172 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



PIN 



sembles the European Pines. Its cones are ; 

 borne in large clusters, and remain upon the i 

 trees for many years. It is valuable as a timber 

 tree. It is found upon the Blue Ridge in Vir- 

 ginia and southward. P. rigida is commonly I 

 known as Pitch Pine, and is common through- 

 out the Middle and Northern States, frequently 

 growing in swamps with the Red Cedar. It is 

 a species of medium growth, and of but little 

 value. P. resinosa, or Red Pine, commonly and 

 improperly called Norway Pine, is found in 

 most of the North ern States. It is a tall-growing, 

 erect, symmetrical tree, with light green leaves 

 and short cones. The wood is dark, compact, 

 and much esteemed for its durability. P. edulis, 

 the Edible Pine, or "Nut Pine "of California 

 and New Mexico, is an interesting species, 

 growing from fifty to sixty feet high, producing 

 great quantities of thin-shelled seeds, about the 

 size of Pease, very nutritious, and of a pleasant 

 flavor. P. monophyllus is another nut-bearing 

 Pine, discovered by Col. Ffemont in northern 

 California, where it is extensively diffused over 

 the mountains for a distance of about six hun- 

 dred miles. In some places it makes consider- 

 able growth, but is usually a small, slow-growing 

 tree, of but little value for its timber. P. tceda, 

 the Loblolly Pine of the Southern States, is a 

 tree that grows from eighty to a hundred feet | 

 high in the forests ; in open grounds its trunk | 

 is low and branches spreading. This species j 

 immediately takes possession of and completely 

 covers lands that are thrown out of cultivation. 

 P. Sabiniana, Sabine's Pine, is one of the noblest 

 California species, with a trunk a hundred and 

 forty feet high, and is remarkable for its large, 

 heavy cones,"the scales of which are produced 

 into long, recurved points. Its nut is large and 

 edible. This tree occurs on the western slopes 

 of the Sierra Nevada, and is one of the California 

 White Pines. Its foliage is thin and of a very 

 light green, which gives it a peculiar aspect, 

 different from all the other Pines of that coun- 

 try. Its timber is very tough, and highly es- 

 teemed. P. Lamberiiana is called Sugar Pine 

 from the sweetness of its resinous juice, which 

 exudes plentifully from this tree. This spe- 

 cies was discovered by the intrepid Douglas, 

 growing upon the most sterile, sandy plains, on 

 the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains in 

 California. He describes it as a tree of great 

 size, attaining a height of two hundred feet, j 

 and a circumference of about sixty feet. Its | 

 branches are pendulous, and form an open, 

 pyramidal head; the leaves are from four to five 

 inches long ; the cones pendulous from the ex- 

 tremities of the branches, and, when ripe, about 

 sixteen inches in length. The seeds are large, 

 sweet, and nutritious, and form an important 

 article of food to the Indians, who collect them. 

 The most valuable and useful of the many spe- 

 cies is P. strobiis, our common North American 

 White Pine. This is a handsome, slender tree, 

 growing from one to two hundred feet high, and 

 with a circumference of from three to twelve 

 feet. This treeis diffused, though not uniformly, 

 over a vast extent of country ; from Maine west- 

 ward to the Rocky Mountains, it is sectional. 

 For economical purposes, its value is greater 

 than all other timbers combined. There are 

 many species cultivated for their beauty as or- 

 namental trees for the lawn, and they are enti- 

 tled to more consideration than they have thus 

 far received. They thrive well in a sandy or light 

 loamy soil, and may be transplanted from the 



PIS 



nursery rows with perfect safety. Numerous 

 other species are given in nurserymen's cata- 

 logues, grown mainly for lawn decoration. 

 Pinxter Flower. A local name of Azalea nudi- 

 flora, common in the swamps of the Middle and 

 New England States. 



Piper. Pepper. From pepto, to digest; referring 

 to the stimulating power. Linn. Diandria-Tri- 

 andria, Nat. Ord. Piperacece. 



' ' P. nigrum yields the Pepper of commerce, a 

 condiment that has been held in high esteem 

 from the earliest times. It is frequently men- 

 tioned by Roman writers of the Augustan age, 

 and it is related that in the fifth century Attila 

 demanded, among other things, three thousand 

 pounds of Pepper in ransom for the City of 

 Rome. Pepper is cultivated in the East and 

 West Indies, Sumatra, Java, etc., but that which 

 comes from Malabar is held in the highest es- 

 teem. The Pepper-vine will, if left to itself, 

 attain a height of twenty or more feet ; but in 

 cultivation it is found more convenient not to 

 allow it to exceed the height of twelve feet. The 

 plants are placed at the base of trees that have 

 rough or prickly barks, in order that they may 

 more readilaattach themselves to the trunk. In 

 three years they produce their spikes of fruit, 

 and continue to do so for some seven or eight 

 years, after which time they become less pro- 

 ductive. The fruit, when ripe, is of a red color. 

 It is gathered before it is fully ripe, and spread 

 on mats in the sun, when it loses its red color 

 and becomes black and shriveled, as when 

 offered in the market. This js Black Pepper. 

 White Pepper is the same fruit, freed from its 

 outer skin by maceration in water and subse- 

 quent rubbing. There are several species un- 

 der cultivation, but all of the same general 

 character. 



Pipe Vine. See Aristolochia. 

 Pipsissewa. See Chimaphila. 

 Piscidia. Jamaica Dogwood. From piscis, a fish, 

 and ccedo, to kill ; the leaves, twigs, and bark are 

 used to stupefy fish. Linn. Monaddphia-Decan- 

 dria. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



A small genus of evergreen, white-flowered 

 trees, from the West Indies. All that is of in- 

 terest in this genus is included in the derivation 

 of the name. 



Pistachio Nuts. See Pistacia. 

 Pistacia. Altered from Foustaq, its Arabic name. 

 Linn. JDicecia-Pentandria. Nat. Ord. Anacardia- 

 cece. 



A genus of ornamental deciduous trees, in- 

 digenous to Asia Minor, and which are particu- 

 larly abundant in Syria. P. Lonticus yields the 

 Gum Mastic, and P. vera yields the eatable Pis- 

 tachio Nuts. The species are rarely cultivated, 

 except in botanical collections. 

 Pistia. Derivation of name obscure. Linn. Dicecia- 

 Monandrla. Nat. Ord. Pistiaceai. 



Genus of tropical aquatics. P. stratiotes is very 

 common in the West Indies, where it is known 

 as Water Lettuce. It propagates itself with great 

 rapidity, and frequently completely covers trop- 

 ical ponds and water tanks with a coating of ver- 

 dure, keeping the water beneath fresh and cool. 

 Each plant sends out several runners, and tipon 

 the ends of these other similar plants are formed, 

 which, again, send out runners until, in a short 

 time, the surface of the water is covered. Its 

 flowers are very small, and borne in little spathes 

 at the base of the leaves. The plant is well 

 adapted for the aquarium. 

 Pisum. The Pea. From pis, the Celtic word for 



