PICE A 



PIERIS 



1335 



4:211(erroneouslynamed Douglas Fir). M.D.G. 1896:403. 

 —A very ornamental tree, especially attractive by the 

 contrasting colors of the foliage, but it can hardly be 

 grown successfully in the eastern states; it does not 

 stand the hot summers well, and is probably not hardy 

 farther north than Mass. Var. speciosa, Beissn., is of 

 slower growth and more compact hal)it, with more as- 

 cending branches and shorter, more rigid Ivs. 



l.'i. Ajaii6nsis, Fisch. {Abies Jezoensis, 

 Sieb. & Zucc. P. Hondohisis, Mayr. P. 

 Alcockidiui, Veitch partly). Tree, 100- 

 150 ft. or occasionally higher, with hori- 

 zontally spreading slender branches : bark 

 dark gray : young branches glabrous, 

 Ahining, yellowish brown or yellowish 

 green: Ivs. slightly curved, acute or ob- -' 

 tuse, slightly ridged on both sides, dark 

 green and shining below, silvery white 

 above, %-% in. long: fis. carmine: cones 

 oblong, light brown, l}4-3}4 in- long; 

 scales oval -oblong, erose. E. Siber., 

 Amurland, Sachatin, Yeso. B. M. 6743. 

 G.C. II. 13: 115, 212; III. 3, p. 53. Gt. 38, p. 217, 

 figs. 2-5. — Similar to the preceding and highly orna- 

 mental, hardier: Ivs. somewhat broader and shorter 

 and less sharply pointed than in the preceding. P. 

 Ajanensis and P. Hondoensis are considered by Mayr 

 as two distinct species: the first has yellowish green 

 branches and on older plants the slightly swollen leaf- 

 cushions are recurved; the latter has light reddish 

 brown branches, the leaf -cushions on the xipper side of 

 the branches are much swollen, pointing forward, with 

 two small furrows below the apex, the Ivs. somewhat 

 shorter and the bracts of the scales somewhat narrowed 

 near the middle. 



14. Alcocki^na, Carr. (P. hlrolor, Mayr. Abies bi- 

 color, Maximowicz). Tree, 80-150 ft., with slender 

 spreading branches: bark grayish brown: young 

 branches dull reddish brown, sometimes finely pubes- 

 cent: Ivs. somewhat curved, dark green above with two 

 bluish lines below, sharply acuminate, l4-% in. long: 

 cones oblong, brown, purple before ripening, 3-4 in. 

 long; scales obovate, finely denticulate at the often re- 

 curved margin. Japan. G.C. II. 13, p. 213. — Handsome 

 tree, with more slender branches than the preceding 

 and of more rapid growth. Sometimes cult, under the 

 name P. Alcockiana nova and P. acimilaris. 



15. Omorika, Bolle (Plnus 0)« or? fca, Pancic). Tree, 

 to 100 ft. or higher, with rather short spreading and as- 

 cending branches forming a narrow pyramidal head : 

 young branches brown, pubescent : Ivs. compressed, 

 ridged on both sides, obtuse and mucronulate, dark 

 green and shining below, with whitish lines above, %- 



,4 



16. Breweriana, Wats. Tree, 80-120 ft. high, with the 

 branches at the top slightly ascending, the lower ones 

 horizontal or pendulous, with whip - like pendulous 

 branchlets often 7 or 8 ft. long, furnished with similar, 

 slender lateral branchlets; young branches reddish 

 brown, pubescent: Ivs. straight or slightly curved, ob- 

 tuse, rounded and dark green at the lower surface, al- 

 most flat and with white lines above, %-l in. long: 





1798. Picea pungens. 



The two small tufts at the right are P. excelsa, var. 

 Maxwelli. 



% in. long: fis. purple: cones ovate-oblong, cinnamon- 

 brown, glossy, l>2-2>2 in. long; scales almost orbicular, 

 with finely denticulate margin. S. E. Eu. G.C. II. 

 21:.308; III. 21:153. Gt. 47, p. 177. -Handsome tree of 

 rather slow growth, forming a dense and narrow pyra- 

 mid when young; very hardy. 



1799. Picea nigra (X 3^). 



staminate fis. purple: cones oblong, 2}4-5 in. long, light 

 orknge-brown ; scales obovate, with entire margin. Sis- 

 kiyou Mts. in Ore. and N. Calif. S.S. 12:601. G.F. 

 3:66, 67; 5:595. G.C. II. 25:497. -One of the most dis- 

 tiu^t Spruces, but it has not yet been successfully cul- 

 tivated in the eastern states. 



P. Columbiana, Lemm., is a form of P. Engelmanni, of 

 smaller size, with smaller coues and scaly brown bark —P. 

 Olehni, Mast. Tree, to 150 ft., aUied to P. bioolor, but Ivs. 

 shorter, about M"/^ in- long and comparatively broad: cones 

 1-2 in. long. Amurland, Sachalin, Yeso. G.C. II. 13:301. -P. 

 Maximoiviczi, Kegel. Allied to P. polita, but much smaller in 

 every part: Ivs. about }^, cones 2 in. long, smaller in cult, 

 plants. Japan. ALFRED Rehder. 



PICKEREL-WEED. Pontederia. 



PICOTEE. See Carnation. 



FICRASMA (Greek, pikrasmos, bitterness; referring 

 to the bitter bark and wood). Including Ptcmwrt. Sima- 

 rnbdceie. Trees and shrubs, with alternate, odd-pinnate 

 Ivs., yellowish green fls. in axillary, long-peduncled, 

 loose cymes and subglobose, dry, berry-like fr. About 

 8 species in S. and E. Asia and W. India. Only P. 

 ailanthoides, Planch. (P. Japdnica, Gray), seems to be 

 in cult. It is an upright shrub, almost glabrous except 

 the tomentulose inflorescence: Ivs. with 4-8 pairs of 

 Ifts. ; Ifts. ovate or oblong-ovate, acuminate, crenately 

 serrate, 2>2-3J^ in. long: fr. pea-sized, bright red, 

 with 1 seed. N. China, Japan. This is probably the 

 hardiest species of the genus, but has proved only half- 

 hardy at the Arnold Arboretum. Farther north it may 

 be of value on account of its orange and scarlet fall 

 coloring and the bright red fruits. It is sometimes 

 united with P. quassioides, Benn., from Himalaya and 

 China. Wood and bark are exceedingly bitter. The 

 wood of some species, especially P. excelsa, Planch., 

 from Jamaica, is used in medicine like that of Quassia. 



Alfred Rehder. 



PICTURES. See Photography. 

 PIE-PLANT. See Bhubarb. 



Fl£!RIS (a mythological name). Including Portitna. 

 Ericdcew. Ornamental evergreen or deciduous shrubs 

 or rarely small trees, with alternate short-petioled Ivs. 

 and handsome usually white fls. in often-panicled ra- 

 cemes or in racemose axillary fascicles. The evergreen 

 P. floribunda and the deciduous P. 3faria»a are hardy 

 North and, like the other species, are valuable for the 

 earliness of their flowers. The most beautiful are 

 P. Japonica and P. formosa, with long drooping or nod- 

 ding racemes of white fls. arranged in terminal panicles; 

 the first thrives still in Mass., but the fls. are usually 

 winter-killed, while P. formosa can be grown only South. 

 They are easily forced, and P. Japonica especially 

 may be recommended for this purpose; it makes a very 

 handsome and graceful pot-plant for inside decoration 

 with its slender racemes of pure white flowers hanging 

 over the glossy bright green foliage. The species of 

 Pieris, like other Ericaceae, grow well in a moderately 



