 Nut. Pinus edulis and P. monophylla. 

 Pitch. Pinus rigida. 

 Pitch, of Georgia. Pinus au,^tralls. 

 Red. Pinus resinosa and abies rubra. 

 Red, of New Zealand. Dacrydium cupressinum. 

 Screw. The genus Pandanus. 



