232 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Phalaris Canariensis, Linne. 



The Canary Grass. An annual grass from the Canary Islands, now 

 widely dispersed as a spontaneous plant over the warmer zones of 

 the globe. Thus it has also become naturalized in Australia. It is 

 grown for its seeds, which form one of the best kinds of fodder for 

 many sorts of small cage-birds. The flour is utilized in certain pro- 

 cesses of cotton manufacture, and liked for some kinds of cakes. 

 The soil for the culture of the Canary Grass must be friable and not 

 too poor. It is an exhaustive crop. As allied annual species of 

 similar use, but mostly of less yield, may be enumerated : P. 

 brachystachys (Link.) from Italy, P. minor (Retz) and P. truncata 

 (Guss.) from various countries on the Mediterranean Sea. Other 

 species, including some from Asia, are deserving of trial \ but 

 the prennial British P. arundinacea (L.) is too harsh to serve 

 for wholesome fodder, nor does it furnish Canary seed. P. minor 

 is recommended by Dr. Curl for permanent pastures, as it supplies a 

 large quantity of fine, sweet, fattening foliage, relished by stock. It 

 keeps green far into the winter in the climate of New Zealand. Chemi- 

 cal constituents here (in November) : Albumen 1-59, Gluten 6-14, 

 Starch 1-03, Gum 6-64, Sugar 2-86 per cent. (F. v. Mueller, and L. 

 Hummel) ; another analysis in the same month gave : Albumen 

 1-06, Gluten 5-64, Starch 0-98, Gum 3-22, Sugar 4-20 per cent. 



Pharnaceum acidum, J. Hooker. 



St. Helena. A dwarf perennial succulent plant, which might ad- 

 vantageously be naturalized on sea-shores, to yield an acid salad, 

 perhaps superior to that of Portulaca oleracea. 



Phaseolus aconitifolius, Jacquin. 



India, up to 4,000 feet. A dwarf species. Dr. Forbes Watson 

 admits it among the culinary beans of India. It will bear on arid 

 soil. P. trilobus (Aiton) is a variety. 



Phaseolus adenanthus, G. Meyer. (P. Truxillensis, Humbolt ; P. 

 rostratus, Wallich.) 



Almost cosmopolitan within the tropics, where irrespective of navi- 

 gation and other traffic it becomes dispersed by migrating birds ; 

 truly spontaneous also in tropical Australia. A perennial herb with 

 large flowers, resembling those of Vigna vexillata (Beiith.). Culti- 

 vated for its seeds, which are rather small, but copiously produced. 

 A variety with edible roots occurs. 



Phaseolus coccineus, Kniphof.* (P. multiflorus, Willdenow.) 



The Turkish Bean or Scarlet Runner. A native of the Orient, if 

 Sprengel's identification is correct, according to which this plant 

 was known in Arabia and Persia in Avicenna's time ; but according 



