The fragrance of the Sweet Pea blossom is similar to 

 that of the Orange flowers, with a mixture of the rose. These 

 blossoms are peculiar for their elegant negligence of form, 

 and delicacy and richness of colouring, varied with claret-co- 

 lour, blue, lilac, rose, white, etc ., all in the same flower. It 

 is much cultivated by the market florists. 



Here are Sweet Peas, on tip-toe for a flight, 



With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white, 



And taper fingers catching at all things, 



To bind them all about, with tiny rings. Keats. 



PEACH BLOSSOM. 



Jlmygdalus. 



(For Amygdalus, see Almond.) 



Peach E. Fr. peche; It. pesca; Lat. malum persicum, 



a tree and fruit. See Webster and Johnson. 



The native country of the peach is not known. It came 



to the Remans from Persia. Jlees' Cy. 



Skinner tells us that the name of the fruit, Peach, comes 



through the French pesche or peche, and Italian pesca, from 



persica, in allusion to the country of its origin. 



PENNYROYAL. 



Cunila pulegioides, and Mentha pulegium. 



Cunila, from the Gr. xoixt. Ainsworth defines it "An 

 herb whereof there are three sorts, viz. savory, marjoram, 

 and pennyroyal." 



It may be that the word is derived from the Latin cunio, 

 to defile, on account of its strong scent, which to many per- 

 sons is disagreeable. 



Cunila pulegioides, the N. American species, has stems 

 seven or eight inches high, erect, pubescent, branched; leaves 

 oblong, two-toothed, opposite, smooth above, roughish with 

 short hairs underneath, on short petioles; root annual; flow- 

 crs in axillary whorls, shorter than the leaves, continued from 

 the upper to the lower pair of leaves; two lower divisions of 

 the calyx bristle-shaped, ciliated. It has a strong scent, and 

 an infusion of it is said by Kalm to be used by persons who 

 have taken cold, and have a pain in their limbs. 



Mentha, the name of the English plant, is an ancient 

 Latin name, mostly written menta, adopted from the Greeks, 

 whose /tivSii (mint) is synonymous with their ^Juoovio; (mint, 

 cinnamon) the latter being generally used. See Dioscorides, 

 book 3, chap. 41. 



The nymph JWintha, a favourite of Pluto, is fabled to 

 have been changed by Proserpine into this herb. 



Our common mint, is of this genus. 



The Mentha pulegium, common pennyroyal of England, 

 has flowers whorled. Leaves ovate. Stems prostrate. Flow- 

 er-stalks downy. Calyx hairy all over, with fringed teeth. 

 Corolla twice the length of the calyx; very hairy externally, 

 shorter than the stamens. The broadest segment of the 

 corolla is decidedly cloven, as it ought to be in the JVLentha. 

 The flavour of pennyroyal is peculiarly strong, resembling 

 Thymus Nepeta, but not confined to these plants. Some 

 cunilse have the same scent. 



Class and order of Mentha, Didynamia, Gymnosper- 

 mia. Nat. Ord. same as Cunila. 



PEONY. 

 Pseonia. 



Pseonia, in memory of Paeon, the physician, whom Ho- 

 mer records as having cured Pluto with this herb, when he 

 was wounded by Hercules. 



Pseon was a pupil of JEsculapius, who, being jealous on 

 account of this famous cure, is said to have secretly caused 

 the death of Pseon; but Pluto, in gratitude, changed him 

 into the flower which bears his name, and which has been 

 celebrated throughout all antiquity, for its wonderful virtues; 

 protecting persons from enchantment, driving away evil spi- 

 rits, etc. 



The superb double crimson Peony of our gardens, P. 

 ojfficinalis, is a native of Switzerland and the Alps. Calyx 

 of five leaves; petals roundish, concave, contracted at their 

 base, spreading, very large, terminal, solitary; stem herba- 

 ceous, annual, two feet high, with large spreading, compound, 

 dark-green leaves; the root perennial. 



There might ye see the Peony spreading wide. 



Cowper. 



PERIWINKLE. 



Vinca. 



Vinca, the best derivation may, perhaps, be from Vin- 

 cio, to bind, or wrap up: because its long, trailing, or twin- 

 ing branches, wind themselves around, and entangle every 

 other plant in their way. Rees 1 Cyclopedia. 



Periwinkle, Latin, Vinca, Sax. Wincle, a shell-fish. 

 2. A plant of the genus Vinca. [See Webster.] 



Skinner says: "Perwinkle, or Periwinkle, Clematis 

 Daphnoides Anglo-Saxon, Perwinc, Peruince, barbarous 

 Latin, Vinca, Pervinca, so called, perhaps, because Vincit, 

 it binds up that is, stops the flowing of wounds, and some 

 other hemorrhages; or, according to Lobelius, because it 

 always flourishes, and conquers, and overcomes continually 

 (vincit and pervincif) the injuries of the air. 



In France, the Periwinkle has been made the emblem 

 of "the pleasures of memory," and sincere friendship. Pos- 

 sibly in allusion to Rosseau's recollection of his friend Madam 

 de Warrens, after the lapse of thirty years, produced by the 

 sight of the flower they had admired together. 



The general character of this genus, is a perianth, in- 

 ferior, of one leaf; corolla monopetalous, contorted, salver- 

 shaped, inferior. 



The Vinca minor, found in every garden, with scent- 

 less flowers, of a deep blue, white in the centre or white 

 flowers, with a variegated leaf both perennial; stems erect; 

 while in flower they become trailing, creeping extensively; 

 leaves evergreen, opposite, about an inch long, elliptic-lan- 

 ceolate, smooth at the edges. Native of Egypt. 



V. Rosea, Madagascar Periwinkle, has an erect, shrub- 

 by stem; flowers sessile in pairs; leaves elliptic-oblong, en- 

 tire, rather downy, bluntish, two inches long. Native of the 

 East Indies, now become a popular green-house plant, flow- 

 ering the greater part of the year; corolla either rose colour, 

 or pure white; the centre always of a peculiarly rich crimson, 

 with a yellow eye. 



