AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



337 



POG 



Pogo'nia. From pogon, a beard ; alluding to the 

 fringed lip of the flowers. Nat. Ord. Orchi- 

 dacecB. 



A small genus of ten-estrial Orchids, com- 

 mon both in temperate and tropical regions. 

 They are small plants, ■with drooping flowers, 

 on slender pedicels, of a purple or greenish- 

 yellow color. Several of the species are found 

 from New York southward. 



Pogo'nopus. From pogon, a beard, and potts, a 

 food ; in allusion to the shape of the flower. 

 Nat. Ord. Ruhiacem. 



A small genus of trees and shrubs, natives 

 of tropical America. P. Caracasensia, the 

 only cultivated species, has showy bright 

 pink flowers, borne in terminal-branched pani- 

 cles. It was introduced to cultivation in 1855, 

 and is propagated by cuttings. 



Pogoste'mon. From pogon, a beard, and sie- 

 mon, a stamen; the stamen filaments being 

 hairy. Nat. Ord. LabiatcB. 



A genus of tall herbs, found principally in 

 India and Ceylon. The species are of butlit- 

 tle interest except P. Patchouli, which has 

 dense spikes of white flowers, tinged with 

 purple, and which affords the celebrated 

 Patchouli perfume, or Pucha-pat of the Hin- 

 doos. The odor is very peculiar, and even 

 disagreeable to many, but in India it is one of 

 the most common perfumes found in the 

 bazaai's. 



Poincia'na. Flower Fence. Named after Af. de 

 Poind, once Governor of the Antilles. Nat. 

 Ord. Leguminosce. 



A small genus of very beautiful green-house 

 evergreen shrubs, natives of South America 

 and the East Indies. P. pulcherrima, the Bar- 

 badoes Flower Fence, is a really beautiful 

 object when well grown, as is also P. regia, 

 the former having large red and yelloAv flow- 

 ers, and the latter rich crimson. They flower 

 fi'eely if grown in pots and plunged in a warm, 

 sunny spot, during the summer season, care 

 being taken to S3"ringe freely to keep down 

 red spider. They were flrst introduced in 

 1788, and are propagated by seeds or from 

 cuttings of the half-ripened wood. 



Poinse'ttia. Named in honor of Joel R. Poin- 

 sette, American minister to Mexico, who dis- 

 covered the plant in Mexico in 1828. Nat. 

 Ord. Euphorhiacece. 



A small genus of evergreen shrubs from 

 Mexico, producing large terminal bracts of 

 fiery scarlet leaves from December until 

 February ; they give the plant a most splendid 

 appeai-ance. There is a variety with white 

 bracts, but it is inferior to the species. Poin- 

 settia pulcherrima plenissima, a new and double 

 variety of recent introduction, is a magnifi- 

 cent plant, remarkable for the distinct charac- 

 ter of its floral bracts, the size of the heads in 

 which they are produced, and their marvelous 

 brilliancy of color. Instead of the bracts 

 being borne in a single head and spreading 

 out as in the old form, in the new double 

 kind they are gathered into clusters, which 

 fill up the centre, so that the whole inflo- 

 rescence is full and rosette-like in form. The 

 double variety was discoveied by Mr. Roezl in 

 Mexico, and was bought by Mr. Isaac 

 Buchanan, of New York, who sold it to an 

 English florist, by whom it was distributed. 



POI 



This plant is of the easiest culture. After 

 flowering cut back to within two buds of the 

 old wood, take up the plants, and put them in 

 a convenient place under a bench, and cover 

 the roots with sand or earth, and keep dry. 

 Let them remain until it is time to plant out 

 ordinary bedding plants, when they should be 

 put out in the open air, and planted in boxes 

 six inches deep (say six plants in each box), a 

 foot or so apart, giving them good rich soil. 

 They should be taken into the house before 

 the nights begin to get cool. In the latitude 

 of New York they should be housed by the 

 middle of September. They may be grown to 

 flower in these boxes by giving them plenty of 

 manure water ; although, if wanted in large 

 quantity, it is best to place the boxes on a 

 green-house bench, knock off the sides and 

 ends of the boxes, and fill up to the level 

 between with soil. After the plants have 

 become thus established, an occasional water- 

 ing with liquid manure will add greatly to 

 their growth. At no time should the tem- 

 peratuie in the house fall below 50^ at night 

 or 70^ during the day. To propagate, allow 

 the cuttings to dry a day or two after they are 

 taken from the plants; then cut them into 

 pieces of two or three buds each, and insert 

 them in an ordinary propagating bench. Pot 

 off as soon as they are rooted, and grow on 

 until the weather will permit of their being 

 put out of doors, when they may be given the 

 same care as the older plants. With this 

 treatment the plants will usually be done 

 flowering by New I'ear's, and may be taken 

 up to make room for other plants. This genus 

 is now by manj' botanists reunited with 

 Eiqihorbia. 



Poison. Arrow. The juice of Euphorbia hepta- 

 gona, E. virosa, and E. cereiformis, in Africa, 

 and of E. cotinifolia, in Brazil. Also the Nou- 

 rali or Caruna poison, derived from Strychnos 

 toxijcra, by the savages of Guiana, and the 

 Tschittich poison, prepared by the Javanese 

 from Strychnos Tieute. Also the poisonous 

 juice of Hippomane Mancinella. 



Poison-Bay. See Uliceum. 



Poison-Berry. A name given to several species 



of Cestrum, 



Poison-Bulb. Asiatic. Crinitin Asiaticum. 

 Poison-Bulb. Cape. See Buphane. 

 Poisou-Dogv^rood or Poison-Sumach. See 



Rhus venenata. 

 Poison-Hemlock. See Conium. 



Poison-Ivy or Poison-Oak. See Rhus toxico- 

 dendron. 



Poison-Oak. Californian. Rhus diversiloba. 



Poison-Plant. Vinceioxicum officinale. 



Poison-Tree. Jamaica. Rhus arborea. 



Poisonous Plants. Of the 100,000 known flower- 

 ing plants it is stated that 10,000 may be con- 

 sidered as deleterious, all being more or less 

 energetic in their action, and of these, probably 

 fifty are deadly. It is a singular, but generally 

 understood fact, that all plants having green 

 flowers are poisonous, either in their leaves, 

 stems, seeds, or roots. The famous Upas 

 Tree of Java does not affect the atmosphere 

 as is commonly supposed, but its juice is the 

 part which does the harm. Large tracts of 

 land in Java are barren owing to certain 



