PERSIMMON 



PETASITES 



1283 



Japan Persimmon in its best condition is comparatively 

 iittie known. 



The following are some of the most prominent varie- 

 ties (as understood by the writer) arranged in order of 

 ripening, beginning with the earliest; although it must 

 be borne in mind that some of the varieties are more 

 or less interchangeable, in different seasons. 



/I'nifi.. The smallest of all; round or roundish oblate; 

 diameter 1/4 in. longitudinal ly and 254 in. transversely; skin 

 yellowish red; flesh very dark, quality good; seedy; edible 

 when still hard; one of the earliest to ripen. Vigorous, prolific. 



Taber No. U'J. Medium, roundish, flattened at base; has a 

 small but well-defined point at the apex; diain. about 2% in. 

 both ways; skin dark yellow-red, with peculiar roughened sur- 

 face, somewhat resembling alligator leather in appearance and 

 markings, except that the marks are usually very small and 

 uniform; flesh light brown, crisp, sweet, meaty, free from as- 

 tringency; excellent; a good keeper and shipper. 



Yeddo-Ichi. Large, oblate; diameter 2% in. longitudinally 

 and 3 i'n. transversely; very smooth and regular in outline, 

 with dinted appearing surface and slight depression at end op- 

 posite the stem; skin darker red than most varieties, with 

 heavy bloom; flesh very dark brown, verging toward purplish; 

 sweet, rich, crisp; in quality one of the best. The fruit is good 

 to eat when still hard. A heavy bearer and exceedingly thrifty. 



Hyakume. Large to very large, varying from roundish 

 oblong to roundish oblate, but always somewhat flattened at 

 both ends; generally slightly depressed at the point opposite 

 the stem; diameter 2% in- longitudinally and 3% in. trans- 

 versely; skin light huffish yellow, nearly always marked with 

 rings and veins at the apex; flesh dark brown, sweet, crisp and 

 meaty, not astringent; good while still hard; a good keeper; 

 one of the best market sorts. Of good growth and a free bearer. 



Yemon. Large, flat, tomato-shaped, somewhat four-sided; 

 diarn. 2% in. longitudinally and 3% in. transversely; skin light 

 yellow, changing to dull red, mottled with orange-yellow; dis- 

 tinct in color; flesh deep, dull red, brown around the seeds, of 

 which there are usually a few; some specimens are entirely 

 light-fleshed and seedless; there is no astringency after the 

 fruit begins to soften; quality fine; one of the best. In'form 

 some of the fruits have the corrugations converging to the de- 

 pressed apex, as it is usually figured, but most do not. 



Hachiya. Very large, oblong, conical, with short point; 

 very showy; diameter 3% in. longitudinally and 3% in. trans- 

 versely; skin dark, bright red, with occasional dark spots or 

 blotches and rings at the apex; flesh deep yellow, sometimes 

 having occasional dark streaks, with seed.' Astringent until 

 ripe, then very fine. The largest and handsomest of all. Tree 

 vigorous and shapely; bears fairly well, but is not as prolific 

 as some of the other varieties. 



Taber No. 23. Medium, oblate, flat or depressed point ; 

 diam. 1% in. longitudinally and 2% in. transversely; skin 

 rather dark red, with peculiar stipple marks ; flesh dark 

 brown, sweet and not astringent; seedy; good. Prolific. 



Tane-Nashi.-Lta.Tge to very large, roundish conical, pointed, 

 very smooth and symmetrical; diam. 3% in. longitudinally and 

 3% in- transversely; skin light yellow, changing to bright red 

 at full maturity; flesh yellow and seedless; quality very fine; - 

 perhaps the most highly esteemed of the light-fleshed kinds. 

 Tree is vigorous and bears well. 



Okame. Large, roundish oblate, with well-defined quarter 

 marks, point not depressed ; diameter 2% in. longitudinally 

 and 3% in. transversely; skin orange-yellow, changing to bril- 

 liant carmine, with delicate bloom and waxy, translucent ap- 

 pearance; the most beautiful of all; light, clear flesh when 

 ripe, with light brown center around the seeds, of which it has 

 several ; loses its astringency as soon as it begins to ripen; 

 quality fine. Tree vigorous and good bearer. 



Triumph. Medium; tomato-shaped; skin yellow; flesh yel- 

 low; generally has a few seeds; very productive; quality of 

 the best. Ripens from Sept. till Nov. 



Tsuru. Large, slender, pointed; longest in proportion to its 

 size of all; diam. 3% in. longitudinally and 2% in. transversely; 

 skin bright red; flesh orange-yellow, some dark flesh around 

 the very few seeds; astringent until fully ripe, then good. 



Costata. Medium size, conical, pointed, somewhat four- 

 sided; diam. 2% in. longitudinally and 2% in. transversely; 

 skin salmon-yellow; flesh light yellow, dark flesh and seeds 

 occurring seldom; astringent until ripe, then very fine; a good 

 keeper. Tree distinct; a rapid, upright grower; foliage luxu- 

 riant; the most ornamental of all the varieties mentioned. 



G. L. TABER. 



PERU, MARVEL OF. Mirabilis Jalapa. 



PERUVIAN BARK. Cinchona. 



PESCATORIA (after M. Pescatore, who had a large 

 collection of orchids at St. Cloud, near Paris). Orchi- 

 dacece. A group often united with Zygopetalum, but in 

 horticultural works usually treated as a distinct genus. 

 The Ivs. are equitant, tufted, without pseudobulbs: fls. 

 solitary on stems 3-6 in. long, from the axils of the Ivs., 

 mostly large and showy, and fragrant; sepals and petals 



broad, concave, spreading; the lateral sepals forming a 

 meiiturn; labellum clawed, lateral lobes small, middle 

 lobe rounded, spreading; crest thick, consisting of a 

 number of keels arranged in a semi-circle near the base 

 of the lip; column slender, not boat-shaped. About 10; 

 species. For culture, see Zyyopetalum. 



Klabochdrum, Reichb. f. Lvs. strap-shaped, 1 ft. or 

 more long: fls. 3-3 % in. across, variable in color; sepals 

 oblong, obtuse; petals shorter, all white with chocolate- 

 purple points; labellum 3-lobed, yellowish or white, and 

 having many purple-tipped hairs; callus sulfur-colored, 

 with brown keels. Ecuador. Gn. 22:344. 



Dayana, Reichb. f. Lvs. tufted, 6-10 in. long: fls. on 

 short scapes; sepals oblong-obovate, acute, white, with 

 green tips ; petals rhomboid-rotund ; labellum clawed, 

 angled on each side of the base; limb oblong, emargi 

 nate, revolute on the sides, white with a callous ring 

 which is purple- violet, the base being of the same color; 

 column yellow, with a red band near the base and the 

 anther of the same color. Late autumn. Colombia. 

 Var. rhodacra, Reichb. f. Sepals and petals with rose 

 tips ; labellum orbicular, suffused crimson. B.M. 6214. 



cerina, Reichb. f. Lvs. in tufts of 4 or 5, cuneate- 

 oblong, pointed, 1 ft. long: peduncles 2-6 in. long, 1-fld. : 

 sepals and petals nearly equal, the latter somewhat 

 clawed, fleshy, rounded, concave, pale straw color; 

 labellum ovate, yellow, with a thick semicircular crest. 

 Flowers at various seasons, the fls. lasting a long time. 

 Chiriqui. B.M. 5598 (^Huntleya cerina). F.S. 17:1815 

 (as Zygopetalum cerinum). 



HEINBICH HASSELBRING. 



PETALOSTEMON (named from the peculiar relation 

 of the petals and stamens). Leguminbsce. About 22 spe- 

 cies of American herbs, mostly western and perennial, 

 glandular-dotted, with small odd-pinnate Ifts. and 

 spikes which are terminal or opposite the Ivs. and bear 

 many small fls. ranging from white through rose to 

 purple and violet. P. violaceus is a charming plant, 

 thriving in any light soil and forming a broad, low bush 

 with finely cut foliage, and bearing a constant succes- 

 sion of showy spikes of deep violet flowers. Well 

 adapted for the front of the border or the rockwork. 



Petalostemon and Dalea are characterized by having 

 the lower petals longer than the standard, with their 

 claws adnate to the staminal tube; but Petalostemon 

 has only 5 stamens, while Dalea has 9-10. Other generic 

 characters : calyx-teeth or lobes about equal : standard 

 cordate or oblong, with a free, slender claw, the 4 

 lower petals distinct and subsimilar: ovary sessile, 

 2-ovuled: pod included by the calyx, membranous, 

 usually indehiscent and 1-seeded. 



A. Fls. white. 



candidus, Michx. WHITE PRAIRIE CLOVER. Height 

 1-2 ft. : Ifts. 5-9, oblong or oblanceolate, 8-12 lines long. 

 Ind. to N. W. Terr., south to La. and Tex. B.B. 2:289. 



AA. Fls. rosy purple or violet. 



B. Habit decumbent. 



decumbens, Nutt. Stem about 1 ft. long: Ifts. 7-9, 

 linear-oblong: fls. deep violet-purple. Red River, Ark. 



BB. Habit erect. 

 o. Bracts glabrous. 



violaceus, Michx. VIOLET PRAIRIE CLOVER. Height 

 1K-3 ft. : Ifts. 3-5, narrowly linear, often mucronate at 

 apex : fls. violet or purple; corolla about 2 lines long. 

 Prairies, Ind. to Texas. B.B. 2:290. B.M. 1707. 



cc. Bracts silky -pubescent. 



tenuifdlius, Gray. SILKY PRAIRIE CLOVER. Height 

 1-2 ft.: Ifts. 3-5, linear, obtuse at apex: fls. rose-pur- 

 ple. Dry soil, Kans. to New Mex. B.B. 2 :291. 



J. W. MANNING and W. M. 



PETASITES (Greek, a broad-brimmed hat; referring 

 to the large, broad Ivs.). Compdsitce. About 8-12 species 

 of hardy perennial herbs much like the common colts- 

 foot (Tussilago Farfara), having large Ivs. of the 

 same general shape and more or less covered with 

 the same white felt, but the fls. range from purple to 

 white, not yellow, and are borne in corymbs instead of 



