PEXXISETUM 



PENNYROYAL 



2537 



subject. Plants raised every year from seed are satis- 

 factory if seed is sown early enough, but divisions of 

 old plants will give larger pieces which flower sooner 

 and require less attention than seedlings. The old plants 

 may be wintered anywhere out of reach of frost. About 

 February 1, in the latitude of Washington (a month 

 later North), cut off the old leaves to within 6 inches of 

 the crowns ; divide the clumps into small pieces, trim the 

 roots so that they will ultimately go into 3^ or 4-inch 

 pots, and place the pieces thickly together in boxes of 

 sandy soil in a greenhouse with a temperature of about 

 60. As soon as new roots have started, pot the young 

 plants. The}- may be removed to a coldframe long 

 before the soft bedding material demands all the avail- 

 able indoor space. (G. W. Oliver.) 



A. Annual: bristles about as long as the spikdet. 

 americanum, Schum. (Penicittaria spicata, Willd. 

 Pennisetum typhoideum, Rich.). PEARL MILLET. Culm 

 3-8 ft., pubescent below the spike: Ivs. long and broad: 

 spike cylindrical, 3-10 in. long, %in. thick, the globose 

 grain bursting through its lemma and palea. Native 

 country unknown. Occasionally grown in the southern 

 states, where it ripens seed. May be grown farther north 

 for forage. A luxuriant annual, long cult, in the Old 

 World for forage and more or less for the grain which is 

 used as food. 



AA. Perennials: bristles much exceeding the spikdet. 

 B. Bristles plumose. 



villdsum, Brown (P. longistlyum of florists, not of 

 Hochst.). Fig. 2857. Spike broad, 2-4 in. long, and 

 feathery from the bearded bristles; culm 1-2 ft. high, 

 pubescent below the spike. Abyssinia. R.H. 1890, 

 p. 489. 



Ruppelii, Steud. (P. Ruppdianum of some works). 

 Fig. 2858. Culms taller and spikes 6-10 in., longer and 



more graceful than the preceding. Abyssinia. R.H. 

 1897, pp. 54, 55. I.H. 42, p. 206. G.W. 1:363. The 

 form most frequently cult, has a pale roseate spike. 

 This is sold under the names P. atrosanguineum, P. 

 hybridum Henkdianum, or CRIMSON FOUNTAIN GRASS. 

 G.W. 13:255. R.B. 36, p. 58. A half-hardy form with 



\ 



2857. Pennisetum 



villosum. 



dark purplish foliage and purplish crim- 

 son spikes has recently been intro. under 

 the name of P. cupreum. It does not 

 reproduce reliably from seed. 



BB. Bristles naked. 



c. Spikes several on each main culm, borne on short 

 branches; one bristle in each duster much longer 

 than the others. 



latifdlium, Spreng. (Gymndthrix latifdlia, Schult.). 

 Culm 3-4 ft., bearing several nodding spikes 1-2 in. 

 long: Ivs. lanceolate, J^in. broad. Argentina. R.H. 

 1890, p. 546. G.W. 3, p. 424; 6, p. 113. 



cc. Spikes single, terminating each main culm; bristles 

 more or less equal. 



japonicum, Trin. (P. compressum, R. Br. Gymndthrix 

 japonica, Kunth). Culm 2-3 ft., scabrous, especially 

 under the dense cylindrical 2-3-in.-long spike: blades 

 long and narrow. China. 



macrourum, Trin. (Gymndthrix caudata, Schrad.). 

 Culms tall, bearing a slender spike as much as a foot 

 long. S. Afr. 



macrostachyum, Trin. (Gymndthrix macrostdchys, 

 Brongn.). Culms 4-5 ft., blades broad, flat; spike 8-12 

 in., resembling that of P. Ruppdii. E. Indies. A half- 

 hardy form with dark purplish foliage and handsome 

 dark crimson spikes has recently been intro. under the 

 name of P. macrophyttum atropurpureum. M.D.G. 

 1906:9. Does not reproduce reliably from seed. 



nervosum, Trin. Tall branching perennial with 

 tawny or purplish compact spikes is offered by a 

 western nursery. S. Amer. A. S. HITCHCOCK. 



PENNYROYAL of Europe, Mentha Pulegium; of 

 America, Hedeoma pulegioides. Bastard P., or blue 

 curls, is Trichostema dichotomum. All are members of 

 the mint family. 



The garden pennyroyal, Mentha Pulegium, is a Euro- 

 pean perennial, used for seasoning. It is one of the 



