r e R 



PER 



•the stamina have four filiform filaments, diverg- 

 ing al the tip, inserted into the base of the tube, 

 and shorter than it ; the two lower longer : 

 anthers roundish, distant, included, bifid ; 

 with the lobes divaricating : the rudiment of 

 a fifth filament between the upper ones in- 

 serted into the tube, the same length with the 

 stamens, filiform, straight, bearded above at the 

 tip: the pistillum is an ovate germ: style fili- 

 form, the length of the tube, bent down at the 

 tip: stigma truncate: the pericarpium is an 

 ovate capsule, acute, compressed, two-celled, 

 two-valved : the seeds numerous, subglobular : 

 •the receptacle large. 



The species cultivated is P. laevigata, Smooth 

 Pentstemon. 



It has a perennial, creeping, fibrous, white 

 root : the stem a foot and half high and more, 

 round, purple below, brachiate : the lower leaves 

 ovate-acuminate, quite entire, petioled, some- 

 times purple underneath, on petioles winged 

 to the base : the stem-leaves ovate-lanceolate, 

 opposite, embracing, toothletcd, smooth on both 

 sides : the flowering branches in a manner dicho- 

 tomous, with the flowers two together : the corolla 

 pale purple, somewhat hirsute on the outside. 



Culture. — This plant may be increased by 

 sowing the seeds either in the autumn or early 

 spring in the places where they are to remain, 

 or in beds, to be removed in the beginning of 

 the summer to the borders or clumps of the 

 pleasure-grounds. 



They afford variety among other plants of si- 

 milar growth in these situations. 



PEPPER. See Piper. 



PEPPER, GUINEA. See Capsicum. 



PEPPER, JAMAICA. Sec Myrtus. 



PEPPERMINT. Sec Mentha. 



PERENNIAL PLANTS, are such as are of 

 long duration. Such plants as are perpetuated 

 by the roots, whether the leaves and stalks decay 

 annually in winter, or always remain, provided 

 the roots are of many years duration, are per- 

 ennial. All plants, therefore, with abiding 

 roots, both of the herbaceous, shrub, and tree 

 kinds, are perennials ; though in the general ac- 

 ceptation of the word perennial, it is most com- 

 monly applied to herbaceous vegetables with 

 durable roots, more especially tho^c oi'-the flow ery 

 kind, which among gardeners are commonly 

 called simply perennials, particularly the fibrous- 

 rooted tribe: but it is equally applicable to fibrous, 

 tuberous, and bulbous-rooted plants, whose 

 roots are of several years' duration : likewise all 

 shrubs and trees of every denomination, as hav- 

 ing ab ding roots, are perennial plants. 



And these sorts of plants consist both of de- 

 ciduous and ever-green kinds; those that cast 



their leaves, ?cc. in winter being termed decidu- 

 ous perennials, and those which retain their 

 leaves, ever-greens. 



The herbaceous perennials, of the fibrous, 

 tuberous, and bulbous-rooted kinds, for the 

 greater part have annual stalks, rising in spring 

 and decaying in winter; and a great many lose 

 their leaves entirely also in that season, such as 

 the perennial sun-flower, asters, and numerous 

 other sorts; and many retain their leaves all the 

 year, but not their stalks ; as is exemplified in 

 the auricula, polyanthus, some campanulas, 

 pinks, carnations, and many other plants. 



Numbers of the herbaceous perennials multi- 

 ply exceedingly by off-sets of the root, by which 

 they are readily propagated. See Off-set, cnic. 



All the tree and shrub perennials are durable 

 in root, stem, and branch ; but' renew the ir 

 leaves annually. Even the ever-green kinds, 

 although they are in leaf the year round, 

 put forth new leaves every year, to which the 

 old ones gradually give place. See Deciduous 

 and Evek-green Trees, £cc. 



PERIPLOCA, a genus comprising plants of 

 the woody climbing kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Digi/i/ia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Ccmtortae. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 cleft perianthium, very small, segments ovate; 

 permanent: the corolla one-petalled, wheel- 

 shaped, five-parted : segments oblong, linear, 

 truncated, cmarginate: nectary very small, five- 

 tlelt, surrounding the genitals, putting out five 

 threads, curved inwards, shorter than the corolla, 

 and alternate with it : the stamina have short 

 filaments, curved inwards, converging, villose : 

 anthers twin, acuminate, converging over the 

 Stigma; with lateral cells : pollen bags five, at 

 the notches of the stigma, each common to two 

 anthers : the pistillum consists of two ovate 

 germs, approximating: styles united at top: 

 stigma capitate, convex, five-cornered, with the 

 corners notched : the pericarpium consists of t\\ o 

 huge follicles, oblong, venlricose,.one-celled, pne- 

 valved, gjued together at the tip : the seeds \ erv 

 many, imbricated, crowned with a down : the 

 receptacle longitudinal, filiform. 



1 lie species cultivated are: 1. P. Greece, 

 Common Virginian Silk or l'criploea ; -J. P. 

 Secamone, Greea Periploca ; 3. /-'. hu/ica, In- 

 dian Periploca; 4. P. Africana, African 1'e- 

 riploet. 



The first has the stems shrubby, twining round 

 any support more than forty feet in iiei:!it, co- 

 vered with a dark bark, and sending out slen- 

 der branches which twine round each other the 

 leaves are ovate-lanceolate, near four inches long, 



