274 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Punica granatum, Linne. 



The Pomegranate. North Africa and West Asia, in the Hima- 

 layas, up to 6,000 feet. Well-known for its showy habit, rich- 

 coloured flowers, peculiar fruit, and medicinal astringency, but 

 much overlooked regarding its value as a hedge-plant. The bark 

 contains 32 per cent, tannin (Muspratt). The bark is used for 

 dying the yellow Morocco leather (Oliver). The peel of the fruit 

 serves for dye. 



Pycnanthemum incanum, Michaux. 



North America. A perennial herb, in odour resembling both 

 Penny-royal and Spearmint. It likes to grow on rocky woodland, 

 and on such it might be easily naturalised. 



Pycnanthemum montanum, Michaux. 



The Mountain-Mint of North America. A perennial herb of 

 pleasant, aromatic, mint-like taste. These two particular species 

 have been chosen from several North American kinds to demon- 

 strate that we may add by their introduction to the variety of our 

 odorous garden-herbs. They may also be subjected with advantage 

 to distillation. 



Pyrularia edulis, Meissner. 



Nepal, Khasia, Sikkim. A large umbrageous tree. The drupaceous 

 fruit is used by the inhabitants for food. A few other species occur 

 in Upper India, one on the high mountains of Ceylon and one in 

 North America. The latter, P. pubera (Mich.), can be utilised for 

 the oil of its nuts. 



Pyrus coronaria, Linne. 



The Crab-Apple of North America. This showy species is 

 mentioned here as worthy of trial culture, since it is likely that it 

 would serve well as stock for grafting. Best grown in glades. 

 Wood nearly as tough for screw-work as that of the Pear Tree 

 (Robb). It seems unnecessary to refer here to any of the forms of 

 Pyrus communis (L.), P. Malus (L.), P. Cydonia (L.) and P. 

 Germanica (J. Hooker, Mespilus Germanica, L.), but it may 

 passingly be observed, that curious fruits have been produced 

 latterly in North America by the hybridisation of the Apple with 

 the Pear. Pearwood is one of the best substitutes for boxwood in 

 xylography, also in use for slips of pianos. Pyrus communis attains 

 an age of over 300 years, fully bearing. Trees are known to have 

 attained a circumference of 10 feet at 3 feet from the ground. At 

 Yarmouth a tree over 100 years old has borne up to 26,800 fruits 

 annually, and in some years more. The circumference of its frond 

 is 126 feet (Masters). A bitter glycosid namely, Phlorrhizin is 



