HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



157 



PAL 



feet, and send out clusters of large leaves, from 

 the axils of which bunches of flowers proceed. 

 Although the flowers are small, the inflorescence, 

 taken collectively, very often has a most impos- 

 ing aspect. Linnrous called them the Princes 

 of the Vegetable Kingdom, a designation which 

 they well deserve. Martius estimates the spe- 

 cies at nearly six hundred, of which about one- 

 sixth have fan-shaped leaves. They have been 

 divided by him into various tribes, depending 

 chiefly on the nature of the ovary ovules and 

 fruit; and sections are formed according as the 

 leaves are pinnate or flabelliform, and the stems 

 spiny or not. The properties of the plants of 

 this order are quite various. In the countries 

 in which they grow, they are used for supplying 

 food and for forming habitations.. The fruit of 

 some is edible. Many supply oil, wax, starchy 

 matter, and sugar, the last being fermented so 

 as to form an intoxicating drink. Their fibers 

 are employed for ropes, and the reticulum sur- 

 rounding their leaves is sometimes manufac- 

 tured into brushes and brooms. These pro- 

 ducts also enter largely into commerce, and are 

 sources of very considerable wealth. The Palm 

 of the Bible seems to be Phosmx dctcti/lifera, <>r 

 Date Palm, the drupaceous fruit of which sup- 

 plies food to many of the inhabitants of Arabia 

 and Africa, and is largely exported to different 

 parts of th.e world, the United States receiving 

 a large share. Cocos nucifera, the Cocoanut 

 Palm, is one of the most useful of the family, 

 supplying food, clothing, materials for houses, 

 and utensils of various kinds, besides ropes and 

 oil. The Cocoamits form an important item of 

 commerce, and are now " desiccated " or dried 

 in very large quantities in New York and other 

 places. The Palm Oil imported from the west 

 coast of Africa is obtained by bruising the 

 fruits of E culs Guinvensis and E. melunococca. j 

 The Betel Nut is the produce of Areca catechu, \ 

 and from it an extract is prepared of an astrin- i 

 gent nature resembling Catechu. Fine Sago is i 

 said to be procured from tiagus Iwvls and 8. j 

 Rumphii, found in the eastern islands of the In- I 

 dian Ocean. Sago, sugar, and a kind of Palm i 

 wine are procured from Caryota urens. The date j 

 sugar of Bengal is the produce of Phoenix sylves- 

 iris. Ceroxylon or Iriarlea and/cola yields wax, 

 which forms a coating over its trunk. Cupernicia 

 ccrifera is another wax-producing Palm. Calamus 

 Rotang is used as cane under the name of Rattan, 

 and has a variety of uses in the mechanic arts. 

 Calamus rudentum, the Cable Cane, a native of I 

 the East Indies, Cochin-China, and the Moluc- j 

 cas, grows sometimes to the length of five hun- 

 dred feet. The fruit of Atlalea, funifera is known I 

 by the name of Coquilla Nut, and its hard peri- i 

 carp is used for ornamenting umbrella handles, i 

 etc. The spathe of Manicaria sacclfera comes off j 

 in the form of a conical cap, and is used as a 

 covering for the head in the West Indies. Cha- 

 mo'rops humilis is the only European species of 

 Palm. Hiii>lr,,v Tll><i)<-<t, the Doom Palm of 

 Egypt, has a trunk which divides in a dichot- 

 omous manner; its pericarp is used as food, and 

 has the taste of gingerbread. In the parched 

 districts between the Rivers Dande and Zenza, 

 in tropical Africa, Weiwitsch came upon a Palm 

 forest five leagues in length, which consisted 

 exclusively of the crowded stems of a branched 

 Palm belonging probably to Ht/phrrne. Like 

 most African Palms, it yields an excellent wine. 

 Riiphia has t^iven the gardener his best tying ma- 

 terial. Other examples might be added of the 



PAN 



usefulness of this noble family of plants; but 

 the above condensed view will probably suffice 

 to give the reader some proper conception of 

 the utility of a class of plants that are now 

 beginning to be largely used by us for orna- 

 mental and decorative purposes. 



Palm Oil. See Elvis. 



Palma Christi. See Ridnus communls. 



Palmetto. See Sabal Palmetto and Chamcerops 

 1'iilmetto. 



Palumbina. Named from palumba, a dove. Linn. 

 Gynandria-Monandria. Nat. Ord. Orchidacea*. 



P. Candida, the only species, is a beautiful 

 little epiphytal Orchid from Mexico. It was 

 formerly known as Oncidinm candiditm. The 

 flowers, which are produced on delicate stems, 

 are waxy white, with yellow center. This plant 

 succeeds well grown in a green-house. It is in- 

 creased by division. 



Pampas Grass. See Gynerium. 



Pampas Rice. See Sorghum cernuum. 



Panax. Ginseng. From pan, all, and akos, rem- 

 edy; referring to the stimulant drug Ginseng, 

 to which miraculous virtue is ascribed by the 

 Chinese. Linn. Polyyamia-Dioecia. Nat. Ord. 

 AraliacffK. 



A genus of coarse-growing herbs, shrubs, and 

 trees, mostly from tropical Asia and America. 

 P. quinquefolium, the American Ginseng, is a 

 hardy herbaceous plant, common in most of the 

 States. The wonderful medicinal properties at- 

 tributed- to it are not appreciated at home, and 

 its cultivation is consequently neglected. 



Panama Hat Palm. See Carludovica. 



Pancratium. From pan, all, and kratis, potent; 

 supposed medicinal qualities. Linn. Hexandr'w.- 

 Munogynia. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidacecn. 



An extensive genus of half-hardy and green- 

 house, lily-like bulbous plants, with long strap- 

 like leaves, mostly deciduous, a few only being 

 persistent. The flowers are white or greenish- 

 white, produced in an umbel on a solid scape 

 about two feet high. The species are found in 

 the south of Europe, North Africa, Syria, Ara- 

 bia, and in several of the more southern of the 

 United States. P. maritimum is the Sea Daffo- 

 dil, common in the sands on the coast of the 

 Mediterranean. Its flowers are pure white and 

 delightfully fragrant. P. Garoliniun-um is com- 

 mon in salt marshes from South Carolina to 

 Florida. Chapman, in his "Southern Flora," 

 makes no distinction in the two species. There 

 are several other species noticed in his Flora, 

 but these are the best representatives of the 

 genus. They all require green-house treatment, 

 and should be grown in light loam and leaf- 

 mould, and allowed a season of rest. They are 

 propagated by offsets. 



Pandanus. Screw Pine. From pandang, a word 

 in the Malay language signifying conspicuous. 

 Linn. Dioacia-Monandria. Nat. Ord. Panda.ua- 



fi ir. 



An extensive genus of exceedingly ornament- 

 al, dwarf-growing trees, common in the East 

 Indian Islands. The leaves are imbricated, and 

 embrace the stem, bearing some resemblance to 

 those of the Pine-apple. They are from three 

 to five feet long, and are placed in three spiral 

 rows round the extremities of the branches. 

 The most remarkable peculiarity of the Screw 

 Pine is its singular method of propping itself 

 in the soil, by means of aerial or adventitious 

 roots, which are projected from the sides of the 

 trunk at an angle suited for its mechanical sup- 

 port. This is a beautiful provision for the exi- 



