PORTEA 



698 



POTATO 



PO'RTEA. (Commemorative of Marius Porte, who 

 discovered P. kermesina. Nat. ord. Bromeliaceae.) 



Stove evergreen herbs. Suckers. Fibrous loam, 

 fibrous or lumpy peat, some nodules of charcoal, and 

 sand. 

 P. kermesi'na (carmine), ij. Blue; bracts rose. Trop. 



Amer. 1870. 

 legrellia'na (Legrellian). ij. Bright red ; petals 



reddish-purple. Brazil. 1875. 



tillandsioi' des (Tillandsia-like). i. Red. Trop. 

 Amer. 1860. 



PORTENSCHLA'GIA. (Commemorative of F. v. 

 Portenschlag-Ledemmeyer, an Austrian botanist. Nat. 

 ord. Umbelliferae.) 



Hardy perennial herb with much divided leaves, and 

 whorled branches. Seeds ; divisions. Ordinary soil. 

 P. austra'lis (southern). See EL.SODENDRON AUSTRALE. 

 ramosi'ssima (much-branched). Yellowish- white. 

 Dalmatia. 1888. 



PORTLA'NDIA. (Named after the Duchess of Portland. 

 Nat. ord. Rubiads [Rubiaceae]. Linn. $-Pentandria, i- 

 Monogynia.) 



Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings of rather firm 

 shoots in sand, under a bell-glass, and in a brisk, sweet 

 bottom-heat ; sandy loam, peat, and a little leaf-mould. 

 Winter temp., 45 to 60 ; summer, 60 to 90. 

 P. cocci'nea (scarlet). 5. Scarlet. Jamaica. 1812. 

 grandiflo'ra (large-flowered). 12. White. W. Ind. 



1775- 



hexa'ndra (six-anthered) . See COUTAREA SPECIOSA. 

 plata! 'ntha (flat-flowered). White. July. Trop. 

 Amer. 1849. 



PORTUGAL LAUREL. Pru'nus lusita'nica. 



PORTUGAL QUINCE. Cydo'nia vulga'ris lusita'nica. 



PORTULA'CA. Purslane. (From porto, to carry, and 

 lac, milk ; milky juice. Nat. ord. Purslanes [Portulaceae]. 

 Linn. n-Dodecandria, i-Monogynia. Allied toTaUnum.) 



Hardy annuals, by seeds in the open border, at the 

 end of April ; tender annuals, by seed in hotbed, in 

 spring, and afterwards flowering them in the greenhouse, 

 as they require a very sheltered, sunny spot to do much 

 good in the open air ; tuberous and shrubby greenhouse 

 kinds, by cuttings and division of the roots ; rich, sandy 

 loam and peat, the loam being enriched with old leaf- 

 mould or cow-dung. 



GREENHOUSE TUBEROUS EVERGREENS. 



P. Gillie'sii (Gillies'). |. Red, pink. Chili. 1827. 

 grandiflo'ra (large-flowered). Yellow, purple. June. 



Brazil. 1827. " Sun Plant." 



lu'tea (yellow). Yellow. June to August. Chili. 1827. 

 Rege'lii (Regel's). Pink, with dark eye. Chili. 



1885. 

 peruvia'na (Peruvian). 2. Purple. May. Peru. 



1820. Stove herbaceous. 

 soma'lica (Somaliland). J. Yellow. Somaliland. 



1886. Stove. 

 ,, sple'ndens (shining). Crimson, purple. May. Chili. 



1839. Herbaceous perennial. 

 suffrutico'sa (subshrubby). |. Pink. June. India. 



1820. 

 Thellnso'nii (TheUuson's) . i. Scarlet. July. S. 



Europe. 1839. 



lu'tea (yellow), i. Yellow. June. 1847. 

 ,, sple'ndens (shining), i. Reddish-purple. June. 



GREENHOUSE ANNUALS. 

 P. Jialimoi'des (Halimus-like). J. Yellow. June. W. Ind. 



1823. 



,, meridia'na (noonday). See P. QUADRIFIDA. 

 olcra'cea (pot-herb). . Yellow. June to August. 



Warm regions. 1582. " Common Purslane." 



Hardy. 

 ,, au'rea (golden), i. Deep yellow. June to 



August. S. Amer. 1652. 

 parvifo'lia (small-leaved), i. Yellow. June. 



Jamaica. I7Q9. 

 parvifo'lia (small-leaved). See P. OLERACEA PARVI- 



FOLIA. 

 pilo'sa (shaggy). $. Pink. June. N. and S. Amer. 



1690. 

 pusi'lla (weak). J Yellow. June. Venezuela. 1824. 



P. quadri'fida (four-cleft). J. Yellow. May to August. 



Tropics of Old World. 1773. 

 sati'va (cultivated). See P. OLERACEA. 



HALF-HARDY ANNUALS. 

 P. folio'sa (leafy). $. Yellow. June. Trop. Africa. 



1822. 

 ,, guinee'nsis (Guinea). J. Yellow. June. Guinea. 



1823. 



,, involucra'ta (involucrated). See P. SUFFRUTICOSA. 

 ,, mucrona'ta (sharp-pointed). $. Yellow. June. 



Brazil. 1822. 

 racemo'sa (racemose). See TALINUM TRIANGULARE. 



POSOQUE'RIA. (Posoqueri, the Guianan name of 

 longiflora. Nat. ord. Rubiads [Rubiaceae]. Linn. 5-Pen- 

 tandria, i-Monogynia. Alh'ed to Gardenia.) 



Stove, white-flowered, evergreen shrubs. Cuttings of 

 young shoots in sand, under a bell-glass, and in heat, in 

 April or May ; sandy loam, leaf-mould, and a little peat. 

 Winter temp., 48 to 60 ; summer, 60 to 85. 

 P. dumeto'rum (thicket). See RANDIA DUMETORUM. 

 ,, formo'sa (beautiful). 12-20. July. Venezuela. 1815. 



Fragrant. 



M fra'grans (fragrant). See RANDIA MALABARICA. 

 ,, fragranti' ssima (most-fragrant). Brazil. 1870. Very 



fragrant. 



gra'cilis (slender). 5. Guiana. 1825. 

 latifo'lia (broad-leaved). 5. September. Trop. 



Amer. 1826. 



,, longifto'ra (long-flowered). 5. Guiana. 1822. 

 macrophy'lla (large-leaved). See P. LATIFOLIA. 

 ma'cropus (large- footed). Brazil. 

 ,, multifto'r a (many-flowered). Brazil. 1866. Fragrant. 

 ,, revolu'ta (revolute). See P. LATIFOLIA. 

 ,, specio'sa (showy). Trop. Amer. 

 ,, versi' 'color (changeable-coloured). Pinky-white to 

 crimson. September. Cuba. 1839. Fragrant. 



POTATO. Sola'num tubero'sum. 



Soil. A. dry, friable, fresh, and moderately rich soil 

 is the best for every variety of the potato. 



The black-skinned and rough-red thrive better than 

 any other in moist, strong, cold soils. If manure is 

 absolutely necessary, whatever may be the one employed, 

 it is better spread regularly over the surface previous to 

 digging than put into the holes with the sets, or spread 

 in the trench when they are so planted ; but, if possible, 

 avoid manuring. Leaf-mould, or very decayed stable- 

 dung, is the best of all manures ; sea-weed is a very 

 beneficial addition to the soil ; and so is salt. Coal-ashes 

 and sea-sand are applied with great benefit to retentive 

 soils. The situation must always be open. 



Propagation. It is propagated in general by the 

 tubers, though the shoots arising from thence, and layers 

 of the stalks, may be employed. New varieties are 

 raised from seed. 



Planting in the open ground is best done in October 

 and November, and may thence be continued until the 

 end of March. This last month is the latest in which 

 any considerable plantation should be made. They 

 will succeed if planted in May, or even J une ; yet it 

 ought always to be kept in mind that the earliest planted, 

 especially in dry soils, produce the finest, healthiest, 

 and most abundant crops. It is convenient to plant 

 early potatoes, even those that are sprouted for early 

 crops, in April, on account of the danger from late frosts. 

 In the north of Britain the main crops in the fields are 

 planted during the second and third week of May. In 

 some parts of Ireland heavy crops may be obtained by 

 planting at the end of J une, as a succession to some other 

 early crop. 



Sets. The next point for consideration is the prepara- 

 tion of the sets. Some gardeners recommend the largest 

 potatoes to be planted whole ; others, that they be 

 sliced into pieces containing two or three eyes ; a third 

 set, to cut the large tubers directly in half ; a fourth, 

 the employment of the shoots only, which are thrown 

 out if potatoes are kept in a warm, damp situation ; and 

 a fifth, that merely the parings be employed. Cuttings 

 of the stalks, 5 or 6 inches in length, or rooted suckers, 

 will be productive if planted, during showery weather, 

 in May or J une ; and during this last month, or early 

 in July, the potato may be propagated by layers, which 

 are formed by pegging down the young stalks when 

 about 12 inches long, they being covered 3 inches thick 



