HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



173 



TIT 



pea, whence the Latin name, pisum. Linn. Dia- 

 delphia-Decandria. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



For a description of this genus see Pea, its best 

 representative. 



Pitcairnia. In honor of William Pitcairn, a phy- 

 sician of London. Linn. Octandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Bromeliacea;. 



A. handsome genus of green-house herbaceous 

 plants, remarkable for their long panicles of 

 bright red flowers, and for their long, narrow, 

 prickly, green leaves. They are natives of the 

 West Indies and South America. They will grow 

 freely in a rich sandy loam, but require partial 

 rest after having made their new growth previ- 

 ous to flowering. They are increased by divi- 

 sion or from seed. Introduced in 1820. 



Pitch Pine. See Finns. 



Pitcher Plant. See Nepenthes and Sarracenia. 



Pittosporum. From pitto, to tar or pitch, and 

 sporus, seed; the seeds are covered with a resin- 

 ous pulp. Linn. Pentandna-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Pittosporacea;. 



An extensive genus of half-hardy evergreen 

 shrubs, natives of China, Australia, the Canaries, 

 and the Cape of Good Hope. Most of the species 

 have terminal tufts of white, fragrant flowers, 

 and broadish, shining, dark green leaves, and 

 they are all very ornamental. They require the 

 protection of a cellar or cool house during the 

 winter. Propagated by cuttings. Introduced 

 in 1789. 



Placea. Derivation of name unknown. Linn. 

 Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidacea: . 

 P. ornata, the only species, is a delicate bulb 

 from Chili, producing on a slender scape, about 

 six inches high, .six flowers, which are snow 

 white on the outside, and striped with brilliant 

 vermilion lines within. It requires cool green- 

 house treatment. While flowering, and until it 

 shows symptoms of rest, it needs a warm and 

 humid atmosphere, after which it can be put 

 under a bench until January, when it should be 

 re-potted and moderately watered, and it will 

 flower in May. Propagated by offsets. Intro- 

 duced in 1840. 



Plane Tree. See Platanus. 



Plantago. From planta, the sole of the foot; re- 

 semblance in the leaves. Linn. Tetrandria-Mon- 

 ogynia. Nat. Ord. Plantaginacece. 



The common Plantain of the door-yard, a 

 troublesome weed, naturalized from Europe. 



Plantain. See Musa. 



Plantain. See Plantago. 



Plantia. Named by Dr. Herbert in honor of Mr. 

 Plant, a zealous and industrious experimental 

 cultivator and nurseryman at Cheadle, England, 

 who has raised some interesting hybrids among 

 this race of plants. Linn. Triandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Iridacecv. 



P. flam, the only species, is a beautiful yellow 

 flowering bulb from the Cape of Good Hope. It 

 is a delicate growing plant, bearing numerous 

 pretty little flowers on a slender scape about one 

 foot high. It requires the same treatment as the 

 tender species of Iris. Propagated by offsets. 

 Introduced in 1842. 



Platanthera. Native Orchids, now included in 

 the genus Ilabenaria, which see. 



Platanus. Plane Tree, Button-wood, or Syca- 

 more. From platys, broad or ample ; in allusion 

 to the spreading branches and shady foliage. 

 Linn. MoncBcia-Polyandria. Nat. Ord. Platanacecc. 

 P. occidentalis is the well-known Button-wood 

 tree, and is common throughout the United 

 States east of the Rocky Mountains, P, racemosa, 



PLA 



a Californian species, is remarkable for its deep- 

 ly five-lobed leaves, the under surface of which, 

 even when they become old, is copiously clad 

 with woolly hairs. This species furnishes a 

 hard and durable timber, and is much less liable 

 to warp than that of P. occvlettt-jli.*. Some fine 

 specimens of this genus ore to be seen as street 

 trees in Washington, D. C. 



Platycerium. Stag's Horn Fern. From platys, 

 broad, and keras, a horn ; referring to the form 

 of the fronds. Linn. Cryptogamia-Filices. Nat 

 Ord. Pdyvodiacea:. 



A very distinct and remarkable genus of 

 Ferns, formerly grouped with Acrostichwn, but 

 now placed by themselves in a separate genus 

 under the name Platycerium, because they pro- 

 duce their sori in large amorphous patches, and 

 not, as in the true Acrostickea;, over the whole 

 fertile portions. The species are few in num- 

 ber, chiefly Eastern or Australian, and for the 

 most part tropical. "They have heteromor- 

 phous, coriaceous, laciniate, or lobate fronds, 

 clothed with stellate hairs, and the fertile fronds 

 are articulate. The broad fronds ore traversed 

 by several furcate ribs, between which there is 

 a close network of finer buried veins. The 

 ;e, shapeless masses of spore cases are at- 

 led to a plexus of crowded veins, and are 

 quite naked. In P. liforrne they occupy a sepa- 

 rate scutiforrn lobe, but in the other species 

 they arc variously situated near the margin." 

 P. alcicorne is the type of the genus, and was in- 

 troduced in 1808. It is best known under its 

 common name of Stag's Horn Fern, so called be- 

 cause of the striking resemblance of the fronds 

 to the horns of a stag. This is the species com- 

 monly seen in our green-houses. It is a native 

 of New South Wales, and was introduced in 

 1808. P. grande, a native of Moreton Bay, was 

 introduced into Europe in 1828, but is still quite 

 rare in the United States. It has broader and 

 larger fronds than P. alcicorne, and is a plant of 

 altogether grander proportions. To this species 

 has been given the name of Elk's Horn t'rrn. 

 Mr. F. W. Burbidge, a well-known botanist and 

 collector, in his recent book of travels in Borneo, 

 etc., ("The Gardens of the Sun,") thus speaks 

 of the Elk's Horn Fern: "I resided for some 

 time in a house which had been occupied by 

 Mr. Hugh Low, the garden and fruit orchard of 

 which afforded me most delightful walks morn- 

 ing and evening. I never saw the Elk's Horn 

 Fern (Platycerium grande) so luxuriant any- 

 where as it was on the boles of some large 

 Orange trees here. The barren fronds were 

 broad, like the horns of the giant Irish elk, and 

 the more slender fertile ones drooped on all 

 sides from the base of the nest formed by the 

 leafy expansions. I 'measured some of these fer- 

 tile fronds, and found them fully seven feet in 

 length. These splendid Ferns, and the choicest 

 of epiphytal Orchids, which had been planted 

 among the branches of the trees, made a walk 

 among them most enjoyable." This species is 

 still quite rare in the United States. Another 

 species, P. ^Elhwpicum, has been still more re- 

 cently introduced, and is to be found in few 

 collections as yet. The fronds of this species are 

 of still grander proportions than the preceding, 

 and has received the common name of Moose 

 Horn Fern. The above, with P. HfeUfeUi, ore 

 the best and most interesting of these grotesque 

 Ferns. All these species are worthy of a place 

 in any collection, however small. It is supposed 

 by many that they ore difficult to grow; but this 



