50 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 345 



POLYGALA CHAMAEBUXUS 



A creeping, evergreen, rock-garden shrub which reaches a height of some 

 nine inches. It has small shining leaves and flowers with white wings and 

 yellowish keels. 



POLYGONUM AUBERTII China Fleecevine 



A vigorous, graceful, thin-wooded, clambering or slightly twining, deciduous 

 vine having dense, bright-green foliage. The upper portion of the plant is 

 covered in late August and on into the autumn with fleecy, six- to eight-inch 

 panicles of white flowers turning pinkish. There are occasional flowers earlier 

 in the season. It will not climb a wall but requires training on support. Much 

 new growth comes up from the base in the spring. 



POPULUS LASIOCARPA CHINESE POPLAR 



Rather a rare Chinese species which grows into a round-headed tree some 

 sixty feet high, and is made noticeable by its foot-long leaves with red mid- 

 ribs and petioles. It has proved difficult of propagation. 



Populus Maxlmowiczii JAPANESE POPLAR 



A quick-growing, hundred-foot, Asiatic Poplar which has a thick, gray- 

 barked bole, symmetrical head, and attractive foliage. 



Potentilla fruticosa SHRUBBY ClNQUEFOIL 



A variable, native, deciduous shrub which ranges in habitat from very dry 

 to quite wet situations. Its straggling habit, silky, compound leaves, and 

 yellow summer flowers give it some value for development of large sunny 

 banks or slopes in semi-wild areas. Varieties with white flowers have been 

 described. 



Prickly Pear — See Opuntia 



Privet — See Ligustrum 



Prunus cerasifera var. Pissartii PuRPLELEAF Plum 



Analagous to the red-leaved peach, this twenty-five-foot, purple-leaved 



form of a commonly used plum understock has pink flowers and wine-red 



fruits. Because of its color and the cultural difficulties of plums in general, 

 it is of limited value. 



Prunus Maackil Amur ChERRY 



A very hardy, forty-foot tree with interesting light brown, flaky bark and 

 pleasing clusters of small white flowers. A supposed hybrid of this species is 

 sold in the West under the name of "Mayday Tree." 



Prunus maritima BEACH Plum 



Though in character with the wild landscape of areas near the sea, this and 

 a number of inland plants such as Prunus Besseyi seem to be valuable chiefly 

 for the potential economic possibilities of their fruits. In the wild, they are 

 hosts to serious diseases and destructive insects. 



PRUNUS PERSICA Flowering Peach 



Though little different in aspect and, because of grafting on indifferent 

 peach seedlings, seldom longer lived in cultivation than orchard peaches, there 

 seems to be some evidence of greater fundamental hardiness on the part of 

 the strictly ornamental varieties. Probably an improvement in propagation 

 methods, and a pest control program comparable to orchard sanitation would 

 help these plants of such intense flower color to gain some of the popularity 

 which they merit. As to hardiness, they may be expected to thrive wherever 



