HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



PAR 



tities for spring and winter use, usually in cold 

 frames, where it is sown in February or March, 

 at the time the Lettuce is planted It is sown 

 between the rows of Lettuce, which IB planted 

 six inches apart. As the seed is slow to germin- 

 ate and crows slowly at that season of the year, 

 the Lettuce crop is cut off before the Parsley gets 

 large enough to be injured. It develops so as 

 to cover the ground usually about June 1st, and 

 is then cut off and marketed. It soon starts to 

 grow but is usually of little value until the late 

 fall months. To get a late fall crop, it is cut off 

 and thrown away by about September 15th, 

 which gives a full and heavy crop of leaves by 

 November. It is then covered with sashes, which 

 are raised up for ventilation in mild weather ; 

 and thus retarded, a full crop is easily obtained 

 for the holidays, when it is in its greatest de- 

 mand. Another plan is to sow Parsley in shal- 

 low boxes, say four inches deep, made of such 

 width and length as will fit in under the front 

 bench of the green-house stage ; far enough 

 under to get a fair proportion of light, say from 

 fifteen to twenty inches. In this position it will 

 grow finely, and, with a liberal use of liquid 

 manure, can be cut four or five times during the 

 winter in any green-house averaging 65. For 

 this purpose the seed can be sown in the boxes 

 as late ao August. 



Parsnip. I'as'inaca sativa. The common garden 

 Parsnip is a hardy biennial, a native of Great 

 Britain and the south of Europe. It has also 

 become naturalized to a considerable extent in 

 the United States. The leaves of the wild kind 

 are hairy and dark green; in the cultivated Pars- 

 nip, smooth, and of a light, yellowish green. 

 The Parsnip has long been cultivated as an es- 

 culent root. According to Pliny, they were held 

 in such repute by the Emperor Tiberius that he 

 had them annually brought to Rome from the 

 banks of the Rhine, where they were then suc- 

 cessfully cultivated. A deep, rich, loamy soil, 

 free from stones, is requisite for the favorable 

 growth of the Parsnip; but when grown upon 

 poor land, it loses much of the rank flavor which 

 it acquires if cultivated in rich soils; and though 

 not nearly so abundant, is far more sweet and 

 agreeable. Parsnip seed is almost useless at two 

 years old, and fresh seed is even slow of germi- 

 nation, and is one of the seeds which should al- 

 ways be trodden in with the feet or firmly 

 rolled after sowing. Sow in drills three inches 

 deep and twelve inches apart. In England the 

 roots are used to make a domestic wine. 



Partridge Berry. See Oaultkeria and Mitchella. 



Partridge Pea. See Cassi't. 



Pasque Flower. See Anemone rmlsalUla. 



Passiflora. Passion Flower. From passio, suffer- 

 ing, and /ox, a flower; referring to the filaments, 

 or rays, and other parts, being likened to the 

 circumstances of Christ's crucifixion. Linn. 

 MorvHlelpkia-Pentandria. Nat. Ord. Passiflor- 

 acetK. 



An extensive genus of hardy, half-hardy, and 

 green-house climbers, mostly natives of tropical 

 America, a few only being indigenous to Asia. 

 The name was applied from the ^resemblance af- 

 forded by the parts of the plant to the instru- 

 ments of our Lord's Passion and its attendant 

 circumstances: thus the three nails two for the 

 hands and one for the feet are represented by 

 the stigmas; the five anthers indicate the five 

 wounds; the rays of glory, or, as some say, the 

 crown of thorns, are represented by the rays of 

 the " corona;" the ten parts of the perianth rep- 



PAU 



resent the Apostles, two of them absent, (Peter, 

 who denied, and Judas, who betrayed our Lord;) 

 and the wicked hands of His persecutors are 

 seen in the digitate leaves of the plant, and the 

 scourges in the tendrils. Had this genus been 

 named by modern scientists, it is probable their 

 imagination would have taken a somewhat dif- 

 ferent direction. All the Passion Flowers are 

 handsome, fast-growing, and free-flowering 



Elants. P. incarnata is regarded as hardy in this 

 ititude, at least it is with but slight protection, 

 notwithstanding it is a South American species. 

 For green-house ornaments none are superior, 

 if equal, to P. racemosa, which is a native of 

 Martinique. Several of the species produce 

 edible fruits, some of them nearly as large as a 

 Nutmeg-melon, and are greatly esteemed in their 

 native countries. It is rather a rare thing for 

 them to ripen fruit in the green-house. All the 

 species are rapidly increased by cuttings of the 

 roots or young shoots, except P. princeps, which 

 roots feebly from cuttings, and does better 

 grafted on any of the free-rooting sorts. 



Pastinaca. Parsnip. From pastinum, a dibble; 

 referring to the shape of the root. Linn. Pentan- 

 dria-Digynia. Nat. Ord. Aplacea;. 



See Parsnip, the only cultivated species. 



Patersonia. Named after Cd. William Paterson, an 

 excellent botanist. Linn. Monadelphia-Triandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Iridacece. 



A small genus of green- house herbaceous per- 

 ennials from New Holland, with purple, Iris- 

 like flowers, very showy, but of so short duration 

 that the plant is not worth cultivating. 



Paullinia. Named after S. Paulli, a Danish botan- 

 ist. Linn. Octandria-Trigynia. Nat. Ord. tiapin- 

 dacecK. 



An extensive genus of South American ever- 

 green climbers, not particularly interesting for 

 its flowers, but for the seeds of some of the spe- 

 cies. The seeds of P. sorbilis is the Guarana of 

 Brazil, of which the " Treasury of Botany " says: 

 "The Gnarana is extensively used in Brazil, 

 Gautemflfc Costa Rica, and other parts of South 

 America,' as a nervous stimulant and restorative. 

 The pounded seeds constitute Guarana. It is 

 used both as a remedy for various diseases, and 

 also as a material for making a most refreshing 

 beverage. Not only is the active principle of 

 Guarana identical with Theine, but, as far as is 

 known, no other substance yields it so abundant- 

 ly, the amount being 5.07 per cent., as against 

 good Black Tea, which yields 2.13, and Coffee 

 from .08 to 1.00. The mode of using the Gua- 

 rana is curious and interesting. It is carried in 

 the pocket of almost every traveler, and with 

 it the palate-bone or scale of a large fish, the 

 rough surfaces of which form a rasp, upon which 

 the Guarana is grated ; and a few of the grains 

 of the powder so formed are added to water, and 

 drank as a substitute for Tea. The effect is 

 very agreeable." 



Paulownia. Named after the hereditary princess 

 of the Netherlands, daughter of the Emperor of 

 Russia. Linn. Didynamia-Angiospermia. Nat. Ord. 

 Scrnphulariacea:. 



P. imperiaUs comprises this genus. It is a 

 splendid hardy tree, both for foliage and flow- 

 ers. In habit and general appearance it resem- 

 bles the Catalpa, though less hardy. The young 

 shoots are liable to be killed by frost in this lat- 

 itude, but if protected for one winter, they 

 will not require further attention, and its rapid 

 growth after v/ill well repay for that little trou- 

 ble with a beautiful flowering shade tree. The 



