AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



329 



PIS 



used for varnishing pictures, and by dentists. 

 P. Terebinthus, the Turpentine tree, forms a 

 very beautiful and desirable tree where it is 

 hardj'. It is deciduous, and grows in the 

 south of Europe to tlie heiglit of thirty feet. 

 The red liue of the young leaves of this species 

 is exceedingly beautiful. The Chean or Cyprus 

 turpentine is obtained from this tree, the 

 liquid flowing from incisions made in the 

 trunk soon becomes thick and tenacious, and 

 ultimately hardens. P. vera, the Pistachia 

 tree, which yields the eatable Pistachio-nuts, 

 is a native of Western Asia, whence it has been 

 introduced into, and is greatly cultivated in 

 southern Europe. They are much used either 

 dried like Almonds, or made into ai'ticles of 

 confectionery. The species are rarely culti- 

 vated except in botanical collections. 



Pi'stia. Name probably derived from pistos, 

 watery, in reference to the habitat. Nat. Ord. 

 AroidecB. 



A genus of tropical aquatic plants. P. strati- 

 otes is very common in the West Indies, where it 

 is known as Water Lettuce. It propagates 

 itself with great rapidity, and frequently com- 

 pletely covers tropical ponds and water tanks 

 with a coating of verdure, keeping the water 

 beneath fresh and cool. Each plant sends out 

 several runners, and upon the ends of these 

 other similar plants are formed, which, 

 again, send out runners until, in a short 

 time, the surface of the water is covered. 

 The flowers are very small, and borne in little 

 spathes at the base of the leaves. The plant 

 is well adapted for the aquarium. 



PistiL The female part of a flower, consisting 

 of ovary, style, stigma, and ovules. 



Pi'sum. Pea. From pis, the Celtic for Pea, 

 whence the Latin name pisum. A genus of 

 dilTuse or climbing annual plants, one of 

 which, P. elatius, having pale red flowers, is 

 a native of the Taurian Mountains, the other, 

 P. sativum, the cultivated Pea, is naturalized 

 in the Meditei'ranean region and Western 

 Asia. For a description and history of this 

 species see "Pea." 



Pita. Agave Americana, and the allied species. 

 Pita-fibre and Pita-thread are names for the 

 fibre, called also Aloe-fibre, obtained from the 

 leaves of the larger Agaves such as A. Ameri- 

 cana and A. Mexicana. 



Pitca'irnia. In honor of William Pitcaim, a 

 physician of London. Nat. Ord. Brotneliacece. 

 A handsome genus of green-house her- 

 baceous plants, remarkable for their long 

 panicles of bright red flowers, and for their 

 long, narrow, prickly, green leaves. They 

 are natives of the West Indies and South 

 America. They will grow freely in rich sandy 

 loam, but require partial rest after having 

 made their new growth previous to flowering. 

 They are increased by division or from seed. 

 Introduced in 1820. 



Pitch. The residuum obtained in the distillation 

 of wood-tar from Pinus sylvestris and P. Pin- 

 aster ; the resin of Pine, extracted by flre and 

 inspissation. It is commonly known as Black 

 Pitch. 



Pitcher. A hollowed-out leaf, so called, as in 

 Nepenthes, Sarracenia, etc. 



Pitch of Amboyna. The resin of Dammara 

 Australis. 



PLA 



Pitch. Burgundy. The purified resinous sap 

 of Abies excelsa. 



Pitcher Plant. See Nepenthes, and Sarracenia. 

 Australian or New Holland. Cephalotus follir 



cularis. 

 Californian. Darlingtonia Californica. 



Pitcher-shaped. The same as Campanulate, 

 but more contracted at the orifice, with an 

 erect limb, as the corolla of the Vacciniums or 

 many of the Ericas. 



Pitch Pine. See Pinus. 



Pith. The central cellular part of a stem ; the 

 same as Medulla. 



Pith-hat Plant. .Mschynomene aspera. 



Pith-tree. Herminiera Elaphroxylon. 



Pithecolo'bium, Curl Brush Bean. From 

 pithecos, an ape, and lobos, the lobe of the 

 ear ; in allusion to the native name, Monkey's 

 earring. Nat. Ord. Leguminosm. 



A large genus of trees and shrubs natives of 

 the tropical regions of the western hemi- 

 sphere, tropical Asia, and Australia. P. dulce, 

 a native of Mexico, produces cylindrical pods 

 containing a sweet edible pulp which the 

 Mexicans, who call the tree Guamuchil, boil 

 and eat. The Spaniards introduced it into 

 the Philippine Islands, whence it has been 

 carried to India ; and it is now planted along 

 the lines of railway in the Madras Presidency 

 where the fruit is known as Manilla Tamarinds. 

 P. Saman yields edible pods, which, in Vene- 

 zuela and Brazil are fed to the cattle, like the 

 Carob pods of Europe. P. pruinosum, intro- 

 duced from Queensland in 1869 forms a beauti- 

 ful green-house shrub, the white flowers with 

 long exserted stamens growing in globular 

 umbels from the axils of the upper leaves. 

 The young branches, foliage, and inflorescence 

 are covered with a rusty pubescence. The 

 genus is closely allied to Inga, and the species 

 require the same general treatment. 



Pitted. Having numerous small shallow de- 

 pressions or excavations. 



Pittospora'ceae. A natural order of trees or 

 shrubs, with simple, alternate, exstipulate 

 leaves, and regular symmetrical white, blue, or 

 yellow flowers, found chiefly in Australia. 

 Many of them are resinous, and in some 

 instances the "berries are edible. Sollya, Pitto- 

 sporum, and Billardiera are representative 

 genera, of which there are nine, including 

 eighty or more species. 



Pitto'sporum. From pitto, to tar or pitch, and 

 sporos, seed ; the seeds are covered with a 

 resinous pulp. Nat. Ord. Pittosporacece. 



An extensive genus ol half-hardy evergreen 

 shrubs, natives of China, Australia, the Cana- 

 ries, and the Cape of Good Hope. Most of 

 the species have terminal clusters of white, 

 fragrant flowers, and broadish, shining, dark 

 green leaves, and they are all very ornamen- 

 tal. They require the protection of a- cellar 

 or cool house during the winter. They were 

 first introduced in 1789, and are propagated 

 by cuttings. 



Pla'cea. Derivation of name unknown. Nat. 

 Ord. AmaryllidaceoB. 



P. ornata, the best known species, is a 

 delicate bulb from Chili, producing on a 

 slender scape, about six inches high, four to 

 seven flowers, which are snow white on the 

 outside, and striped with brilliant vermilion 



