36-2 



PL U 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



PL U 



celled. Seeds: solitary, linear-oblong. ESSENTIAL CIIA- 

 RACT'F.R. Calix : five-toothed, superior. Corolla: bell- 

 shaped, five-cleft. Berry: three-celled. Seeds: solitary, 

 linear-oblong. The only known species is, 



1 . Plocama Pendula ; Pendulous Plocama. Native of the 

 Canary Islands. 



Ploughman's Spikenard. See Baccharis and Conyza. 



Plukenetia; a genus of the class Monoecia, order Mona- 

 delphia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Male. Calix: perianth 

 of one leaf, in four deep ovate-acute, equal, spreading seg- 

 ments. Corolla: none. Stamina: filaments numerous, 

 united in an imbricated manner, awl-shaped, very short; 

 anthers small, smooth, of two tumid furrowed lobes. Female, 

 on the same plant. Calix: perianth inferior, of one leaf, in 

 four deep, ovato-lanceolate, acute, equal, spreading, per- 

 manent segments. Corolla : none. Pistil: germen superior, 

 four-lobed, depressed, smooth; style very long, cylindrical, 

 declining, four-cleft at the summit; stigmas four, capitate, 

 globose. Pericarp : capsule four-lobed, coated, depressed, 

 smooth, with dilated angles, of four cells, and eight elastic 

 valves. Seeds: solitary, large, compressed, with veiny 

 wrinkles. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. Calix: in four 

 deep segments. Corolla : none. Stamens : numerous. Fe- 

 male. Calix and Corolla, as in the male. Germen: superior. 

 Style: simple. Stigmas: four, capitate. Capsule: four-lobed. 

 Cells : elastic, with solitary seeds. The species are, 



1 Plukenetia Volubilis ; Twining Plukenetia. Angles 

 of the capsule compressed, keeled. All the flowers are 

 green, and more singular than beautiful. Fruit the size of 

 a small walnut. Native of the West Indies. 



2. Plukenetia Verrucosa; Warty Plukenetia. Angles 

 of the capsules terminated by two tubercles. Native of 

 Surinam. 



3. Plukenetia Corniculata ; Horned Plukenetia. Angles 

 of the capsules compressed, tapering, pointed. Found in 

 the woods of Amboyna, where it is known by the name of 

 Utta Bela. 



Plum-tree. See Primus. 



Plum, Maiden. See Camocladia. 



Plumbago ; a genus ot the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, 

 ovate-oblong, tubular, five-cornered, rugged, with a five- 

 toothed mouth, permanent. Corolla: one-petalled, funnel- 

 form : tube cylindrical, narrower at top, longer than the calix; 

 border five-cleft, from erect spreading, with ovate segments; 

 nectary of five very small acuminate valves, in the bottom of 

 the corolla, enclosing the germen. Stamina: filamenta five, 

 awl-shaped, free within the tube of the corolla, placed on 

 the valves of the nectary; anthera small, oblong, versatile. 

 Pistil : germen ovate, very small ; style simple, the length 

 of the tube; stigma five-cleft, slender. Pericarp: capsule 

 oblong, five-cornered, terminated by the permanent style, 

 one-celled, five-valved, clothed with the calix. Seed: single, 

 oblong, fastened to a thread, pendulous. ESSENTIAL CHA- 

 RACTER. Corolla: funnel-form. Stamina: inserted into 

 scales, enclosing the base of the corolla. Stigmas: five-cleft. 

 Seed: one. oblong, truncated. The species are, 



1. Plumbago Europaea; European Leadwort. Leaves 

 embracing, lanceolate, rugged. Root perennial, striking deep 

 into the ground; stalks many, slender, three feet and a half 

 high, and channelled ; colour of the leaves grayish. The 

 upper part of the stalks send out many slender side-branches, 

 which have small leaves on them : these, and also the prin- 

 cipal stalks, are terminated by tufts of either blue or white 

 flowers, which are small, and succeeded by rough hairy seeds. 

 It seldom flowers in England till towards the end of October, 



and, unless the autumn proves warm, does not flower at all ; 

 and never produces ripe seeds. It is called Dentellaria in 

 Latin, Dontellaire in French, and in English Toothwort, from 

 its property of curing the tooth-ach ; being of a hot caustic 

 nature, like Pellitory of Spain. Native of the south of Europe, 

 and of Tunis in Africa. Two ounces of the plant, boiled in 

 four ounces of Olive oil, is recommended to cure the itch : 

 the sediment is tied up in a bag of linen, and the patient is 

 rubbed with it, moistening the outside of the bag from time to 

 time with the same oil. Allioni says, that the leaves are too 

 burning and inflammatory ; and therefore prefers an infusion 

 of the root, which he prescribed successfully. The bruised 

 root is laid on the wrist, to heal the tooth-ach : it leaves a dark 

 lead-coloured mark on the place, which being very difficult to 

 wipe off, it has from that circumstance obtained the name of 

 Plumbago, or Leadwort. So acrid is the juice, that if suffered 

 to remain long, it will destroy the skin and leave an ulcer. 

 Some apply it behind the ear, where it acts as a blister; but 

 this is not a very safe mode of proceeding. Hill says, 

 the dried root is very hot and biting to the taste, and, being 

 held in the mouth, excites a plentiful discharge of humours, 

 and is frequently found an almost instantaneous cure for the 

 head-ach. It likewise eases the tooth-ach, by applying a 

 little of it to the affected tooth. It may be increased by 

 parting the roots in autumn, which send out heads in plenty; 

 these may be divided at any time when the weather is mild, 

 from the time the stalks decay, till the roots begin to shoot 

 in the spring. It requires a light soil and warm situation, 

 without which it will not flower. The roots should be 

 allowed to spread, and the stalks require support ; and if the 

 plants be kept clean from weeds, and the ground be dug be- 

 tween them every autumn, they require no other culture. 



2. Plumbago Lapathifolia ; Dock-leaved Leadwort. Leaves 

 embracing, lanceolate, even ; stem divaricating. This resem- 

 bles the preceding, but the stem is higher, the branches 

 longer and divaricated, the leaves much larger and smooth, 

 and the flowers one half less. Native of Spain. 



3. Plumbago Capensis ; Cape Leadwort. Leaves petioled, 

 oblong, entire, glaucous underneath ; stem erect. Native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



4. Plumbago Zeylanica ; Ceylon Leadwort. Leaves petio- 

 led, ovate, smooth ; stem erect, round. This is a perennial 

 plant, with a strong fibrous root, from which arise many 

 slender stalks, growing nearly four feet high. The upper 

 part of the stalks divides into small branches, having smaller 

 leaves on them, and terminating in spikes of white flowers. 

 The upper part of the stalks also, and the calix of the flowers, 

 are very glutinous, sticking to the fingers, and entangle small 

 flies that settle on them. It flowers from April to November. 

 Native of the East Indies and the Society Isles. It is 

 propagated by seeds, sown on a good hot-bed in the spring. 

 The plants come up in five or six weeks. When these are 

 fit to remove, plant each in a separate small pot filled with 

 light loamy earth, and plunge the pots into a hot-bed of tan, 

 observing to screen them from the sun until they have struck 

 new root. Let them have plenty of fresh air in summer, with 

 a moderate quantity of water every other day ; but less in 

 winter, both of air and water. 



5. Plumbago Rosea ; Rose-coloured Leadwort. Leaves 

 petioled, ovate, smooth, somewhat toothletted ; stem with 

 gibbous joints. This is a shrubby plant, which frequently 

 grows to the height of four or five feet, and is perpetually 

 putting forth flowering spikes, of a pale scarlet colour; these 

 continue a long time, and hence, with proper management, 

 it may be kept in flower during most of the year. Native of 

 the East Indies. 



