158 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



PAN 



cencies cf the plant, which acquires an enor- 

 mous top-weight by the accumulation of its 

 thick, fleshy leaves, and would lose its balance 

 but for its power of throwing down new roots 

 when they are required. The flowers of P. 

 odoratlssimus yield a most delightful fragrance, 

 for which it is largely cultivated in Japan. P. 

 utilis, which best deserves the name of Screw Pine, 

 is the species most frequently met in our green- 

 houses, and is perhaps the most valuable of any 

 plant used in decoration, as it withstands gas, 

 dust, and ill usage generally better than almost 

 any known plant. It is the most useful in its na- 

 tive country, the Mauritius, where it is not only 

 common, but is cultivated for the sake of its 

 leaves, which are extensively used in the man- 

 ufacture of the bags or sacks in which sugar is 

 exported. They are increased by seed, or may 

 be propagated by cuttings, the former being 

 the method by which a stock is usually obtained 

 in this country. There has lately been intro- 

 duced into the green-house two very ornament- 

 al kinds, P. Javanicus variegata and P. Veitchii, 

 both with foliage striped green 'and white. As 

 decorative plants they are exceedingly valuable, 

 both for the green-house and parlor. These 

 variegated kinds are yet scarce and high priced. 

 They are increased by cuttings, which root rath- 

 er slowly; the temperature in which they are 

 propagated should not be less than 75. 



Pandanophyllum. Derivation of name obscure. 

 Linn. Triawlria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Gyperacece. 

 P. humite, the only described species, is a very 

 ornamental plant, having, as its name would im- 

 ply, very much the appearance of the Pandnnus. 

 It is a native of Java, and has glossy, deep 

 green, arching leaves, which are furnished with 

 two secondary ribs, giving the surface of the 

 foliage a peculiar channeled appearance. The 

 end of the leaf, which is from six to nine feet 

 long, and about two inches broad, is suddenly 

 narrowed down into a long thread-like termina- 

 tion. This is the only species under cultiva- 

 tion, though five or six others have been found. 



Panic Grass. See Panicum. 



Panicum. Panic Grass. From panicula, a pani- 

 cle; form of flowering. Linn. Triandria-Digynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Graminacea*. 



An extensive genus of grasses, mostly used as 

 fodder plants. P. Germanicum is the well-known 

 Hungarian Grass. P. plicatuin varie>jatum is a 

 beautiful species for green-house culture, suit- 

 able for baskets and vases. It is propagated 

 freely by cuttings, and will grow in almost any 

 position given it. 



Pansy. V ioln tricolor. The almost innumerable 

 varieties of Pansies, embracing every color, from 

 white to black, maroon, yellow, purple, blue, 

 self-colored, and those with the most delicate 

 markings, as well as the bold and showy faces of 

 others, are all hybrids between the annual spe- 

 cies, V. tricolor, a weed in English fields and 

 gardens, and the perennial kinds, V. altaicci, 

 from Tartary, V. amcena, from Scotland, and V. 

 f/rninlijlora, a native of Switzerland, V. lutea, of 

 Great Britain, V. ratlmnurjensis, of France, and 

 V. bicotor, of this country. The first attention 

 paid to the cultivation of the Pansy, and that 

 which resulted in making it a florist's flower, 

 was given by Mary Bennet, who had a little 

 flower-garden in the grounds of her father, the 

 Earl of Tankerville, at Walton-upon-Thames, 

 England. She had prepared a little bed, in 

 which were placed all the varieties of Pansies 

 which she accidentally discovered in her father's 



PAP 



garden. 



Aided by the industry and zeal of the 

 gardener, Mr. Kichardson, several new varieties 

 were raised from seed and transplanted to this 

 little bed. From this small beginning in 1810 

 may be traced the rage which has since prevailed 

 in the cultivation of this popular flower. The 

 English, French, and German horticultural So- 

 cieties offered great inducements to the florist, 

 in the way of premiums, for the best flowers, 

 and as the race was free to all, the interest 

 awakened was of a most lively character; one 

 which every gardener of importance helped to 

 keep alive. The result has been, the Pansy of 

 to-day in contrast with the little V. pedata and 

 V. tricolor, the parents, so common in our woods 

 and roadsides. Our seedsmen and florists have 

 been so much absorbed in watching the race for 

 supremacy in the production of seed of this 

 flower, that they did not stop to consider 

 whether we could compete, and were only anx- 

 ious to know which country had merited the 

 honor, in order to send to her for our supply. 

 Our success with other things encouraged us to 

 try this, and the first trial was sufficient to as- 

 sure us what we have since proven, viz., that 

 the very best Pansies grown in this country were 

 from seed of our own growing. Pansies require 

 to be grown in a rich, moist loam, and protected, 

 as far as possible, from the mid-day sun, and 

 from winds, and during the warmer summer 

 weather should not be allowed to get dry. In 

 England special varieties of Pansies are grown 



Ii 



from cuttings for many years by name 



the 



climate of the United States this plan is hardly 

 practicable, even if desirable, as the ravages of 

 the Ked Spider during the summer months on 

 this plant virtually destroy it, and cause it to 

 be treated always as a plant never to be carried 

 over the second season after flowering. For this 

 reason it is here raised only from seed. This is 

 usually first sown in August, which gives plants 

 large enough to be pricked away in cold frames 

 during winter. Such plants give a profuse and 

 continuous bloom from March to June, or, if 

 sown earlier than August say July 1st they 

 will bloom from October throughout the entire 

 winter and spring months, if grown in a temper- 

 ature averaging 45 at night. For succession, 

 for late spring and summer flowering, we find 

 the best date to sow is the first week in January, 

 and if carefully handled, by growing in a low 

 temperature, (average not to exceed 50 at night,) 

 they will begin to flower in April, and will con- 

 tinue to flower longer than those sown in Au- 

 gust, which get exhausted by June, while the 

 January crop flowers right through the hottest 

 summer months. A number of years ago a fine 

 collection of Double Pansies originated with us, 

 but we failed to perpetuate them successfully by 

 cuttings, and they were ultimately lost ; but they 

 had no merit except novelty, as they were far in- 

 ferior in beauty to the single kinds. 

 Papaver. Poppy. From papa, pap, or thick 

 milk; the juice of the poppy was formerly used 

 in children's food to make them sleep. Linn. 

 Polyandria-Monor/ynia. Nat. Ord. PapaveracecK. 

 An extensive genus of hardy annuals and her- 

 baceous perennials. All the poppies are ex- 

 ceedingly showy and strong-growing plants. 

 The flowers are quite transient, many dropping 

 the day they expand. The annuals, being hardy, 

 only require to be sown where they are to grow, 

 as early in the spring as convenient. The an- 

 nuals are natives of Europe and Asia. P Orien- 

 tals is a herbaceous perennial, native of the 



