THE POPPY FAMILY. 427 



the Old World, especially in the Isle of France. Pandamis, 

 Freydnetia, and Carludovica are the principal genera of this 

 family represented in our gardens. Imported seeds germinate 

 readily if treated like those of the tropical Palms. In cultiva- 

 tion, however, offsets or breaks from near the base or root- 

 stock of the plant are resorted to, these being taken off with a 

 slice of the old bark and rooted in a close case, like cuttings of 

 endogenous plants. In the case of Pandanus, cuttings of the 

 fleshy root, if placed on a hotbed or in a. close heated case, 

 often develop adventitious buds, and so produce young plants. 

 If there is any difficulty in obtaining offsets, the central growth 

 of the plant may be destroyed or checked, so as to facilitate 

 the development of the lateral buds, as recommended in the 

 case of Bromeliads. 



THE POPPY FAMILY (Papaver acece). 



A rather large group of annuals or herbaceous plants, often 

 characterised by a milky juice. Lindley says they are un- 

 known within the tropics in a wild state. Two species are 

 peculiar to Siberia, three to China and Japan, one is found at 

 the Cape, and six or eight are natives of America. These 

 plants are represented by the following genera in our gardens : 

 Bocconia, Chelido7iium, Argemone, Meconopsis, Papaver, Glau- 

 cium, Eschscholtzia, and Romneya. Poppies are well known both 

 in corn-fields and gardens. Romneya Coulterii is a large white- 

 flowered Californian annual of remarkable beauty and fra- 

 grance. The Indian species of Meconopsis are very handsome. 

 The only species of important economic use is the Opium 

 Poppy Papaver somniferum the native country of which is 

 unknown. Nearly all the species produce seeds in great 

 abundance, and these grow freely sown in a gentle bottom- 

 heat. The Californian and European annuals may be sown in 

 the open air in May or June. 



Papaver {Poppies). A group of showy annual or herba- 

 ceous plants, readily propagated by seeds, which germinate if 

 sown in the open border or flower-beds in spring. P. brac- 

 teatum, P. orientale, P. ?iudicaule, P. somniferum, and others, 

 are cultivated in our gardens, and as might be inferred from 

 their extreme multiplicity of stamens, double -flowered varie- 

 ties are common. A hybrid has been raised between P. 

 bracteatum and P. orientale, as also one between P. orientale 

 and P. somniferum* P. bracteatum has also been fertilised 

 with pollen from P. Rhceas, the result being a dwarf hybrid 

 * Revue Hort., 1863, p. 333. 



