230 SELECT PLANTS FOE INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Pilocarpus pinnatifolius, Lemaire. 



One of Jaborandi plants of tropical and sub-tropical Brazil. 

 The leaves and bark of this shrub, which contain essential oil 

 and a peculiar alkaloid, are famed as an agreeable, powerful, 

 and quickly-acting sudorific. This bush is likely to endure 

 the clime of milder temperate forest regions (Continho, Baillon, 

 Hardy, Guebler). Like P. simplex, also an active sialogogue. 



Pimpinella Anisum, Linne. 



The Anise Plant. Greece, Egypt, Persia. An annual. The 

 seed-like fruits enter into various medicines and condiments, 

 and are also required for the distillation of oil, rich in ane- 

 thol. The herbage left after obtaining the seeds serves for 

 fodder. 



Pimpinella saxifraga, Linne. 



Europe, North and Middle Asia. A perennial herb ; its root 

 used in medicine ; a peculiar volatile oil can be distilled from 

 the root. P. magna (L.) is a closely allied species, and P. 

 nigra (W.) is a variety. The root of the last is particularly 

 powerful. 



Pimpinella Sisarum, Bentham. (Slum Sisarum, Linne.) 



East Asia. A perennial herb. The bunches of small tubers 

 afford an excellent culinary vegetable. The taste is sweet 

 and somewhat celery -like. The roots endure frost. 



Pinus Abies, Du Roi.* (Pimis Picea, Linne.) 



Silver Fir, Tanne. In Middle Europe up to 50 north lati- 

 tude, forming dense forests. A fine tree, formerly the charm of 

 the ancients, attaining 200 feet in height, and 20 feet in cir- 

 cumference of stem, reaching the age of 300 years. It fur- 

 nishes a most valuable timber for building as well as furniture, 

 and in respect to lightness, toughness, and elasticity it is even 

 more esteemed than the Norway Spruce, but ig not so good 

 for fuel or for charcoal. It also yields a fine white resin and 

 the Strasburg turpentine, similar to the Venetian. Besides 

 the above normal formal form, the following two main varieties 

 occur : P. Abies var. Cephalonica, Parlatore (P. Cephalonica, 

 Endl.). Greece, 3,000 to 5,000 feet above the sea. A tree 

 60 feet high, with a stem circumference of 10 feet. The 

 wood is very hard and durable, and much esteemed for build- 

 ing. General Napier mentions that in pulling down some 

 old houses afc Argostoli, which had been built 150 to 300 

 years, all the wood-work of this fir was found as hard as oak 



