PUN 



P Y R 



*ftcr ilicy have done flowering, the better. Thcv 

 should not be divided too small, and he planted 

 directly ; when they flower strong in the Following 

 spring. Thev afford ornament in shadv situations. 

 ' PUMPION or PUMPKIN. SeeCucuBBiTA. 



PUNICA, a genus containing plants of the 

 tree and shrub kinds. 



It belongs to the cla?? and order I iumdria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Ponu, 



The characters are : that the calvx is a one- 

 leafed, bell-shaped, five-cleft perianthium, 

 acute, coloured, permanent : the corolla has 

 five roundish petals, from upright spreading, 

 inserted into the calyx : the stamina have nu- 

 merous capillary filaments, shorter than the 

 calyx, and inserted into it: anthers somewhat 

 oblong: the pistillum is an inferior germ : style 

 simple, the length of the stamens : stigma 

 headed: the pericarpium is a sub-globular pome, 

 large, crowned with the calyx, divided into 

 two chambers by a transverse partition, the up- 

 per having about nine, the lower about three cells : 

 partitions membranaceous : the seeds verv manv, 

 angular, succulent: receptacle fleshy, scrobi- 

 cular, dividing each cell of the pericarp two ways. 



The species are : 1 . P. granutum, Common 

 Pomegranate Tree; 2 V P. nana, Dwarf Pome- 

 granate Tree. 



The first ia a tree which ri<es with a woody 

 stem eighteen or twenty feet high, sending out 

 branches the whole length, which likewise put 

 out many slender twigs, rendering it verv thick 

 and bushy, some of which are armed with sharp 

 thorns : the leaves arc narrow spear-shaped, 

 about three inches long, and half an inch 

 broad in the middle, drawing to a point at each 

 end ; are of a light lucid green, and stand op- 

 posite: the flowers come out at the ends of the 

 branches, singly or three and four together ; 

 frec)uenily one of the largest terminates the 

 branch, and immediately under that are two or 

 three smaller buds, which continue a succession 

 of flowers for some months. The fruit is a 

 pome berry, covered with a hard coriaceous rind 

 including a pulp. It is a native of Spain, Por- 

 tugal, Soc. In the West Indies, where it is sup- 

 posed to have been introduced from Europe, the 

 fruit is larger and better flavoured. 



There are several varieties : as the Large 

 Double-flowered, and the Striped-flowered. 



The second species seldom rises more than 

 five or six feet high : the flowers are much 

 smaller than those of the common sort ; the 

 leaves are shorter and narrower ; the fruit is not 

 larger than a nutmeg, and has little flavour: 

 but it may be kept within compass ; and in the 

 West Indies, where it is a native, and is planted 



Vol. II. 



for hedges, it continues flowering great part of 

 the year. 



Culture. — The first sort and varieties arc 

 readily increased by layers ; which should be 

 la ; d in autumn, choosing the young branches 

 for the purpose, giving a little slit underneath at 

 a bud, and laying them in the usual way, giving 

 occasional waterings in summer; and by the 

 following autumn they will be well rooted, and 

 fit to be planted in nursery-rows for two or three 

 years, to get strength, and then planted where 

 they are to remain. 



Those of the common sort and varieties may 

 be trained as half or full standards, or as 

 dwarfs; but those desis-ned for walls should 

 be managed as directed for peaches, &c. 



This sort may be planted aeainst warm walls, 

 and be pruned and trained as other fruit-trees. 



Of this sort, the double-flowering kind is 

 much more esteemed than the other in this 

 country for the sake of its large, fine, double 

 flowers, which are of a most beautiful scarlet 

 colour; and, if the trees are supplied with due 

 nourishment, continue to produce flowers for 

 two months successively ; which renders it one 

 of the most valuable flowering trees. This sort 

 may be rendered more productive of flowers by 

 grafting it upon stocks of the single kind, which 

 check the luxuriancy of the trees, and cause them 

 to produce flowers upon almost cverv shoot. 



The second sort may be raised also bv layers, 

 as the former, but must be planted in pots tilled 

 with rich earth, and preserved in a greenhouse. 

 In the summer, when the flowers begin to ap- 

 pear, if the plants are exposed to the open air, 

 the buds will fall off without opening ; they 

 should therefore be placed in an airy glass case, 

 and a large share of air should be given them 

 every day in warm weather. Bv this treatment 

 the plants may be continued in flower upw arris 

 of three months, and make a fine appearance. 



These are very ornamental trees for shrub- 

 beries and other places. 



PURGING NUT. See Iatropha. 



PURPLE APPLE. See Ansona. 



PURSLANE. SeePoRTULACA. 



PURSLANE TREE. See Portulacaria. 



PYRUS, a genus containing plants of the 

 fruit-tree kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Icosandria 

 Petitagynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Pomacecc. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianth, concave, five-cleft, permanent : 

 segments spreading : the corolla has five petals, 

 roundish, concave, large, inserted into the calyx : 

 the stamina have twenty filaments, awl-shaped, 

 shorter than the corolla, inserted into the calvi : 



e 



