PAN 



PAN 



The two first sorts afford variety in the borders, 

 and the last among stove collections. 



PANCRATIUM, a genus containing plants 

 of the biilbous-rooled flowery perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Hexandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in tiie natural order of 

 Spalhaccce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is an oblong 

 spathe, obtuse, compressed, opening" on the flat 

 side, shrivelling : the corolla has six petals, lance- 

 olate, flat, inserted into the tubeof the nectary on 

 the outside above the base : nectary one-leafed, 

 cylindric-funnel-form, coloured at lop, with the 

 mouth spreading and t\<'e!ve-eleft : the stamina 

 have six filaments, awl-shaped, inserted into the 

 tips of the nectary, and longer than they are : 

 anthers oblong, incumbent : the pistillum is a 

 bluntly three-cornered germ, inferior: style fili- 

 form/longer than the stamens: stigma blunt: 

 the pericarpium is a roundish capsule, three- 

 sided, three-celled, three-valved : the seeds seve- 

 ral, globular. 



The species cultivated arc : 1 . P. inaritimum, 

 Sea Pancratium; 2. P. lUyrkum, lUyrian Pan- 

 cratium ; 3. P. Zeylunkum, Ceylonese Pan- 

 cratium; 4. P. Mexicmni.m , Mexican Pancra- 

 tium; 5. P. Carihceii-in, Caribean Pancratium; 

 6. P. Caroliniaimm, Carolina Pancratium ; 7. 

 P.Amhoinense, Broad-leaved Pancratium; 8. P. 

 verecundum. Narcissus-leaved Pancratium. 



The first has a large, coated, bulbous root, of 

 an oblong form, covered with a dark skin: the 

 leaves are shjiped like a tongue ; are more than 

 a foot long, and one inch broad, of a deep green, 

 .six or seven of them rising together from the 

 same root, encompassed at bottom with a sheath : 

 between these arises the stalk, which is a foot 

 and half long, naked, sustaining at the top six or 

 eight white flowers, inclosed in a sheath, which 

 withers and opens on the side, to make way for 

 the flowers to come out. 



According to Mr. Miller, the root resembles 

 that of the Squill, but is less, covered with a 

 brown skin, and white within, the coats pellucid 

 and gently striped, viscid or full of a clammy 

 iuice,"" bitter to the taste without acrimony. It 

 is a native of the South of Europe. 



1 he second species has a large bulb, covered 

 with a dark skin, sending out many thick strong 

 fibres, striking deep in the ground : the leaves 

 are a foot and half long and two inches broad, 

 of a grayish colour : the scapes thick, succulent, 

 near two feet high : the flowers six or seven, 

 white, shaped like those of the first sort, but 

 with a shorter tube, and much longer stamens. 

 It flowers in June, and frequently produces seeds. 

 It is a native of the South of Europe. 



The third has a pretty large bulbous root : the 



leaves long and narrow, of a grayish colour, and 

 pretty thick, standing upright : the stalk rises 

 among them, a foot and half high, naked, sus- 

 taining one flower at the top : the nectary is 

 large, cut at the brim into many acute segments: 

 the stamens long, and turning towards each other 

 at their points; in which it difl^ers from the other 

 species : the flower has a very. agreeable scent, 

 but is of short duration. It is a native of 

 Ceylon. 



The fourth species has the stetn or scape a 

 long span in height, round, forked towards the 

 top, or dividing into two peduncles, with two 

 oblong tender membranaceous greenish leaflets, 

 and terminated each with a white flower, divided 

 to the very base into six narrow segments; in 

 the middle of these is a white bell-shaped tube, 

 which Linnaeus names the nectary, more tender 

 than the petals ; the mouth angular, and from 

 each angle putting forth a filament, long, slender 

 and white, terminated by an oblong incurved 

 saffron-coloured anther : the flowers have no 

 smell, and shrivel up over the fruit: leaves four, 

 reclining, smooth, pale green and somewhat 

 glaucous, ridged, slightly grooved in the middle) 

 and with a single streak on each side, otherwise 

 veinlcss, a long span or a little more in length, 

 an inch or an inch and half in width, produced 

 to a point at the end. It flowers in May. 



The fifth has the leaves about a foot long 

 and two inches broad, having three longitudinal 

 furrows : the stalk rises about a foot high, then 

 divides like a fork iiito two small foot-stalks, or 

 rather tubes, which are narrow, green, and at first 

 encompassed by a thin spathe, which withers, 

 and opens to give way to the flowers : these are 

 white, and have no scent. It is a native of the 

 West Indies. 



The sixth species has a roundish bulbous root, 

 covered with a light brown skin, from which 

 arise several narrow dark green leaves, about a 

 foot lone : among these comes out a thick stalk 

 (scape) about nine inches high, sustaining six 

 or seven white flowers, with very narrow petals, 

 havino- large bcll-shapcd nectariums or cups, 

 deeply indented on their brims : the stamens do 

 not rise far above the nectarium. It is a native 

 of Jamaica and Carolina. 



The seventh has the bulb oblong, white, send- 

 ino- out several thick fleshy fibres, which strike 

 downward : the leaves are oii very long foot- 

 stalks, some ovate, others heart-shaped, about 

 seven inches long and five broad, endingin points, . 

 having many deep longitudinal furrows; they 

 are of a light green, and their borders turn in- 

 wards : the stalk thick, round and succulent, 

 rising near two feet high, sustaining at the top 

 several white flowers, shaped like those of 



