HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



171 



PIL 



It is a rapid-growing plant, with small, glossy 

 green leaves, rendering it desirable for covering 

 verandas or trellises. It is also a splendid house 

 plant. The flowers are yellowish white, and 

 quite fragrant. This plant was introduced into 

 the United States about 1875, from Germany, 

 but its nativity is not known. There is no his- 

 tory of it in any English botanical work. It is 

 rapidly increased by cuttings or from seeds. 



Pilumna. From pilos or pileos, a cap; shape of 

 the flowers. Linn. Crynandria-Monandria. Nat. 

 Ord. UrchidacecK. 



A small genus of Peruvian epiphytal Orchids. 

 They have medium-sized flowers, of a white, or 

 greenish-white color, which are produced in 

 spikes of from three to five. They are remark- 

 able for their delicious fragrance. They suc- 

 ceed well in a cool house, and should be grown 

 in leaf mould and sphagnum moss. They are 

 increased by division. Introduced in 1843. 



Pimelea. From pimele, fat; referring to the viscid 

 matter on the leaves of some species. Linn. Di- 

 andria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Thymelacece. 



An extensive genus of green-house evergreen 

 shrubs, natives of Australia, Tasmania, and New 

 Zealand. They make handsome plants in Eng- 

 lish green-houses, and produce many terminal 

 clusters of white, rose, or yellow flowers of great 

 beauty, but our hot, dry summers are not con- 

 genial to them. Propagated by cuttings. In- 

 troduced in 1824. 



Pimenta. Allspice Tree. From pimento, the 

 Spanish name. Linn. Icosandr'ia-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. MyrtacecK. 



P. vulgaris, the only species, is an extremely 

 handsome tree, a native of South America and 

 the West Indies, especially of the island of Ja- 

 maica, whence the berries or Pimento of com- 

 merce are exported in large quantities. This 

 tree grows to the height of about thirty feet, 

 with a smooth brown trunk and shining green 

 leaves, resembling those of the Bay ; the branch- 

 es coming out on fill sides, the trees are clothed 

 in the most luxuriant foliage. The great profu- 

 sion of white flowers contrasts pleasingly with 

 the dark green leaves, the whole forming an ob- 

 ject of vegetable beauty rarely surpassed; while 

 the rich perfume which the flowers exhale ren- 

 ders an assemblage of these trees one of the most 

 delicious plantations of even a tropical clime. 

 The Pimento tree grows spontaneously in many 

 parts of Jamaica, but abounds more particularly 

 on the northern side of the island, in elevated 

 spots near the coast. When a new plantation is 

 to be formed, no regular planting or sowing 

 takes place. It is usual to appropriate a piece 

 of land either in the neighborhood of a planta- 

 tion already formed, or in a part of the wood- 

 lands where these trees are scattered in a native 

 state. The land is then cleared of all wood ex- I 

 cept these trees, which are left standing, and 

 the felled timber is allowed to remain, where it 

 falls to decay. In the course of a year young 

 Pimento plants are found springing up in all 

 parts of the land. At the end of two years the 

 land is thoroughly cleared, only those plants 

 being left that promise a vigorous growth; these 

 arrive at maturity in from five to seven years. 

 Plantations are thus formed with apparently lit- 

 tle trouble; this, however, can only be done in 

 those parts where the tree is of spontaneous 

 growth. This tree is purely a child of Nature, 

 and seems to mock all the labors of man in his 

 endeavors to extend or improve its growth: not 

 one attempt in fifty to propagate the young 



PIN 



plants or to raise them from the seed in parts 

 of the country where it is not found growing 

 spontaneously, having succeeded. The berries 

 have to be gathered very soon after the flowers 

 fade; if left to ripen on the tree they lose their 

 pungency, and become valueless. When picked 

 they are spread out thinly on floors, exposed to 

 the full heat of the sun, for about a week, or un- 

 til fit for exportation. 



Pimpernel. See Anau^aUlt. 



Pincenectitia. Lindiey says this is "a name un- 

 der which some plants allied to Cnrdi/line and 

 Dasylirion have been sent out by Belgian horti- 

 culturists. It is supposed to have arisen from 

 th. : blunders of ignorant gardeners, who mistook 

 the plant for a Freycinetln, but wrote the name 

 so badly that it was read as above." The species 

 are described as a genus of Liliaceae, under the 

 name of Beauc'irnea, which see. 



Pine- Apple. See Ananassa. 



Pine. See Finns. 



Pinguicula. Butterwort. From pinguis, fat; re- 

 ferring to the greasiness of the leaves. Linn. 

 Diandria-Monngynia. Nat. Ord. Lentibulacece. 



Curious and beautiful little plants very diffi- 

 cult to keep in an artificial state, although some 

 of them are indigenous. They are marsh 

 plants, and refuse to exist out of their native 

 position; but when seen in health, their beauti- 

 ful white, yellow, lilac, or violet-colored flowers 

 are the admiration of every beholder. The spe- 

 cies are common from New York to Florida. 



Pink. See Dianlhns.. 



Pink-root. See Spigelia. 



Pinus. Pine Tree. From pinos, a Greek word 

 used by Theophrastus to designate a Pine tree; 

 and some authors derive it from the Celtic piw, 

 or pyn, a mountain or rock; alluding to the 

 habitat of the tree. Linn. Monwcia-Monadelphui. 

 Nat. Ord. Pinaceas. 



This genus is very extensive, and contains 

 some of our most useful trees for economic pur- 

 poses, besides a number of species of an orna- 

 mental character. The genus is confined solely 

 to the northern hemisphere, and the more use- 

 ful and gigantic to the United States. Pimm 

 Australia is the Yellow or Pitch Pino of the South- 

 ern States. This species seems to be especially 

 assigned to dry, sandy soil, and it is found with- 

 out interruption from Virginiato Florida, cover- 

 ing a tract of more than six hundred miles long 

 from northeast to southwest, and more than one 

 hundred miles broad from the sea toward the 

 mountains of the Carolinas and Georgia. Tbe 

 average height of the trees is from sixty to 

 seventy feet, with a diameter of from fifteen to 

 eighteen inches. In Virginia, where this spe- 

 cies first makes its appearance, it does not grow 

 so large; but in Georgia and Florida it greatly 

 exceeds these dimensions. Besides the valuable 

 timber it affords, it also produces the pitch, tar, 

 turpentine, and rosin of commerce. The leaves 

 are about a foot long, of a beautiful brilliant 

 green, and produced in bunches at the extremity 

 of the branches. P. inops is the Jersey or 

 Scrub Pine, a species that grows from fifteen to 

 forty feet high, with a diameter of from six to 

 fifteen inches; its habit is straggling and rough. 

 Its only use is for fuel. P. initis. Yellow Pine, 

 is a fine tree, growing from fifty to sixty feet 

 high, furnishing a fine-grained, lasting timber, 

 which is especially used for flooring. Common 

 from New Jersey to Wisconsin and southward. 

 1'. iingens, Table Mountain Pine, is a large tree, 

 with skort, compact, pale green leaves, and re- 



