1218 



PARONYCHIA 



PARSNIP 



BB. Awns of the calyx-segments divergent. 

 dichdtoma, Nutt. Woody at the base, glabrous or 

 puberulent, 4-14 in. tall; stipules entire, often 5-6 lines 

 long, tapering into a slender awn: fls. in forking cymes. 

 Dry soil, Md. and N. C. to Ark. and Tex. B.B. 2:39. 

 Adv. 1883, by Woolson, Passaic, N. J. W. M. 



Paronychia argyrocoma is an interesting little plant 

 which shows remarkable geographical distribution; it 

 occurs rather abundantly on the high rocky summits 

 of the Carolina and Tennessee mountains, but does not 

 appear northward in the Appalachian system till the 

 peak of Mt. Washington is reached, where it grows 

 sparingly; stations are also reported on several lower 

 mountain tops in Maine. It is not difficult of culti- 

 vation and is prized for rockeries, its silvery tufted 

 appearance lending a distinct charm to the collection 

 for this purpose. Propagated by seeds and division. 



HAKLAN P. KELSEY. 



PAEKOTIA (after F. W. Parrot, a German natural- 

 ist and traveler, afterwards professor of medicine 

 at Dorpat; 1792-1841.). ffamameliddcece. Ornamental 

 deciduous shrubs or small trees, with alternate, short- 

 petioled, orbicular to oblong Ivs., small fls. in dense 

 heads appearing before the Ivs., and with fr. similar to 

 those of the Witch Hazel. The Persian species is hardy 

 as far north as Mass. Its chief beauty consists in the 

 brilliant autumnal tints of the foliage, which changes 

 to golden yellow, orange and scarlet and remains a 

 long time on the branches. The early appearing fls., 

 with the purple pendulous stamens, are also attrac- 

 tive. The Himalayan species is much more tender and 

 its foliage turns only to pale yellow, but the fls. are 

 somewhat more showy from their rather large white 

 bracts. The Parrotias grow in any well-drained soil and 

 like a sheltered position. Prop, by seeds and layers and 

 .also by greenwood cuttings under glass. Two species 

 in N. Persia and the Himalayas. The short petioles 

 ihave large deciduous stipules : fls. small, in dense 

 heads, surrounded by an involucre of several bracts; 

 petals wanting; calyx 5-7-lobed, embracing the pubes- 

 cent ovary about one-half; stamens 5-15; styles 2: cap- 

 sule 2-eelled, with 2 beaks, dehiscent between the 

 Ibeaks, with one oblong shining seed in each cell. The 

 wood is very close-grained, hard and strong, and P. 

 Persica bears therefore the name Ironwood. The tough 

 pliable branches of the Himalayan species are exten- 

 sively used for basket-work and are also twisted into thick 

 ropes used for the construction of twig-bridges over the 

 great rivers of its native country. 



Persica, C. A. Mey. Shrub or small tree, to 15 ft., with 

 spreading branches : Ivs. oval to obovate-oblong, ob- 

 tuse, coarsely and crenately dentate above the middle, 

 dark green above, pubescent beneath when young, 3-4 

 in. long : bracts of flower-heads covered with dark 

 brown tomentum: stamens 5-7, pendulous, with linear- 

 oblong, purple anthers: fr. with recurved beaks. N. 

 Persia. B.M. 5744. 



Jacquemontiana, Decaisne (Fothergilla involucr&ta , 

 Falc.). Spreading shrub or small tree, to 20 ft. : Ivs. or- 

 bicular, crenately toothed, stellate-pubescent on both 

 sides, 2-4 in. long: heads many-fld., with spreading 

 white bracts sprinkled with a purplish scurf on the 

 back : stamens about 15, erect, with yellow, oval-oblong 

 anthers. Himalayas. B.M. 7501. ALFRED REHDEB. 



PABKOT'S BILL. See Clianthus. 



PABBYA ( Capt. W. E. Parry, Arctic explorer) . Cruci- 

 ferce. Four or five North American and a few Asiatic low 

 perennial scape-bearing herbs, with thick roots or cau- 

 dices, narrow leaves and mostly racemose, white or pur- 

 plish showy flowers: pod broad and flat, mostly elliptic, 

 with orbicular seeds. The Parryas are alpine or boreal, 

 often arctic plants, and some of them will no doubt prove 

 useful for the alpine garden. So far they are practi- 

 cally unknown in American gardens. In 1881, Gillett 

 Introduced P. Menziesii, Greene (as Cheiranthus Men- 

 ziesii, Benth. & Hook. ) . It has a leafy scape 3-8 in. 

 high, with a raceme of many flowers, the petals nearly 

 % in. long and bright purple. N. Calif., north to the 

 JLower Columbia river. L. jj_ g > 



PABSLEY. Fig. 1647. While indispensable in the mar- 

 ket garden, Parsley is but rarely found in our home 

 gardens. The addition of a bit of Parsley foliage, 

 finely chopped, heightens the flavor of soups, fish, 

 etc. The principal use of this vegetable, however, is 



1647. Curl-leaved Parsley. 



for garnishing meats and fish, and for this purpose it 

 seems to be the vegetable par excellence, equally desir- 

 able in the home as on the hotel table. A very few plants 

 will staffice for the home garden, and any spot of good 

 soil will do for starting them from seed. Sow as early 

 in spring as practicable, either in an early hotbed or 

 coldframe, or in open ground. Parsley seed germinates 

 somewhat slowly, and the plants are feeble at first. In 

 open ground, early sowing aids the plants to get ahead 

 of the weeds. In larger patches the rows should be a 

 foot apart, and seed sown rather thinly in shallow drills. 

 Thin the plants to stand a few inches apart, and culti- 

 vate same as carrots. Gather the leaf-stalks as needed. 

 For use during winter and early spring, start plants 

 in open ground in early fall, and on the approach of 

 cold weather set them in a corner of the greenhouse 

 bench, or in a box or keg filled with rich loam placed in 

 a light kitchen or cellar window. 



When the plant is a year old (sooner or later), it 

 throws up seed-stalks, and produces seed in abundance, 

 even under glass protection. By keeping the seed-stalks 

 closely cut out, the season of leaf -yield may be prolonged 

 for a time. Seed is easily gathered and cleaned. 



The varietal differences appear chiefly in the foliage, 

 which in some sorts is rather coarse, as in the Plain or 

 Common, or more finely divided, as in the Curled, 

 Double Curled, Moss Curled and Fern-Leaved. 



For the botany of Parsley, see Carum Petroselinum. 



T. GREINER. 



PAESNTP (Pastinaca sativa). Fig. 1648. The average 

 home gardener thinks much of quick results. The 

 drawback to Parsnip growing, in his estimation, is the 

 length of time which the crop requires for its develop- 

 ment. When seed is sown, 

 in early spring, the harvest 

 seems a long way off. To off- 

 set this disadvantage, how- 

 ever, Parsnips become avail- 

 able as green material when 

 other things fresh from the 

 garden are very scarce or en- 

 tirely absent, namely, during 

 open spells in winter, and in 

 the very early spring months. 

 A crop of good, straight roots 

 may not be quite as easily 

 produced as a crop of smooth 

 carrots, but when once grown, 

 it does not burden one with 

 much responsibility in regard 

 to storage or keeping, which 

 is an important point in its 

 favor. The roots may be left 

 in the ground where they 

 grew or stored in moss or sand 

 in the cellar. This feature 

 makes them valuable also as 

 food for cattle, sheep, hogs 

 and poultry in the early spring 



in case the table or market should not call for them a( 

 that time. 



The best soil for Parsnips is a clean, rich loam, which 

 offers no obstruction to the uniform expansion of the 

 roots. Prepare it the same as for beets or carrots, or 



1fi48. Parsnip. 



