176 



HENDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



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produced, and their marvelous brilliancy of 

 color. Instead of the bracts being borne in a 

 single head and spreading out as in the old 

 form, in the new double kind they are gath- 

 ered into clusters, which fill up the center, so 

 that the whole inflorescence is full and rosette- 

 like in form. The double variety was discov- 

 ered by Mr. Boezl in Mexico, and was bought 

 by Mr. Isaac Buchanan, of New York, who sold 

 it to an English florist, by whom it was distrib- 

 uted. This plant is of the easiest culture. 

 After flowering cut back to within two buds of 

 the old wood, take up the plants, and put them 

 in a convenient place under a bench, and cover 

 the roots with sand or earth, and keep dry. Let 

 them remain until it is time to plant out ordi- 

 nary bedding plants, when they should be put 

 out in the open air, and planted in boxes six 

 inches deep, (say six plants in each box, ) a foot 

 or so apart, giving them good rich soil. They 

 should be taken into the house before the nights 

 begin to get cool. In the latitude of New York 

 they should be housed by the middle of Septem- 

 ber. They may be grown to flower in these 

 boxes by giving them plenty of manure water; 

 although, if wanted in large quantity, it is best 

 to place the boxes on a green-house bench, 

 knock off the sides and ends of the boxes, and 

 fill up to the level between with soil. After the 

 plants have become thus established, an occa- 

 sional- watering with liquid manure will add 

 greatly to their growth. At no time should the 

 temperature in the house fall below 50 at night 

 or 70 during the day. To propagate, allow the 

 cuttings to dry a day or two after they are taken 

 from the plants; then cut them into pieces of 

 two or three buds each, and insert them in an 

 ordinary propagating bench. Pot off as soon as 

 they are rooted, and grow on until the weather 

 will permit of their being put out of doors, 

 when they may be given the same care as the 

 older plants. With this treatment the plants 

 will usually be done flowering by New Year's, 

 and may be taken up to make room for other 

 plants. 



Poison Bay. See Itticium. 



Poison Dogwood or Poison Sumach. See Rhus 

 venenata. 



Poison Hemlock. See Conium. 



Poison Ivy. See Rhus toxicodendron. 



Poison Oak. See Rhus toxicodendron. 



Poivrea. Named after M. Poivre, a French bot- 

 anist. Linn. Decandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 (JombretacecB. 



A small genus of green -house evergreen 

 climbers of great beauty. The flowers are white 

 or scarlet, produced in terminal or axillary pan- 

 icles. They are natives of Africa and the East 

 Indies. They require the warmer part of the 

 green-house and a humid atmosphere. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings. Introduced in 1820. 



Poke, Indian. See Veratrum viride. 



Poke Weed, Virginian. See Phytolacca decan- 

 dria. 



Polanisia. From polys, many, and anisos, un- 

 equal; many stamens of unequal lengths. Linn. 

 Dodecandria - Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Cappari- 



A genus of hardy, free-flowering annuals, al- 

 lied to Cleome, natives of the East Indies chiefly. 

 P. graveohns is common in the New England 

 States. None of the species has sufficient 

 beauty to warrant its introduction into the 

 flower border. 

 Polemonium. Greek Valerian. From polemos, 



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war; Pliny says this plant gained its name from 

 having caused a war between two kings, each of 

 whom claimed the honor of having first discov- 

 ered its virtues. Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Polemoniacece. 



An extensive genus of hardy herbaceous per- 

 ennials. They are well-known border plants, 

 that have long been under cultivation. Flowers 

 are mostly blue and white, produced in large 

 terminal heads. The species are common 

 throughout the Northern States and Northern 

 Europe. P. ccerulium derives its common name 

 of Jacob's Ladder from its beautiful pinnately- 

 cleft leaves. It is common in moist places 

 throughout New York and New Jersey, and is a 

 favorite border plant. All the species are prop- 

 agated readily by division, or from seed, which 

 should be sown in June to flower the coming 



Polianthes. The Tuberose. From poly, many, 

 and anihoft, a flower; an abundance of flowers. 

 Linn. Hexandria- Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Liliacea;. 

 This interesting genus is composed of two 

 species, both properly green-house evergreen 

 perennials. One of the species, P. gracilis, a 

 native of Brazil, with pale yellow flowers, is but 

 little known, and has but little merit. The well- 

 known species, P. tuberosa, is a native of the East 

 Indies, from whence it was introduced early in 

 the sixteenth century. The first account given 

 of the Tuberose is in L'Ecluse's "History of 

 Plants," where it appears that it was brought 

 from the East Indies by Father Theophilus Mi- 

 nuti, a Catholic Missionary, about the year 1530, 

 who grew it at Boisgencier, near Toulon. Bern- 

 ard Paludanus, a distinguished physician at 

 Home, grew it in 1594, having obtained the 

 roots from the priests, who had, previous to 

 that date, refused all applications for it. This 

 was the single kind. The same, with variegated 

 foliage, is mentioned at nearly as 'early a date. 

 Parkinson, in that rare old book, his "Garden of 

 Pleasant Flowers," published in 1629, gives a de- 

 scription of it by its then known name, which 

 should not be lost. We quote in full, as it is quite 

 as amusing as instructive: "Hyacinthus Indicus 

 major tuberosa radice, 'the Greater Indian knob- 

 bed Jacinth.' I have thought fittest to begin with 

 this Jacinth, [Hyacinth,] both because it is the 

 greatest and highest, and also because the flow- 

 ers herof are in some likenesse neare unto a Daf- 

 fodille, although his roote be tuberous, and not 

 bulbous, as the rest are. This Indian Jacinth 

 hath a thicke knobbed roote, (yet formed into 

 several heads, somewhat like unto bulbous 

 roots,) with many thick fibers at the bottom of 

 them; from the divers heads of this roote arise 

 divers strong and very tall stalkes, beset with 

 divers faire, long, and broad leaves joyned at 

 the bottome close unto the stalk, where they 

 are greatest, and smaller to the very end, and 

 those that grow higher to the toppe, being 

 smaller and smaller. The toppes of the stalkes 

 are garnished with many faire, large, white 

 flowers, each wherof is composed of six leaves, 

 lying spread open as the flowers of the white 

 Daffodille, with some short threads in tho mid- 

 dle, and of a very sweet scent, or rather strong 

 and headee." The double-flowering Tuberose 

 was obtained from seed by Mons. Le Cour, of 

 Ley den, in Holland, (date unknown,) who for 

 many years would not, under any circumstances, 

 part with a root, even after propagating in such 

 quantities as to give him a surplus. He would 

 cause every tutor to be cut in pieces and de- 



