PIXGUICULA 



2631 



(1) Heart-rot; bitter-heart: The cause of this disease 

 is not known, but it seems to be more prevalent in a 

 rainy season than in a dry one. It manifests itself by the 

 portion around the heart taking on a water-soaked 

 appearance. This condition progresses outward until 

 the whole apple is involved. It is not necessarily 

 accompanied by rotting, although this usually follows. 

 The whole apple becomes bitter, even before it is 

 entirely involved. When this disease is present in a 

 field, the fruit should be marketed as soon as possible, 

 that the apples may be consumed before becoming 

 badly affected. (2) Sanding: This disorder occurs 

 immediately after setting out, especially if a long dry 

 spell occurs at this time. It is produced by sand being 

 blown into and filling the bud of plants. Immediately 

 after setting out, drop into the bud a small handful of 

 cottonseed-meal, or the same amount of a mixture of 

 one part ground tobacco stems and three or four parts 

 cottonseed-meal. This soon forms a firm plug in the 



2955. Pineapple shed in Florida. 



bud, keeping out sand but not interfering with growth. 

 Blood and bone, or blood, bone and tankage, may also 

 be used. (3) Spike; longleaf: This disease manifests 

 itself by the leaves failing to expand at the base, thus 

 giving the plant a contracted appearance. The outer 

 portion of the leaf spreads from the center of the plant, 

 but usually fails to take on a broad flat healthy appear- 

 ance. Experiments have proved that this disease may 

 be produced by improper use of commercial fertilizers, 

 although the disease has occurred where no fertilizer had 

 been used. Abundant evidence is at hand to show that 

 the disease is not due to an organic agent but rather to 

 untoward condition in the soil. Change the fertilizer, 

 avoiding acid phosphate, kainit, and cottonseed-meal 

 in large quantities, and give protection as by a pine- 

 apple shed (spike is a rare thing under sheds). (4) 

 Blight ; wilt : This disease occurs in a sporadic manner, 

 usually without any apparent regularity. In some varie- 

 ties the first intimation of blight is by the outer end of 

 the leaves turning red, and later by the tips wilting. 

 This wilting progresses until the entire plant has dried 

 up. According to Webber the direct cause is a soil- 

 inhabiting fungus which attacks the roots. Remove 

 the wilted plants and set in healthy ones. If the plants 

 are of valuable varieties trim off all diseased roots and 

 much of the stem, together with larger leaves, and reset. 

 It is probable that the fungus will not survive until the 

 roots again penetrate the soil. (5) Red-spider (Stig- 

 maeus floridanus): This species attacks the tender white 

 portion at the base of the leaves. The effect upon the 

 plant is greatly out of proportion to the small amount 

 of injury to the parts attacked. In later stages the 

 leaves rot off at the place attacked. Drop a small 

 handful of tobacco dust into the bud of the plants. 



167 



Subsequent rains and dews leach the tobacco and carry 

 the solution down to the red-spiders. If they are not all 

 dead in a week or ten days, repeat the dose. (6) Scale 

 insect (Diaspis bromeliae): This scale insect becomes 

 troublesome in dry localities and in greenhouses. The 

 insect usually attacks the lower surface of the leaf, but 

 each point of attack shows through as a yellow spot 

 or blotch on the upper surface. Spray with resin wash, 

 resin compound,- or whale-oil soap. (7) Mealy-bugs 

 (Dactylopius citri and other species): These insects 

 attack the base of the leaves just at or below the 

 ground-level; also the bud, and when fruit matures 

 they multiply in great numbers among the slips and 

 in the eyes of the fruit itself. The remedy is the same 

 as for scale insects, but it is very difficult to make the 

 appli cation effective. When the mealy-bugs are pres- 

 ent before the fruit-bud forms, much good can be 

 done by applying a large handful of tobacco dust in 

 the axils of the Ivs. 

 See also under Florida, page 2230. p jj ROLFS. 



PINEAPPLE AIR-PLANT: TiOandtia utriculata. P. Flower: 

 Eucomis punctata. 



PINE, DAMMAR: Agathis. P., Kauri: Agathis. P., Mpreton 

 Bay: Arauearia. P., Norfolk Island: Araucaria. P., Prince's: 

 Chimaphila. P., Screw: Pandanus. 



PINELIA: Restrepia. 



PINELLIA (after Pinelli). Aracex. About a half- 

 dozen hardy perennial tuberous herbs, native to China 

 and Japan. Foliage appearing with the fls.; Ivs. 3 or 

 pedatisect: peduncle solitary: spathe marcescent: fls. 

 monoecious in the appendiculate spadix, all fertile; per- 

 ianth none; male fls. with 1 stamen; female fls. 1-sided; 

 ovary 1-celled; ovule solitary, orthopterous. 



tuberifera, Tenore. Adult Ivs. 3-parted, the middle 

 segms. 1H~2 times longer than wide and elliptic-oval. 

 China. There is a variety with narrower If.-segms. 

 and another with Ivs. cut into 5 segms. 



PINGUICULA (diminutive of Latin pinguis, fat; 

 referring to the succulent and greasy foliage). Lenti- 

 buLariacex. BUTTERWORT. Small acaulescent herbs of 

 carnivorous habits, with pretty long-spurred flowers 

 something like a snapdragon; sometimes grown for 

 their oddity and for the study of insectivorous habits. 



Plants of moist or wet grounds, sometimes growing 

 on damp rocks, with fibrous roots: Ivs. in a basal tuft 

 or rosette, broad and entire, soft, the upper surface 

 usually glandular-viscid (secreting a digestive fluid) and 

 the margins infolding when insects and other objects 

 adhere: fls. white to purple and yellow, solitary on 

 naked scapes which are coiled in vernation; calyx 

 5-lobed and somewhat 2-lipped; corolla mostly 2- 

 lipped, ringent or more or less personate, with 5 spread- 

 ing unequal lobes, the base extended into a sac or spur; 

 stamens 2: fr. a 2-valved caps. Species 30-^0, in the 

 northern hemisphere and also along the Andes to 

 Patagonia. The species are little seen in cult., P. can- 

 data and P. lutea being best known to growers. Pin- 

 guicula is one of the very few dicotyledonous plants 

 with only 1 seed-leaf. The fls. of pinguicula are often 

 reversed in position before and during anthesis. 



This interesting genus is rarely seen under cultiva- 

 tion, except in botanic gardens. The most noteworthy 

 species of the genus is the Mexican butterwort, P. cau- 

 date, both for its floral and leaf characters. A peculiar 

 feature of the plant is that it produces two kinds of 

 growth, the resting type, in which the small succulent 

 leaves are imbricated and form a small dense rosette 

 about 1 inch in diameter; also the growing type, in 

 which the obovate leaves when fully grown measure 3 

 to 4 inches long by 2 to 3 inches wide. In February 

 the small rosettes of P. caudata should be potted in 

 the pans large enough to carry them throughout the 



