PUYA 



PYRACANTHA 



2863 



Ivs. 2 ft. long, which are spinose-dentate and nearly 

 glabrous: peduncle 3-4 ft. tall, the bracts membrana- 

 ceous, the infl. somewhat branched but not loose: fls. 

 narrow-tubular, the petals blue and oblong-obtuse, 

 the sepals much shorter and green and obtuse; alternate 

 stamens shorter. Chile. B.R. 26:11. 



alpestris, Poepp. (Pitcairnia aerulea, Baker. Pitya 

 Whytei, Hook. f. Pitcairnia alpestris, Bailey). Fl.- 

 cluster much branched or panicled, with bracts more 

 serrate than in P. c&rulea: fls. very large and showy, 

 with a flaring mouth, dull metallic blue. Chile. B.M. 

 5732. A plant in bloom has the habit of a yucca. This 

 and P. csrulea will probably stand considerable frost. 



P. rpathacta, Mez (Pitcairnia spathacca, Griseb.). Lvs. up to 18 

 in. long and 1 in. broad, the spines incurved: panicle about 2 ft. 

 long: sepals ovate, acuminate, pale rose; petals dull blue. Argentina. 

 B.M. 7966. P. riolacea, Mez. Lvs. up to 20 in. long, linear, stiff, 

 spiny in margin: panicle 15-20 in. long; sepals green, lanceolate, 

 1-1 1 4 in. long, acute; petals deep violet. Chile. B.M. 8194. 



L. H. B. 



GEORGE V. NASH.! 



PYCNANTHEMUM (Greek, dense and blossom; 

 referring to compact flower-heads). Labiate. MOUN- 

 TAIN MINT. BASIL. Hardy aromatic perennial herbs 

 suitable for the flower-garden. 



Stems corymbosely branched above: Ivs. entire, 

 glabrous or pubescent, nearly sessile: infl. dense, many- 

 fid, whorls, crowded with bracts and usually forming 

 terminal heads or close cymes; fls. whitish or purplish, 

 late summer and early autumn; calyx about 13-nerved, 

 naked in the throat; corolla short, more or less 2-lipped; 

 stamens 4, lower pair rather longer than the upper, 

 which are sometimes abortive. About 18 species, N. 

 Amer. The oldest generic name of this is Koellia, 

 which is used by many, but Pycnanthemum is main- 

 tained in the list of "nomina conservanda" as accepted 

 by the Vienna Congress. The genus differs from Mon- 

 arda in having smaller and canescent fl.-heads. Pycnan- 

 themums are mint-like plants of easy cult, in any good 

 soil. The following grow 1-3 ft. high, and bear fl.- 

 heads }in. across or less. 



A. Lvs. lanceolate or linear-lanceolate: calyx-teeth oxate- 



triangular. 



virginianum, Dur. & Jacks. (P. lanceolatum, Pursh). 

 St. rather stout: Ivs. fragrant, firm, acuminate at apex, 

 rounded or narrowed at base, 1-2 in. long, 2-5 fines 

 wide. Dry fields, Canada to Ga., west to Minn. B.B. 

 3:112. 



AA. Lvs. linear: calyx-teeth subulate, bristle-tipped. 



flexuosum, BSP. (P. linifolium, Pursh). St. slender: 

 Ivs. 1-2 in. long, >-lH lines wide. In fields, Mass, to 

 Fla., Ont. ? Minn., and Texas. B.B. 3:111. 



P. MonardfUa, Michx., is properly Monarda clinopodia, Linn. 

 A perennial herb with slender, usually simple St. 1-3 ft. high: Ivs. 

 lanceolate to ovate, membranaceous, bright green, slender-petioled, 

 2-4 in. long: fl.-heads solitary, terminal; corolla yellowish, 1 in. long 

 or less. June-Aug. Fields, Ont. to Ga. B.B. 3:102. 



F. W. BARCLAY. 



F. TRACY HuBBARD.f 



PYCNOSTACHYS (Greek, thick spike, referring to 

 the heavy spikes of fls.). Labiate. Erect perennial 

 herbs : Ivs. opposite, broad or narrow, sessile or petioled: 

 whorls condensed into a dense terminal spike; fls. 

 bright blue or violet; calyx slightly accrescent, 5- 

 toothed; corolla-tube longer than the calyx, upper lip 

 short, 4-toothed, lower longer, deeply concave; sta- 

 mens 4: nutlets subglobose, smooth. About 40 species, 

 natives of Trop. and S. Afr., 1 in Madagascar. P. 

 urticifolia, Hook. A much-branched perennial herb, 

 5-7 ft. high: Ivs. ovate-acute, deeply cut, crenate, 

 densely pubescent: spikes very dense, 2-3 in. long; 

 corolla bright blue. Trop. and S. Afr. B.M. 5365. 

 More or less frequent in gardens in England. P. 

 Daicei, X.E. Br. A stout herb, 4-6 ft. high and loosely 

 branched pyramidal habit: Ivs. narrowly lanceolate, 

 acuminate, serrate: fls. many, crowded, in short spikes 



3264. Pyracantha coccinea. (XH) 



terminating all the branches, cobalt-blue; calyx-teeth 

 needle-like. Trop. Afr. Intro, into England. B.M. 

 8450. P. caerulea, Hook., with 4-sided st. about 1 ft. 

 high, bright blue fls. and sessile oblong or linear-lanceo- 

 late Ivs., a native of Madagascar, has also been cult, 

 in England. 



PYRACANTHA (Greek, pyr, fire, and akanthos, 

 thorn; alluding to the bright red fruits). Rosaces. 

 FIRETHORN. Ornamental shrubs, grown chiefly for 

 their bright red berry-like fruits and also for their 

 white flowers and firm foliage. 



Thorny half-evergreen shrubs: Ivs. alternate, short- 

 petioled, narrow, crenulate or sometimes entire, stipu- 

 late: fls. in corymbs; sepals short, petals suborbicular, 

 spreading; stamens 20, with yellow anthers; carpels 5, 

 free on their ventral side, on their dorsal side connate 

 with the calyx-tube about half or less: fr. a small pome 

 with persistent calyx, red or orange, with 5 stones. 



Three species, 

 from S. E. Eu. 

 to Cent. China 

 and the Himal- 

 ayas, The genus 

 is closely allied 

 to Cotoneaster 

 but is easily dis- 

 tinguished by 

 the crenulate 

 Ivs. and the 

 thornybranches, 

 also by the more 

 conspicuous 

 stipules. From 

 Crataegus it is 

 chiefly distin- 

 guished by the 

 structure of the ovary, which contains 2 equal ovules in 

 each cell, while in Crataegus each cell contains only 1 

 fertile ovule and a second imperfect and smaller one. 



The pyracanthas are usually small shrubs with rather 

 small and narrow leaves and with white flowers in small 

 corymbs followed by bright red or orange fruits. P. 

 coccinea is hardy as far north as Massachusetts in 

 sheltered positions. It is a handsome low evergreen 

 shrub, especially when loaded with its bright red 

 fruits, these remaining on the branches all winter if not 

 eaten by birds, which are fond of them; it is also pretty 

 in spring with its numerous corymbs of white flowers. 

 It is well adapted for planting on rocky slopes or sunny 

 rockeries or for borders of shrubberies; it may also be 

 used for low ornamental hedges or for covering walls, 

 as it stands pruning well and is easily trained into any 

 desired shape. It thrives in almost any kind of well- 

 drained soil, including limestone, and prefers sunny 

 positions. Propagation by seeds or by cuttings of 

 ripened wood in fall under glass, kept during the winter 

 in a temperate greenhouse; also by layers and sometimes 

 by grafting on hawthorn or cotoneaster. 



A. Lvs. beneath and calyx glabrous. 



coccinea, Roem. (Cotoneaster Pyracdntha, Spach. 

 Cratxgus Pyracdntha, Borkh. Mespilus Pyracdntha, 

 Linn.). FIRETHORN. FIERY THORN. EVERLASTING 

 THORN. Fig. 3264. Shrub, attaining 6 ft., rarely 20 ft., 

 with numerous short spines : young branchlets and peti- 

 oles grayish pubescent: Ivs. oval-oblong to oblanceo- 

 late, acute, crenate, glabrous or slightly pubescent when 

 young, 24-lJin. long: corymbs pubescent, many-fld., 

 about 1^2 in. broad; fls. small, white: fr. numerous, 

 bright red, about J^in. across. May, June. Italy to 

 W. Asia. Gn. 33, p. 464. Var. Lalandii, Dipp. (Coto- 

 neaster crenulata, Hort., not Wenzig), is of more vigor- 

 ous growth, with slender branches: Ivs. less deeply 

 crenate: corymbs larger: fr. bright orange-red. Well 

 suited for covering walls and said to be hardier than 



