28 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



PARSNIP-SEED MOTH (Depressaria Heradeana). 

 A small moth, belonging to a genus which includes 

 about forty British species. It is one of the large 

 group Tineina, a group characterised chiefly by the long 

 fringes of the wings, which are, in most of them, long 

 and narrow, and by the slender body. The moth has 

 a spread of wings of about lin., and has the fore wings 

 rather broad and greyish-ochreous, with numerous, short, 

 fuscous streaks, and two or three darker spots, sur- 

 rounded with whitish scales. The hind wings are grey, 

 and are notched on the hind margin near the base. 

 The larva is dull grey above, dull yellow along the sides ; 

 the head, second segment, and spots on the body, are 

 black. It feeds usually on Hogweed (Heracleum sphon- 

 dylium), but also eats Parsnips. It generally lives in the 

 umbels, drawing them together by a web. In this it lies 

 protected, but emerges and drops as soon as the plant 

 is shaken. The larvas may become hurtful by feeding 

 on the seeds. If necessary, they may be diminished by 

 shaking over anything from which they can be swept 

 up and destroyed; or they may be shaken on to the 

 soil, where they can be trodden on and crushed. The 

 pupaa may be found, occasionally in numbers, in the 

 interior of the Parsnip stems; and they may be col- 

 lected and destroyed; with the latter, without difficulty. 

 It would be well to clear away all umbelliferous weeds, 

 on which these insects feed. 



PARSONSIA (named in honour of Dr. John Par- 

 sons, 1705-1770, a Scotch physician and writer on 

 natural history). STNS. Heligma, Helygia, and Spiro- 

 stemon. ORD. Apocynacece. A genus comprising twelve 

 species of greenhouse, glabrous or puberulous, twining 

 shrubs or sub-shrubs, natives of tropical Asia, Aus- 

 tralia, and New Zealand. Flowers whitish, small ; cymes 

 dichotomous, terminal or shortly pedunculate in the axils, 

 sometimes forming a terminal thyrse. Leaves opposite. 

 For culture, see Dipladenia. 



P. albiflora (white - flowered), ft. white, Jin. long, in many- 

 flowered panicles, odorous ; corolla-lobes shorter than the tube. 

 May. 1. usually lin. to 2in. long, coriaceous, oblong-ovate or 

 lanceolate, with transverse veins, more rarely linear or obovate, 

 or narrow linear-lanceolate, 3in. to 4in. long, with lobed margins, 

 in young plants spathulate. Stems stout, glabrous or pubescent. 

 New Zealand. SYN. P. heterophylla (J. H. S. v. 195). P. varia- 

 bilis, of Lindley, is supposed, by some authorities, to be founded 

 on young specimens ot this. 



P. heterophylla (variable-leaved). A synonym of P. albiflora. 



P. velutina {velvety), fl., corolla tube shorter than the calyx ; 

 cymes rather small and dense, solitary or few, on opposite, 

 axillary peduncles. July. I. on rather long petioles, from 

 broadly-ovate to ovate-oblong, truncate or cordate at base, 2in. 

 to 5in. long. Australia. A tall, woody climber, softly pubescent 

 or villous. 



PARTERRE. A French term, used, in this country, 

 to denote a small inclosure or flower-garden, laid out 

 in beds of different sizes and shapes. 



PARTHENIUM (an ancient Greek name used by 

 Hippocrates for an allied plant, from parthenos, virgin). 

 STNS. Argyrochceta, Villanova. ORD. Composites. A 

 genus comprising about half-a-dozen species of erect 

 herbs, sub-shrubs, or shrubs, natives of North and Central 

 America, and the West Indies. Flower-heads white or 

 yellowish, heterogamous, small, disposed in terminal, 

 sometimes densely corymbose, sometimes loose panicles ; 

 achenes glabrous or slightly pilose; involucre broadly 

 campanulate or hemispherical; receptacle small, convex 

 or conical. Leaves alternate, entire, toothed, or pin- 

 nately dissected, often scabrous above, more or less cano- 

 tomentose or slightly glabrous below. P. Hysterophorus, 

 the only species calling for mention in this work, is a 

 plant of no particular beauty. It thrives in any common 

 soil. Increased by seeds, sown in bottom heat, in 

 spring; the seedlings should be afterwards hardened off, 

 and transplanted in a warm, sunny spot. 

 P. Hysterophorus (Hysterophorus). Bastard Feverfew; West 



Indian Mugwort. H.-heads whitish, disposed in spreading 



Partlienium continued. 



panicles ; pappus scales oblong, blunt ; involucral scales acute. 

 I. twice pinnatipartite, the uppermost ones entire. A tall, 

 greenhouse or half-hardy, hispidulous annual. (B. M. 2275.) 



PARTIAL. Secondary ; e.g., Partial involucre. 



PARTITE. Divided into a number of segments, 

 which extend almost as far as the base of the part to 

 which they belong ; e.g., Tripartite, three-parted ; Quadri- 

 partite, four-parted, &c. 



PARTITION. A term applied, botanically, to the 

 deepest divisions into which a leaf can be cut without 

 becoming compound. 



PARTRIDGE BERRY. A common name applied 

 to Gaultheria procumbens and Mitchella repens. 



PARTRIDGE PEA. See Heisteria. 



PARYFHOSPUJERA. A synonym of Parkia 

 (which see). 



PASCALIA (named after Dr. D. Pascal, a professor 

 at Parma). ORD. Composites. A monotypic genus, the 

 species being an erect, half-hardy, perennial herb, allied to 

 RudbecTcia, and having a resinous smell. It should be 

 grown in a dry, warm spot, and needs the protection of 

 a frame in winter. Propagated by divisions, in spring ; 

 or by cuttings, inserted under a handlight, in summer. 

 "The plant cultivated in England as P. glauca is evi- 

 dently a species of Sunflower, and has nothing to do with 

 this genus " (Lindley and Moore). 



P. glauca (milky-green), fl.-heads yellow, nearly lin. across, 



terminating each branch, solitary ; receptacle chaffy. July. 



1. trinerved, glaucous, h. IJft. Extra-tropical South America, 

 1799. (A. B. R. 549.) 



PASFALUM (from Paspalos, one of the Greek names 

 for Millet). Millet Grass. ORD. Graminece. A large 

 genus (nearly 160 species) of stove, greenhouse, or hardy 

 grasses, mostly American, a few broadly distributed, two 

 natives of South Europe. Spikes on elongated peduncles, 

 sometimes solitary or twin, sometimes wavy and sub- 

 digitate at the apex, or scattered at the sides of the 

 peduncles ; spikelets usually biseriate. The species have 

 no horticultural value. 



FASQUE FLOWER. See Anemone Pulsatilla. 



FASSIFLORA (from passio, passion, and ftos, floris, 

 a flower ; a name given by the early missionaries in 

 South America, in allusion to a fancied representation 

 in the blossoms to the implements of the Crucifixion). 

 Passion Flower. Including Disemma and Murucuja. 

 ORD. Passiflorece. A genus comprising about 120 

 species of stove, greenhouse, or hardy, climbing, or 

 rarely erect, herbs or shrubs ; they are mostly American, 

 but a few are found in Asia and Australia. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite, very rarely unisexual, often showy, axil- 

 lary, solitary, or racemose; calyx tube short, urceolate, 

 the lobes four or five, linear-oblong or linear, often 

 coloured on the inside ; petals four or five, or none, 

 almost equal to the calyx lobes and more-coloured ; 

 corona simple or duplex, the exterior of many, one or 

 two-seriate filaments, or membranous and tubular, the 

 interior tubular or absent ; gynophore elongated, girded 

 at the base by a thick pitcher; stamens four or five, 

 adnate to the filaments of the gynophore, free at the 

 tips; anthers linear-oblong, versatile. Fruits ovoid or 

 globose, juicy or pulpy, sometimes almost three-valved, 

 many-seeded, in a few species edible. Leaves alternate, 

 rarely opposite, entire, lobed, or parted ; petioles often 

 glandnlose ; tendrils lateral, undivided, rarely absent ; 

 stipules two or none, sometimes leafy. One or more of 

 the species of Passifiora should always be included 

 amongst plants selected for covering the roof or rafters of 

 either a stove or greenhouse. They are best adapted for 

 large structures ; in small houses, close pruning becomes 

 necessary, and the plants, consequently, cannot properly 



