HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PL\M>. 



165 



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ering shrubs, natives of Mexico and Peru. They 

 are not sufficiently liarcly to endure our winters 

 without protection, and have not merits that en- 

 title them to a place in the green-house. 



Persea. Alligator Pear. A name applied by i 

 Theophrastus to an Egyptian tree. Linn. Ennc- \ 

 ttn'lrin-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Lauraceae. 



The Alligator Pear grows upon a tree about the ' 

 size of the Apple. It is a native of the West In- 

 dies. The tree has oblong, veiny leaves, and yel- 

 lowish-green flowers. The fruit, which is the size ' 

 of a large Pear, is considered by the natives one I 

 of the most delicious in the world, though ! 

 strangers do not at first relish it. They contain a 

 large quantity of firm pulp, possessing a buttery 

 or marrow-like taste, and are hence frequently 

 called Vegetable Marrow or Midshipman's But- 

 ter. It is usually eaten with spice, lime-juice, ; 

 or pepper and salt. The trees cannot be induced i 

 to grow, excepting in tropical or sub-tropical ! 

 countries. 



Persica. The Peach. From Persia, its supposed i 

 native place. Linn. Icosandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Drupacea;. 



To this genus belong the well-known fruits, 

 the Nectarine and the Peach, which see. 



Persimmon. See Diospyros Virginiana. 



Peruvian Bark. See Cinchona. 



Peruvian Daffodil. See Ismene calathina. 



Petrea. Linnteus dedicated this genus to Robert j 

 James, Lord Petre, a celebrated patron of bot- \ 

 any, who died in 1742. Linn. Didynamia-Angios- \ 

 permia. Nat. Ord. Verbenaceev. 



A genus of twining shrubs or small trees, na- 

 tives of Mexico and South America. Some of 

 the species are very beautiful flowering climbers. : 

 The flowers arc large, of a deep violet color, and j 

 produced in graceful racemes. They are in- j 

 creased by cuttings in spring. Introduced in ! 



Petunia. From Petun, Brazilian name for tobacco, 

 to which the Petunia is allied. Linn. Pentandria- ; 

 Jfonogynia. Nat. Ord. Solanacece. 



A small genus of half-hardy herbaceous per- j 

 ennials, all natives of South America, and 

 mostly confined to Brazil. Though coming | 

 from a tropical country, where they are strictly j 

 perennial, they may be grown as hardy an- 

 nuals. In the whole range of what are called 

 "bedding plants," there is not an individual 

 that can be said to exceed in general usefulness 

 the Petunia. They are of the easiest culture, 

 seeding themselves when onco planted, growing 

 in any soil that will sustain plant life, and pro- 

 ducing the most showy flowers in the greatest i 

 profusion. Few, if any, plants have come so 

 rapidly into popular favor, or have been so 

 much improved by hybridization and cultiva- 

 tion. Only a few years ago they were compara- 

 tively unknown, and now there is not a garden, 

 either large or small, where they are not grown; 

 nor are they confined to the garden, as the win- 

 dows of the workshop and the humble tenement 

 so cheerily testify. P. nydaginifiora, the com- \ 

 mon White Petunia, was first introduced I 

 into England from Brazil in 1823. It was but j 

 little cultivated, and only in the green-houses I 

 as a perennial, until 1830. At this period, j 

 P. violacea, or P. Phoenicia, as it is some- 

 times called, was introduced from Buenos Ayres 

 by a Mr. Tweedie, a botanical collector, who 

 Kent seeds of it to the Botanic Garden at Glas- 

 gow. It was soon found that it would propa- 

 gate freely from seed, and in a short time it be- 

 ndely disseminated. It was figured and 



PRE 



sent out first as Salpiglosnis integrifolla. From 

 these two species all our garden varieties have 

 been produced. To Isaac Buchanan, of New 

 York, belongs the credit of having first hybrid- 

 izcd these species, the result being the magni- 

 ficent blotched and striped varieties now so ex- 

 tensively cultivated. His first effort was crowned 

 with the most complete success, the hybrids be- 

 ing as perfectly and distinctly marked as any 

 sinco produced. These were for a number of 

 years offered in seedsmen's catalogues as " Bu- 

 chanan's Hybrids." Many other splendid sorts 

 have been produced in this country, and among 

 them the "Fringed Petunia," from which the 

 Germans have succeeded in getting a double 

 variety, finely fringed. Many double varieties 

 are now sent out each season, claiming special 

 merit. They are well adapted for green-house 

 culture, but for massing or extended borders, 

 the best marked single varieties are far superior, 

 because they produce their flowers in greater 

 abundance. Where a mass of any particular 

 color is desired, it is better to striko cuttings of 

 the favorite kinds in the fall. For the mixed 

 border, the seeds may be sown where wanted 

 to grow ; or, if wanted to flower early, seed may 

 be sown in the green-house or in a hot-bed, and 

 transplanted into the border. If the soil is 

 rich, the plants should be set three feet apart 

 each way. A peculiarity of the blotched varie- 

 ties, particularly among the double ones, is that, 

 when propagated from cuttings for a few years, 

 the tendency is to run back to the d-irk color, 

 all white markings being obliterated. Plants 

 from cuttings will flower from June until after 

 they have had several degrees of frost. 



Peyrousia. Named in honor of La Peyrouse, the 

 French navigator. Linn. Triandria-jfonoyynia. 

 Nat. Ord. IridacecK. 



A small genus of showy flowering bulbs. 

 They are of blue, white, purple, or pink colors, 

 and in general habit resemble the Ixia, and re- 

 quire the same treatment. They are also known 

 as Lapeyrousia and Ovieditt. They are increased 

 by offsets. Introduced from the Cape of Good 

 Hope in 1825. 



Phaca. From phcujo, to eat; a name adopted by 

 Dioscorides. Linn. Diade'phia-Decandriit. Nut. 

 Ord. Fabacea?. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials. 

 They are showy plants, suitable for the front of 

 shrubbery borders. Their flowers are of many 

 shades of white, yellow, rose, or purple. The 

 species are common throughout the States. They 

 are classed with Astrayahu. 



Phacelia. From jAofcwM, a bundle; in reference 

 to the disposition of the flowers. Linn. /'/</<- 

 dri'i-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. HydrophyV 



Very curious plants, which produce their 

 flowers in one-sided fascicles, which unroll 

 themselves slowly. i'he dowers are rather pret- 

 ty in themselves, but are half hidden by their 

 bracts and coarse-growing leaves. Some of 

 the species are perennials, and others biennial 

 or annual. The Californian species arc annuals 

 with blue flowers, but the South American kinds 

 are biennials or perennials with pink flowers. 



Pheedranassa. From /./t i'nlrs, ^ay, and anassa, 

 queen. Linn. llejcandria-MonogynM. Nat. Ord. 

 AmarylUdaom, 



A small genus of bulbs, natives of Peru and 

 Quito. They are found at an elevation of 9,000 

 feet above the sea, growing among tho rocks, 

 where there is not, seemingly, sufficient earth 

 to sustain vegetable life. They are handsome, 



