1384 



POISONOUS PLANTS 



many remedies for i 

 the best is an alcoho 

 tract of grinili-lia |s 

 used. Many phuits. 

 den species, an- i"ns 



jning by Poison Ivy. One of 

 iolution of sugar of lead. E.\- 

 at dnig-stores) is sometimes 

 Ml MiHongst the common gar- 

 is when eaten, but it does not 



follow that they are dangenm- 

 not eat them. See V. K. CIm- 

 Poisonous Plants of the U. S 



Bull. 8fi, U. S. Dept. Agric; and Bull. 



Botany. 



POlVBEA (N. Poivre, 1719- 

 tius). CombrelAcew. This ii 

 shrub with orange-red Hs. cult 

 referred by Bentham and Hool 

 genus containing snnio handsi 



78fi; 



iicric characters 

 r.-lobed; petals 

 lied: fr. oval or 

 ulous, 5-angled. 



Mostly clhiibin!,' slirubs: Ivs. op] 

 tire: spikes axillary and terminal. 



bractedsa, Hochst. Unarmed shrub 8-10 ft. high: Ivs. 

 opposite or in 3's, 2J4-3 x 1-VA in.: petals clawed, red- 

 dish, 4 lines long: fr. oval, indistinctly 5-angled. Called 

 "Hiccup-nut" in Cape Colony. 



POKEE PLANT. Knipliofia. 



FOKEWEED. See Phytolacca. 



POLEMdNIUM (ancient name, probably not from 

 Greek polemos. war, but rather the philosopher Pole- 

 man). PolemoniAcece. This includes the Jacob's Lad- 

 der, P. eceruleum, an old-fashioned inhabi 

 cottage gardens, which owes its popu 

 regular manner in which the num 

 arranged on the long leaves. It is a 

 hardy perennial herb, growing 1-3 ft. 

 high and bearing 5-lobed, bell-shaped 

 fls. of blue or white, and about an inch 

 across. Probably the finest species, 

 however, is the plant known to all gar- 

 deners as P. Bicharclsonii, which is a 

 form of P. hnmile that has doubled or 

 trebled in size in cult. A fine speci- 

 men of P. Bichardsonii may have a 

 terminal cluster 6K in. across and 5 

 in. deep, with 24 fls. each IK in. 

 across. P. conferlum differs from all 

 others in the great density of its in- 

 florescence, ami by connoisseurs in 

 alpine plants may be regarded as 

 the finest of the genus. Most of the 

 yellow -fld. forms are disappointing. 

 Polemoniums are of easy culture in 

 any deep, rich, loamy soil. P. citni- 

 leum and P. reptiins do well in partly 

 shaded places not too dry. They are 

 easily raised from fall-sown seed. 

 Also prop, by division. They are im- 

 patient of soil on the leaves, as is 

 likely to occur during rain. Flowers of P. lUcliard- 

 sonii are fragrant and fine for cutting. 



Polenionium is a genus of about 10 species of herbs 

 natives of the north temperate zone and the mountains 

 of Mexico and Chile. Perennials, rarely annuals, tall or 



POLEMONIUM 



dwarf, usually viscid, often with a creeping rhizome 

 which is thick or slender: Ivs. altern.ite, pinnatisect : 

 fls. blue, violet, white or yellowish; calyx increasing 

 after anthesis; corolla shortly funnel-shaped, broadly 

 bell-shaped or subrotate; lobes obovate: ovnles 2-12; 

 capsule 3-valved. Closely allied to Gilia and distin- 

 guished liy the declinate stamens and the filaments 

 appendaged at the base. 



A. Color of tls. blue or while. 

 B. Corolla-tube longer than lobe.s: inflor- 

 escence a dense head. 



ccn!6rtum, Gray. Sticky, smelling of musk, 

 9-18 in. high, from a tufted rootstock: Ifts. 

 ,'ery small and so crowded as to seem whorled : 

 fls. honey-.scented, deep blue, yi-l in. long; 

 corolla narrowly funnel-shaped ; filaments 

 naked or nearlv so and not dilated at base. 

 Rockies and Sierras. Gn. 10:48. G.C. II. 

 24:12; III. 27:237. - Intermediate between 

 Polemonium and Gilia. 



BB. Corolla-tube shorter than lobes: inflorescence open, 

 c. Plants ivith thickened rootstocks: Ifts. seldom % in- 

 long. 



hiimile.Willd. (P. Rkhardsonii, Grab.). Low, slender 

 plant from somewhat creeping rootstocks: If is. 15-21, 

 2-6 lines long: fls. bell-shaped, blue or purplish. Julv, 

 Aug. Arctic regions. B.M. 2800 (yellow eve). G.C. II. 

 19:793. B.R. 15:1304 (small fls.,' white eye). -It has 

 the odor of ripened grapes. 



Var. pulcll611um. Gray. Differs in li:i\ in- Mniill.r rts. 

 ranging from violet and lavender l'> ' ■ ii:< nM in 



the viscid pubescence, which is mi \i' tst. 



P. pulchh-rimum. nook. ,'B.U. 2:t::i. i- n hhm, MM-id, 

 diffuse and smaller-fld. form with narrower I'urolia-lul.es. 



cc. Plants ii-itli sli'iuh r rootstocks or roots: Ifts. larger. 

 D. Ill iijhl l-.i ft.: Ifts. numerous. 

 E. Uerhaije scarcely if at all scented. 

 caertlleum, Linn. Jacob's Ladder. Charitv. Fig. 

 1867. Height 1-3 ft.: Ifts. 9-20 lines long: fls. blue, 

 numerous in a thyrse, 1 in. or less across; style ex- 

 serted. May, June. Wet or moist ground, N. Asia, Eu., 

 N. Amer. Var. Album, Hort. (P. rf;bH»i, Hort. Bridge- 

 maul, with white fls., is almost as 

 • as the type. — A form with va- 

 riegated Ivs. is said to be more con- 

 stant and decided in the north of Eng- 

 land than in the south. 



confounded. 



EE. Herbage strong-scented. 

 {olioslssimum. Gray. More viscid than P. cariihnni, 

 leafier, with broader Ifts. and the style not exscrted. 

 Fls. commonlv white or cream-colored, rarely violet. 

 Rocky Mts. Cnlt. in 1890 by Vick, but perhaps never 

 offered in America. 



