216 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Prenanthes continued. 

 f. purpnrea (purple).* ft.-heads purple, disposed in loose 



panicles, long-stalked, nodding. August. I. oblong-lanceolate, 



cordate-amplexicaul, sub-denticulate, glaucous beneath. A. 4ft. 



Europe, 1658. (J. F. A. 317.) 

 P. vlrgata (twiggy), fl.-heads lilac, clustered, and mostly uni- 



lateral; involucre purplish, of about eight scales. August. 



I. lanceolate, acute, closely sessile, the upper ones reduced to 



bracts, the lower ones toothed or pinnatind. Stem simple, ^it. 



to 4ft. high. North America, 1823. 



PREPTANTHE. A synonym of Calanfhe. 



PREPUSA (from the Greek word prepo, which means 



" I am handsome " ; on account of the beauty of the 



flowers). OED. Gentianece. A small genus (three species) 



of herbaceous or shrubby, erect, slightly branched, green- 



house plants, confined to Brazil. Flowers large, few, 



long-stalked, at length often nodding ; calyx inflated, 



campanulate, shortly six-lobed ; corolla campannlate, 



with six broad, short, twisted lobes. Leaves opposite, 



slightly fleshy, mostly approximate at the base of the 



stem ; upper ones scattered, sessile or connate. For 



culture of P. Hookeriana, the only species hitherto intro- 



duced (probably not now in cultivation), see Leiantaus. 



P. Hookerlana (Hooker's).* /. disposed in racemiform cymes 



of three to five ; pedicels naked, elongated ; corolla tube cam- 



panulate, the limb pale yellowish-white, with obovate, apiculate 



lobes. March. 1. spathulate-lanceolate, slightly obtuse ; cauline 



ones few, sub-connate at base. Stem herbaceous, purplish, 



almost simple, A. 1ft. 1839. (B. M. 3909.) 



FRESCOTIA. See Frescottia. 



PRESCOTTIA (named after John D. Prescott, a 

 botanist, of St. Petersburgh). Erroneously spelt Pres- 

 cotia. SYNS. Decaisnea (of Brogniart), Galeoglossum. 

 OBD. Orchidew. A genus comprising about a score 

 species of stove, tropical American, terrestrial orchids, 

 with fascicled, sometimes fleshy root-fibres, and leafy, 

 slender, or tall, simple stems. Flowers small, spicate, 

 sub-sessile; lateral sepals connate with the lip into a 

 sac, the lip being fleshy, cucnllate, and entire, with a 

 couple of ears at its base. Leaves clustered at the 

 base of the stem or radical, sessile or long-stalked, 

 small or ample, membranous. The best-known species 

 are given below. They are similar, both in habit and 

 leaf characters, to Stenorrhynchus, and require a green- 

 house temperature; they should be potted in well- 

 drained loam. 



P. colorans (coloured), f.. green, in a very long, erect, dense 

 spike; petals subulate, ascendent ; scape 2ft. long, glaucous- 

 purplish. I. solitary, ovate-oblong, acuminate, cucullate at base, 

 as long as the petioles. Brazil, 1834. (B. R. 1915.) 

 P. denslflora (dense-flowered), fl. whitish ; sepals and petals 

 revolute, almost round, acute, connate with the lateral sepals. 

 I. rosulate, oblong, obtuse, many-nerved. Brazil, 1866. 

 P. plantaglnea (Plantain-like). fl. greenish-white, disposed in a 

 strict, dense, cylindrical spike ; lip oblong, emarginate. I. erect, 

 lanceolate-oblong, narrowed into a petiole which is shorter than 

 the blade. Brazil, 1822. (H. E. F. 115 ; L. B. C. 990.) 



FRESLIA (named in honour of C. B. and I. S. 



Presl, of Prague, authors of " Flora Sicula," 1818, 



"Flora Cechica," 1819, and other works). OBD. Labiates. 



A monotypic genus. The species is a hardy, prostrate, 



perennial herb, allied to Mentha. It thrives in any 



moist soil, and may be readily increased by divisions. 



P. cervina (stag), fl. pale purplish, disposed in dense, many- 



flowered, axillary whorls, which are rather shorter than the floral 



leaves ; calyx tubular, equal, four-toothed; corolla tube included 



the limb equal and four-parted. June to August. I. sessile 



linear, obtuse, quite entire, dotted, somewhat fascicled in the 



axils. Western Mediterranean region, 1684. SYN. Mentha 



FRESTOEA (named after H. Prestoe, the present 

 Director of the Trinidad Botanic Gardens). OBD. Palmes. 

 A genus comprising two species of pinnate-leaved, slen- 

 der, dwarf, stove palms, with a reed-like caudex. For 

 culture, see Phoenix. 



J < mountaln )- This is the correct name of the plant 



described in this work as Euterpe montana. 

 P. putolgera (puberulous).* fl.. minute, sessile ; outer spathe 

 two-keeled, 5m. long, the interior one 1ft. to IJft. long ; peduncle 



Prestoea continued. 



2in. to 4in. long ; spadix branches twenty to thirty, the inferior 

 ones 6in. long, much thickened at the base. fr. an ovoid berry. 

 I. 3ft. to 4ft. lone, pinnatisect at base, on petioles more than 2ft. 

 long, green, with pale nerves, glabrous, chartaceous ; lower seg- 

 ments somewhat distant, lft. to 2ft. long, three lines broad 

 Trunk 10ft. to 12ft. high. West Indies. SYN. Ilyospatla 



PRESTONIA (named in honour of C. Preston, M.D., 

 a correspondent of Ray). SYNS. Exothostemon and Hcema- 

 dictyon. OBD. Apocynacece. A genus comprising about 

 thirty species of tall, climbing, twining, hirsute, pubes- 

 cent or glabrous, stove shrubs, natives of tropical 

 America. Cymes often densely corymbose or almost urn- 

 belliform, pseudo-axillary, sessile or shortly pedunculate. 

 Leaves opposite, penniveined. Perhaps the only species 

 worthy of mention is the one here described. It should 

 be grown in a stove, and potted in a light, loamy soil. 

 It makes a pretty specimen when trained upon pillars 

 or a balloon trellis. Propagated by cuttings, rooted under 

 a bell glass, in bottom heat. 



P. venosa (veined), fl. yellowish-green, pale in the centre, in 

 drooping racemes. June. I. lanceolate, glabrous, beautifully 

 traversed by crimson veins. St Vincent, 1821. SYN. Ecliltes 

 nutans (B. M. 2473). 



PRETTY PACE. See Calliprora lutea. 



PRICKING OPP, or PRICKING OUT. A 



term in constant use, which is applied to the removal of 

 small seedling plants from the position in which they 

 have been reared, and their insertion in single pots, or 

 at a wider distance apart in pots, pans, or beds, where 

 there is more space in which they may grow. The object 

 is that of encouraging growth, and getting plants suffi- 

 ciently strong to be placed in their permanent quarters 

 without fear of injury. Pricking Out is generally best 

 practised so soon as the first leaves appear after those 

 which the seed produces from its interior. The necessity 

 for this work may be much lessened by thin sowing; 

 but still there are numerous instances in which it is un- 

 avoidable. Small plants, when Pricked Out, must receive 

 every attention until they become so far established as, 

 to a certain extent, to take care of themselves, and get 

 large enough for transplanting or potting permanently. 



PRICKLES. Sharp, hard, conical elevations of the 

 epidermis or epiphloeum. 



PRICKLY PEAR. See Optmtia. 

 PRIESTLEYA (named after Dr. Joseph Priestley, 

 1733-1804, the famous chemist). Including Achyronia. 

 OBD. Leguminosce. A genus comprising fifteen species of 

 greenhouse, often silky-villous shrubs, natives of South 

 Africa. Flowers yellow, in terminal, crowded heads or 

 racemes, or rarely axillary; standard sub-orbicnlate ; 

 wings falcate-obovate ; keel incurved, beaked or slightly 

 obtuse. Pods oblong or broadly linear, oblique, com- 

 pressed, two-valved. Leaves simple, entire ; stipules none. 

 The species thrive in sandy peat. Water must be care- 

 fully administered; if too much is given, the plants will 

 die. Propagation may be effected by cuttings of very 

 young wood, inserted in sand, under a glass, and kept 

 free from damp. 



P. ericsefolia (Heath-leaved), fl. capitate, terminal, or in fascicles 

 in the upper axils of the leaves ; keel fuscous-purple at apex. 

 June and July. I. linear-lanceolate, rather acute, iin. long, 

 with somewhat revolute margins, hairy beneath, but at lencth 

 glabrous above. Branches and calyces silky, h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1812. 

 P. scricca (silky). /. disposed in a short, terminal spike, and, as 

 well as the leaves and branchlets, clothed with adpressed pubes- 

 cence. June and July. Pods hairy. I. ovate, acute, flat, one- 

 nerved. A. 2ft. to 3ft. 1794. 



P. Thunfoergii (Thunberg"s). /. axillary, pedicellate. July and 

 August. I. lanceolate, acute, smooth, the margins beset with 

 silky hairs. Branches hairy. A. 2ft. to 3ft. 1819. 

 P. vestlta (clothed), fl. capitate. May and June. I. ovate, con- 

 cave, obtuse, nerveless, glabrous above, but, as well as the 

 calyces and branches, clothed with hairy wool beneath. A. 2ft. 

 to 4ft. 1800. (A. B. R. 382, under name of Liparia villoaa ; 

 B. M. 2223, under name of L. vcstita.) 



