P O R 



POT 



celled, opening horizontally : the seeds round, 

 black, very small. It is a native of both In- 

 dies, China, Cochinchina, and Japan. It was 

 I'ormerlv much in recjuest as a wholesome salad 

 and pickle, hut at present is little in use. 



'I'here are several varieties. The garden Pur- 

 slane differs from the \\ild, only in having 

 larger and more succulent leaves. If it be per- 

 mitted to scatter the seeds, in two years it will 

 become in every respect like the wild plant. Of 

 the two other varieties, one is with deep-green 

 leaves, and the other with yellow leaves, which 

 is called Golden Purslane. 



The second species has a shrubby stalk, four 

 or five inches high : the leaves are thick and 

 succulent. At the top of the stalk comes forth 

 a slender peduncle about two inches long, sup- 

 porting four or five red flowers, appearing in 

 July, but not succeeded by seeds in England. 

 It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope. 



Culture. — These plants may be increased by 

 seeds and cuttings, according to the difierent 

 kinds. 



In the first sort, the seeds should be sown in 

 slight drills, or broad-cast over the surface, at 

 diflerent times, in the spring and summer, from 

 March to June, or later, at the distance of three 

 weeks, the early sowing being made on slight 

 hot-beds, but the late ones in the open borders, 

 where the ground is light and dry, occasional 

 light \\ aterings being given afterwards, both be- 

 fore asid after the plants appear, which must re- 

 main where they come up, and are mostly fit for 

 cutting in the course of a month or five weeks. 

 In gathering them, the young tops should be cut 

 off\.\ith a knife, and they afterwards shoot out 

 fresh tops. 



In the second sort the cuttings should be 

 planted in pots filled with light dry mould, and 

 plunged in the tan-bed, in order to promote 

 their rooting, moderate shade and waterings be- 

 ing given till they have stricken good root, be- 

 ing kept in the stove, and afterwards managed 

 as the succulent kinds of aloes. 



The last affords variety among other stove 

 potted plants. 



PORTULACARIA, a genus furnishing a 

 shrubby plant of the succulent green-house kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandrla 

 Tr'igi/nia. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a two- 

 leaved perianth, coloured, permanent: leaflets 

 roundish, concave, obtuse, spreading very much, 

 opposite: the corolla has five obovate petals, 

 obtuse, quite entire, concave at top, flat at the 

 base w ith the sides mutually incumbent, spread- 

 ing very much, almost three times as long as 

 the calyx, permanent : the stamina have live 



awl-shaped filainents, very short, erect, two on 

 each side of the germ, the otlif r solitary : an- 

 thers erect, ovate : the pistillum is a three- 

 cornered germ, superior, the length of the pe- 

 tals : style none: stigmas three, spreading very 

 nmch, ascending at the tip, muricated above : 

 there is no pericarpium : the calyx and corolla, 

 now erect, closely embrace the base of the seed : 

 the seeds single, ovate-oblong, obtuse, winged- 

 three-sided. 



The species is P. yijrn, African Purslane 

 Tree. 



It rises with a strong thick succulent stalk to 

 the height of three feet, sending out branches 

 on every side, so as to form a kind of pyramid, 

 the lower branches being extended to a great 

 length, and the others diminishing gradually to 

 the top ; they are of a red or purplish colour and 

 very succulent. The leaves are also succulent 

 and roundish, very like those of Purslane, 

 whence the gardeners call it the Purslane Tree. 

 It is a native of Africa. It is not known that 

 it has yet flowered in this climate. 



Culture. — It IS readily increased by cuttings 

 of the stems or branches, planted during any of 

 the summer months, having been laid to dry 

 for some days before, in pots filled with sandy 

 earth, being placed in a frame, and shaded in 

 hot weather, and protected from wet. They are 

 also much forwarded by being plunged in the 

 bark-bed of the stove. It must be placed in a 

 warm glass case in winter, where it may enjoy 

 the full sun, and should have very little water 

 during that season. In summer the plants 

 should be placed abroad in a sheltered situation, 

 and in warm weather be refreshed with water 

 twice a w^ek ; but the stalks being very succu- 

 lent, too much wet is always hurtful. 



These afford variety among other green- house 

 plants. 



POTATOES. See Solanum. 



POTATOES, CANADA. See Helianthus 



TUBICROSUS. 



POTENTILLA., a genus containing plants 

 of the herbaceous and shrubbv kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Icosandria 

 Pohjgijnia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Senticosce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed, fiatlish, ten-cletVperianth : the alternate 

 segments smaller reflex : the corolla has five 

 roundish petals, spreading, inserted by their 

 claws into the calyx : the stamina have twenty 

 filaments, awl-shaped, shorter than the corolla, 

 inserted into the calyx ; anthers elongate-lunu- 

 late : the pistillum has numerous germs, very 

 small, collected into a head: styles filiform, the 

 le.ngth of the stamens, inserted into the side of 



