2446 



PALM 



PAMPAS-GRASS 



Thrinax. The species of this fine genus do remarkably well in all 

 kinds of situations and soils. They are all tropical and the beauty of 

 the leaves is destroyed by frost. T. Wendlandiana, T. floridana, T. 

 microcarpa and T. keyensis are natives of the extreme southern end 

 of the state and are all fine. T. barbadensis and T. Morrisii are 

 elegant species, the latter being dwarf. The magnificent leaves of 

 T. altissima are liable to be injured by winds if planted in an exposed 

 place. 



Trachycarpus. These palms do not seem to thrive well in Flor- 

 ida, although a few specimens of T. excelsus in the central part of 

 the state are doing well. 



Verschaffeltia also does not thrive in Florida. 



Wallichia caryotoides thrives in shady positions in southern 

 Florida. 



Washingtonia. Three distinct species are grown in Florida. W. 

 robusta is one of our finest palms, growing rapidly and vigorously 

 in pine land and it is used to some extent for planting along streets 

 and roads. W. filifera is not so handsome a tree or so rapid a grower 

 as W. robusta but it is doing well. W. Sonorse promises well here. 

 Everywhere in Florida where the soil is moist, the washingtonias 

 grow to perfection. They will not thrive on high dry ground. They 

 will occasionally require good applications of fertilizers. 



CHAS. T. SIMPSON. 

 H. NEHRLING. 



PALMERELLA (Dr. Edward Palmer, American 

 botanical collector, discoverer of the original species). 

 Campanulacese. A genus of two or three species, with 

 small blue fls. like those of a lobelia. The genus differs 

 from Lobelia in the adnation of the stamens, as well as in 

 the entire or closed corolla-tube, at least its upper part, 

 but which soon splits from the base upward for a good 

 distance, and before withering the lower part of the 

 corolla is much disposed to separate into five claws 

 (liberating also the lower part of the filaments); fila- 

 ments adnate to the corolla-tube to near the throat and 

 then monadelphous and adnate on one side or the other, 

 or free: nectary an imperfect tubular cavity in the 

 throat of the corolla. Herbs of S. Calif, and Mex., 

 very little known horticulturally. 



debilis, Gray. Slender glabrous branching perennial 

 herb, 2 ft. high, very leafy : Ivs. alternate, linear-lanceo- 

 late, entire, sessile, 2-3 in. long; floral ones gradually 

 reduced to bracts: raceme lax, few-fid.; corolla-tube 

 whitish, 9 lines long, lobes light blue, 2 of them smaller 

 than the others, the larger ones 3-4 lines long. S. Calif, 

 and Low. Calif. Var. serrata, Gray, was offered in 1881 

 but it is probably not in cult.: inn. and corolla-tube 

 somewhat puberulent: Ivs. (except the upper ones) 

 sharp-serrate, the lowest spatulate and obovate. S. 

 Calif - L. H. B. 



PALMETTO: Sabal. 



PALMS, POPULAR NAMES OF: Alexandra P., 

 Archontophosnix Alexandra. Assai P., Euterpe edulis. 

 Betel-nut P., Areca Catechu. Blue P., Erythea armata. 

 Blue Palmetto, Rhapidophyllum. Bourbon P., Latania. 

 Broom P., Attalea funifera and Thrinax argentea. 

 Cabbage P., Euterpe oleracea. Club P., Cordyline. 

 Coconut P., Cocos nucifera; Double Coconut or Sea 

 Coconut P., Lodoicea. Coquito P., Jubsea spectabilis. 

 Corojo P., Acrocomia sclerocarpa. Curly P., Howea 

 Belmoreana. Date P., Phoenix dactylifera. European P., 

 Chamserops humilis. Fan P., any species with fan- 

 shaped, rather than pinnate Ivs. Fern P., Cycas. 

 Fish-tail P., Caryota wrens. Flat P., Howea Forsteriana. 

 Guadeloupe P., Erythea edulis. Gru-gru P., Astro- 

 caryum vulgare and Acrocomia sclerocarpa. Hemp P., 

 Chamserops excelsa. Ivory-nut P., Phytelephas macro- 

 carpa. Needle P., Rhapidophyllum. Nikau P., 

 Rhopalostylis. Nipa P., Nipa. Norfolk Island P., 

 Rhopalostylis Baueri. Oil P., Elseis guineensis; also 

 Cocos butyracea, etc. Palmetto P., Sabal, Serenoa. 

 Panama-hat P., Carludovica palmata. Para P., Euterpe 

 edulis. Raffia P., Raphia. Royal P., Oreodoxa regia. 

 Sago P., various species of Metroxylon and Cycas. 

 Savanah P., Sabal mauritiseformis. Saw P., or Palmetto, 

 Serenoa. Talipot P., Corypha umbraculifera. Thatch 

 P., Sabal Blackburniana; Howea Forsteriana. Toddy P., 

 Caryota wrens. Umbrella P., Hedyscepe Canterburyana. 

 Walking-stick P., Bacularia monostachya. Wax P., 



Ceroxylon. Wine P. of E. Indies, Caiyota urens, 

 Phoenix sylvestris and Borassus flabelliformis; of New 

 Granada, Cocos butyracea. 



PALUMBINA (said to be from palumbes, wood- 

 pigeon; from a supposed resemblance ol the fls.). Orchi- 

 ddcese. A monotypic genus greatly resembling Oncid- 

 ium, with which it was formerly united. It differs 

 principally in having the lateral sepals entirely united, 

 forming a single segm. resembling the dorsal sepal 

 in shape and size, the labellum scarcely larger than 

 the petals and resembling them in shape. 



Candida, Reichb. f . The only species is a small plant 

 with narrow, compressed pseudobulbs, each with a 

 single slender If., 6-12 in. long: fls. few, small, white, in a 

 slender raceme; sepals, petals and labellum oblong, 

 acute, differing but little in size and shape. Guatemala. 

 B.M. 5546. G.C. 1865:793; 11.20:233 (as Oncidium 

 candidum). May be easily grown in a temperate 

 house. Blooms in summer, the fls. lasting a long time. 

 HEINRICH HASSELBRING. 



PAMBURUS (from the Singhalese name Pamburu). 

 Rutacese, tribe Citrese. Small trees distantly related to 

 Citrus but bearing frs. filled with gum : young branches 

 often angled; older ones rounded, spines solitary or 

 paired in the axils of the Ivs. : Ivs. simple, thick, gray- 

 green: fls. 4 5-parted (usually 4) with 8-10 stamens; 

 pistil supported on a subcylindric disk. Only one 

 species is known. 



missionis, Swingle (Limbnia missionis, Wall, ex 

 Wight. Ataldntia missionis, Oliver). Lvs. simple, 

 elliptic-oblong, short-petioled, showing veins only 

 very obscurely, wrinkling at the margins on drying: 

 fls. in axillary racemes, shorter than the Ivs. ; filaments 

 slender, anthers linear-oblong, disk long and slender; 

 ovary 4-5-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell: fr. 1 in. 

 diam., filled with a mucilaginous fluid. 111. Wight, 

 111. Ind. Bot. v. 3, pi. 33. Swingle, Journ. Wash. 

 Acad. 6:336. This tree occurs in India and Ceylon in 

 sandy soil near the seacoast. It should be tested as a 

 stock for Citrus. The wood is light-colored, but when 

 variegated is used for furniture. 



WALTER T. SWINGLE. 



PAMPAS-GRASS (Cortaderia argentea, which see. 

 Vol. II, p. 856.). A showy tall perennial subtropical 

 grass grown for its whitish fluffy plumes of inflores- 

 cence; native in Argentina and southern Brazil. 



The growing of pampas plumes for profit in Califor- 

 nia has been undertaken for over forty years. Pampas- 

 grass was introduced into the United States about 1848. 

 In the northern states it is frequently planted on the 

 lawn in summer, and upon the approach of cold weather 

 transferred in a tub to a cellar for winter protection. 

 In California, a hill will sometimes attain a height of 

 20 feet, a diameter as great, and a weight of 2,000 

 pounds. Such plants would be very inconvenient for 

 our northern friends to handle in the cellar. 



Plants are easily produced from seed, but as the sex 

 and variety are very uncertain, stock is usually 

 increased by dividing the female plants, the plumes of 

 which are much more beautiful than those of the male. 

 The growing of pampas-grass in North America on a 

 commercial scale dates from 1874, when the difference 

 in sex was discovered. In 1872 the writer sowed seed 

 which in two years gave several hundred plume-bearing 

 plants. Even then the variations in color and fineness 

 were very marked. In 1874, it was found that by pulling 

 the immature plumes from the sheaths and exposing them 

 to the hot sun, the male plumes would hang heavily like 

 oats, while the female plumes would become fluffy, and 

 light and airy. In November, 1874, samples of the female 

 plumes were sent to Peter Henderson & Co., New York. 

 Three hundred were ordered at once, and the following 

 day instructions were received to double the order and 

 send by express. This was the first lot of good plumes 



