130 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Pinanga continued. 



P coronate (crowned), ft,., spadix at first erect, eventually 

 nodding. Branches thick and rather straight ; flowering ones 

 distichous fruiting ones coarctate-fasciculate. fr. ellipsoid, 

 crown ng the dislike stigma. I. pinnatisect, with a glabrous 

 rachis; segments thick, elongated, linear, acum mate, the upper 

 ones truncltely incised at the apex. Trunk 15ft to 20ft. high. 

 Java, 1848. SYN. Seaforthia cotonata. 



P. globosa (globose). A synonym of Calyptrocalyx spicatu*. 



P Kahili (Kuhl's). fl., spadix nodding, with straight, thick, 

 fastigiate branches. >! distichous, ellipsoid, obtuse smooth. 

 1. pinnatisect, with the rachis slightly scaly ; segments ten to 

 thirteen on each side, falcate-lanceolate, very acuminate, the 

 upper ones truncately cut at the apex, and sub-equally cuneate 

 at the base. Trunk mediocre or rather talL Java, 1873. SYNS. 

 Ptyehosperma KuMii, Seaforthia Kuhlii. 



P. lattsecta (broadly cut), fl., spadix long-pedunculate, erecto- 

 trifld. fr. (immature), according to Martius, oblong- 

 1, slightly acute, smooth. I. pinnatisect, with the rachis 



patent 



lepiiiote-punctate f segments ^falcate-lanceolate, very much acumi- 

 nate sometimes bifid, the terminal one very broad, truncate at 

 apex, and incised-toothed. h. 15ft Sumatra. SYN. Seaforthia 

 latisecta. 



P. maculata (spotted). I. pinnate; pinnae broad, sessile, pen- 

 dent, bright green, blotched and spotted on the upper side with 

 dark green. Stem slender, smooth. Philippines. A beautiful 

 and rare species. (I. H. 1863, 361.) 



P. mainland (Malayan). /., male sepals lanceolate, acuminate, 

 one-third as long as the broadly ovate, acuminate petals ; females 

 distichous, with a large, discoid stigma ; spathe solitary ; spadix 

 refracted, three to five-branched. I. pinnate; pinnae almost al- 

 ternate, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, glaucous beneath. Trunk 

 8ft. to 12ft. high. Penang and Malacca. SYN. Seaforthia 

 malaiana. 



P. patnla (spreading), fl., spadix green when in flower, red when 

 in fruit, fr. orange-yellow, ellipsoid, fin. long. I. 4ft. to 5ft. 

 long, unequally pinnate, oblong in outline, sheathing at the base. 

 Stem erect, 9ft. high, smooth, ringed, swollen at base. Sumatra. 

 A beautiful, dwarf species. (B. M. 6581.) 



P. ternatensis (Ternate Island), fl., branches of spadix spirally 

 disposed. I. 12ft. long, with thirty to forty, two-nerved, lanceo- 

 late, falciform segments, the largest of which are 3ft. long. 

 Stem simple. SYN. Areca gigantea, of gardens. 



P.Veltcnii(Veitch's). I. oblong, tapering at the base, truncate, 

 deeply two-lobed at the apex, mottled green above, with reddish 

 nerves, rich claret-coloured beneath. Borneo, 1879. A highly 

 ornamental species. (F. d. S. 2405-6 ; E. G. 1880, 264.) 



FIN AUDI A (of Neoker). A synonym of Aster. 



PINCERS. These are requisite in gardens, for 

 drawing nails when unpacking cases, &c. Much in- 

 convenience is caused, and lids of boxes rendered 

 useless, when no Pincers are at hand for use with the 

 garden hammer. 



PINCKNEYA (named after an American botanist 

 of the name of Pinckney). SYNS. Pinknea, Pinkneya. 

 OBD. Rubiacea. A monotypic genus. The species is a 

 small tree; it is usually grown in a greenhouse, but 

 thrives very well in the open air, against a south wall, 

 and in a compost of loam and peat. Propagated by 

 cuttings of the ripened shoots, inserted in sandy peat, 

 under a handlight. 



P. pnbens (downy). Bitter Bark-tree. fl. rose, purple-spotted, 

 rather large, pubescent, bracteolate, disposed in terminal and 

 axillary corymbs ; calyx lobes pink ; corolla funnel-shaped, with 

 a five-cleft, recurved limb, beyond which the five stamens project. 

 Summer. I. ample, opposite, stalked, oval, acute at both ends 

 tomentose beneath, as well as the branches. Branches opposite 

 h. 20ft. Carolina to Florida. 1786. (F. d. S. 1937.) This^pecils 

 is more conspicuous by reason of the large, pink bracts sub- 

 tending the inflorescence, than for the purple-spotted corolla. 



PINCUSHION FLOWER. See Scabiosa. 



FIXE. See Finns. The name is also applied to 

 several other genera. 



PINE-APPLE (Ananas mtiva). The Pine-apple 

 is a native of tropical America; it has also become 

 naturalised, and grows in abundance, in some of the hot 

 parts of Asia and Africa. It was introduced into this 

 country about the end of the seventeenth century and 

 after some thirty or forty years, the plant seems to 

 have been cultivated for the use of its fruit. In 

 those days, the maintenance of a temperature sufficiently 

 high to suit the plant's requirements was far more 



Fine-apple continued. 



difficult to accomplish than now, when suitable struc- 

 tures and all the modern appliances for heating are 

 at command. Little is recorded of the success at- 

 tending Pine-apple culture when first attempted ; but, 

 after the introduction of hot-water pipes, and, doubtless, 

 also from the cultural requirements being much better 

 understood, its cultivation, both for private consumption 

 and for market, was, for a time, generally practised 

 with much greater success than had hitherto been pos- 

 sible. Less than twenty years ago, the importation of ripe 

 fruits, chiefly from the Azores, began in earnest, to meet 

 the increased demand ; and Pine-growing has gradually 

 decreased in this country, the space and the attention 

 of cultivators being devoted instead to fruits, &c., 

 that are in more general demand, require less heat, 

 and are not to be imported in such an excellent condi- 

 tion. First-class English-grown Pine- apples are still 

 considered by many to be the finest and best in the 

 world; but, so long as fresh, well-swelled fruits of the 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne variety can be imported to arrive 

 little inferior in quality, it is more than likely that 

 English Pine-growing will not again be practised to the 

 extent it was previously. There are, however, still many 

 gardens from which Pine-apples are expected in greater 

 or less quantity ; in some, the work attending their 

 culture is rather laborious, especially where the neces- 

 sary bottom-heat has to be mainly obtained from the 

 plunging material, which generally consists of Oak-leaves 

 or tan. 



PBOPAGATION. This may be accomplished by seeds, 

 crowns, gills, cuttings of the stem or dormant buds, 

 and suckers. Seeds may be sown in shallow pans or 

 pots of light, sandy soil, which should be placed in a 

 bottom heat of about 85deg. or 90deg., and covered with 

 a bell glass. The seedlings, when they are large enough 

 to handle, should be potted in light, peaty soil, and grown 

 on in a high temperature until they are large enough to 

 be treated like ordinary plants obtained by other means. 

 Crowns are procured from the points of the fruits ; they 

 should be inserted, so soon as the fruit is used, in 

 small pots of rather dry soil, and be plunged in a 

 strong bottom heat. Crowns are principally utilised when 

 the variety is rather shy in producing suckers; they do 

 not form such good plants, nor are they considered to 

 produce such heavy fruits, as suckers. A longer period 

 is also required to bring them to a fruiting stage. Gills 

 are offshoots, something like small suckers, that are pro- 

 duced just below the fruit. They are not often used for 

 propagating, except in the case of rare sorts. Cuttings 

 of the stem, or propagation from dormant eyes, is 

 another method pursued when suckers are scarce. The 

 leaves may be removed from the stems of plants whose 

 fruits have been cut, when the stems should be cut in 

 pieces, or, better still, laid intact in shallow boxes, 

 which should be thoroughly drained. They should be 

 covered with at least lin. of light soil, and panes of 

 glass should be laid over the top. If subjected to bottom 

 heat, most of the dormant buds which were formed at 

 the base of each leaf will, in due course, start growth 

 as young plants. They may be removed carefully, when 

 large enough, and treated as seedlings. Suckers afford 

 the chief supply for effecting an increase; they are 

 usually procurable from plants when the latter arrive at 

 the fruiting stage. After the fruit is cut, the suckers 

 grow fast from the base, and it is often a good practice 

 to allow them to remain on the old stools until they 

 attain a large size. They may be detached, and potted 

 off singly ; but it is not advisable to do this during 

 the winter months : from March, in spring, to a period 

 not later than September, in autumn, should be taken as 

 a limit. In the preparation of suckers for inserting, all 

 that is necessary is to carefully remove them, by taking 

 hold close to the base, and twisting gently, forward and 



