POP 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



FOR 



389 



liar use in this country has hitherto been for mixing with other 

 trees in ornamental plantations, and concealing unsightly 

 buildings. To this last purpose its upright, close, conical 

 mode of growing, with its feathering down to the ground, 

 proves it to be well adapted. Its timber, though highly 

 prized in Italy, is inferior to that of the Black Poplar. 



5. Populus Canescens ; Common White, or Grey Poplar. 

 Leaves roundish, deeply waved, toothed, grey and downy 

 beneath ; female catkins cylindrical ; stigmas eight. This is 

 a taller and handsomer tree than the first species, with a 

 beautiful sattiny bark. Native of wet ground in England, 

 France, and Germany. 



6. Populus Balsamifera; Common Tacamahaca Poplar 

 Tree. Leaves ovate, serrate, whitish underneath ; stipules 

 resinous. The buds of this tree, from autumn to the leafing 

 season, are covered with abundance of a glutinous yellow 

 balsam, which often collects into drops, and is pressed from 

 the tree as a medicine. It dissolves in spirits of wine ; and 

 the inhabitants of Siberia prepare a medicated wine from the 

 buds. This wine is a diuretic, and, as they think, service- 

 able iu the scurvy. The grouse, and other birds which 

 there feed upon these buds, acquire a flavour which is much 

 esteemed. By the growth of this tree in Europe, it seems 

 not to be of a large size. It is a native of Canada, and some 

 other parts of North America, whence the balsam is brought 

 over to Europe in shells. It is smooth, of an even texture, 

 and in colour like stained Galbanum, but lighter. Thistree 

 sends up a great number of suckers from the roots, by which 

 it multiplies in. plenty ; and every cutting which is planted 

 will take root, so that when a plant is once obtained, plenty 

 may be raised. Plant the cuttings in the middle of February, 

 in rich mellow earth, shaded from the mid-day sun, and 

 watered in dry weather. The succeeding February remove 

 them, smooth the extremities of their roots, cut off the strong 

 side-branches, and plant them in rows three feet distant, and 

 eighteen inches asunder in the rows ; here let them continue 

 two or three years, when they may be transplanted to the 

 places where they are intended to remain. It will grow on 

 almost any soil ; and when there are void places in planta- 

 tions, occasioned by the death of other trees, this will sooner 

 and better supply their places than most others. 



7. Populus Candicans; Heart-leaved Tacamahaca Poplar 

 Tree. Leaves cordate, acuminate, whitish underneath. 

 Native of Canada. 



8. Populus Laevigata; Smooth Poplar Tree. Leaves cor- 

 date, three-nerved, smooth, glandular at the base, unequally 

 serrate; petioles compressed; branches round. It flowers 

 in March and April. Native of America. 



9. Populus Monilifera ; Canadian Poplar Tree. Leaves 

 subcordate, smooth, glandular at the base; serratures cartila- 

 ginous, hooked, somewhat hairy ; nerves patulous ; petioles 

 compressed ; branches round. It flowers in May ; and is a 

 native of Canada. 



10. Populus Grseca; Athenian Poplar Tree. Leaves cor- 

 date, smooth, glandular at the base, remotely crenate ; peti- 

 oles compressed ; branches round. This resembles the tenth 

 species in growth and foliage. It flowers in March and 

 April. Native of the islands of the Archipelago. 



11. Populus Heterophylla; Various-leaved Poplar Tree. 

 Leaves cordate, the primary ones pubescent, and without 

 any glands at the base; petioles roundish; branches round. 

 This is a large tree; branches numerous, veined, and angular; 

 leaves broad and slightly serrate ; flowers in loose aments, 

 making little show. It flowers in April and May. Native of 

 Virginia and New York. 



12. Populus Angulata; Carolina Poplar Tree. Leaves 



cordate, smooth ; branches angular, winged ; shoots very 

 strong, and generally cornered, covered with a light green 

 bark, like some sorts of Willow. It grows naturally in Caro- 

 lina, where it becomes a very large tree. It may be propa- 

 gated by cuttings or layers ; the latter is generally practised 

 by the nursery gardeners, being the surest method, and those 

 plants are not so full of moisture as those raised by cuttings, 

 so are less liable to be cut down by the frost when young, 

 as they are very apt to be a considerable length. They should 

 be planted in a sheltered situation ; for their leaves being 

 very large, the wind has great power over them ; and the 

 branches being tender, are frequently broken or split down 

 when they are much exposed. 



Parana ; a genus of the dass Pentandria, order Monogy- 

 nia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth five-leaved ; 

 leaflets lanceolate, blunt, commonly shorter than the corolla, 

 spreading, permanent ; when in fruit larger. Corolla : one- 

 petalled, bell-shaped, half five-cleft, erect, acute. Stamina : 

 filamenta five, capillary, spreading, commonly shorter than the 

 corolla; anthersje incumbent, oval. Pistil: germen superior, 

 subglobular ; style semibifid, longer than the corolla, bristle- 

 shaped, permanent ; stigmas capitate. Pericarp: two-valved. 

 Seed: not ascertained. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: 

 five-cleft; when in fruit larger. Corolla: bell-shaped. Style: 

 semibifid, longer, permanent. Stigmas: globular. Peri- 

 carp : two-valved. The only known species is, 



1. Porana Volubilis. It is a smooth twining shrub, with 

 alternate heart-shaped leaves. Flowers small, in a large 

 spreading panicle. Native of the East Indies. 



Porostema ; a genus of the class Polyadelphia, order Po- 

 liandria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, coloured, permanent, six-parted ; segments ovate, 

 obtuse, the three inner less. Corolla: petals none ; nectary 

 of nine scales, oblong, truncate ; six outer inserted at bottom 

 into the segments of the calix, and incumbent on them; three 

 inner fastened to the receptacle opposite to the former; each 

 having four pores, the outer ones on the inner side, the inner 

 ones on the outer side ; glands six, roundish, fleshy, growing 

 to the bottom of the calix, between the inner and outer scales 

 of the nectary. Stamina: filamenta thirty-six, fastened to 

 the scales of the nectary, each proceeding from each pore ; 

 antherai roundish, compressed, peltate. Pistil: germen 

 ovate, angular, immersed in the receptacle; style short; 

 stigma obtuse, concave. Pericarp: drupe turbinate, fastened 

 to the calix ; (capsule, according to Aublet, roundish, four or 

 six celled, covered with the calix.) Seeds: two, according 

 to Rolander ; (Aublet says, very many, extremely small.) 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: six-parted, unequal. Pe- 

 tals: none. Nectary: nine scales, with four antherse on 

 each. Capsule: covered, four or six celled, many-seeded. 

 The only known species is, 



1. Porostema Guianensis. This tree rises thirty feet high, 

 branching at top ; the branches are cornered, straight, and 

 horizontal : flowers whitish, small, paniculated, terminal, and 

 axillary, and exhale a very pleasant odour. It flowers in 

 Guiana in April. 



Portlandia ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth five-leaved, 

 superior ; leaflets oblong, lanceolate, permanent. Corolla : 

 one-petalled ; tube long, funnel-form, ventricose; border 

 shorter than the tube, five-parted, acute. Stamina: filamenta 

 five, awl-shaped, declined, almost the length of the corolla, 

 from the bottom of the tube ; antherse linear, erect, the 

 length of the corolla. Pistil: germen five-cornered, round- 

 ish, inferior; style simple, the length of the stamina; stigma 

 oblong, obtuse. Pericarp : capsule obovate, five-streaked, 



