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HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



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rooms at the different temperatures, say 50 

 degrees at night for the so-called green-house 

 plants, and 65 degrees at night for the tropical 

 or hot-house. A few of the best green-house 

 plants suited for parlor culture, the average 

 temperature at night being 50 degrees are as 

 follows: Azaleas, Abutilons, Ageratums, 

 Callas, Cinerarias, Carnations, Cyclamen, 

 Camellias, Echeverias, Ferns (green-house 

 and Climbing), Feverfews, Fuchsias, Ger- 

 aniums (Pelargoniums), Hoyas (Wax Flow- 

 er), Holland bulbs of all kinds, Ivies (Parlor 

 and Hardy), Lobelias, Passifloras, Roses, etc. 

 A limited list of the best suited tropical or hot- 

 house plants for parlor culture, the temper- 

 ature at night to average 65 degrees is as 

 follows : Allmandas, Begonias, Bouvardias, 

 Caladiums, Cissus, Crotons, Coleus, Dracaenas, 

 Ferns (tropical), Heliotropes, Hibiscus, Poin- 

 settia, Torenias, Tropeeolums, Palms, etc. 

 The instructions for propagating, watering, 

 potting, killing of insects, soil, mulching, and 

 all other operations given for culture of 

 plants, will be found under these different 

 heads, and will be found equally applicable to 

 the culture of plants in rooms as in green- 

 house or hot-house culture. Saucers in 

 which to place the pots are sometimes a 

 necessity in rooms to save the floors from 

 getting wet ; but care must be taken not to 

 allow the water to stand for any length of 

 time in the saucers. Plants in rooms during 

 the winter months, when grown in a temper- 

 ature of 50 degrees, will not usually require 

 water more than twice a week, and in the 

 temperature of 65 degrees perhaps thrice 

 a week ; but in no case water unless 

 the lightness of the color of the soil on the 

 top gives indications that the plant is dry, 

 and then water sufficiently to go through the 

 pots ; those that seem less dry, water more 

 sparingly, and those that are wet, give none 

 whatever until they become dry, no matter 

 how long the time may be. As plants grown 

 in rooms have only one side to the light, it 

 will conduce to the health and symmetry of the 

 plant to turn it around at least once a week, 

 so that each side will have a like proportion of 

 light. 



Farmentie'ra. Named after A. Parmentier, a 

 French writer on edible plants. Nat. Ord. 

 BignoniacecB. 



P. cereifera, the only introduced species, has 

 large white flowers, followed by waxy-yellow 

 fruits two to three feet long, hanging down, 

 and much resembling candles, hence the com- 

 mon name "Candle Tree." Introduced from 

 Panama in 1866. 



Parna'ssia. Grass of Parnassus. Named after 

 Mount Parnassus, where they were fabulously 

 said to have first sprung. Nat. Ord. Sax- 

 ifragacecB. 



A genus of swampy, herbaceous perennials. 

 Several of the species are common throughout 

 the United States in marshy places. P. Carolin- 

 iana, Grass of Parnassus, flowering from July 

 till September, one of the most beautiful of the 

 species, bears from the root several bright 

 green, smooth, roundish leaves, heart-shaped at 

 the base, among which rises to the height of 

 about a foot a simple angular stem, terminating 

 with a simple large flower of a creamy white 

 color delicately veined with green. P. fimbri- 

 ata, found from Colorado to California, and 



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northward to British America is even more 

 attractive, as it has larger flowers, with 

 peculiar fringe-like appendages to the petals. 

 It has kidney-shaped root leaves, resembling 

 those of P. asarifolia, another native species 

 which bears similar white flowers, but with- 

 out the singular fringes to the petals. P. pa- 

 lustris, common on the shores of Lake Supe- 

 rior and northward, is not so showy as the 

 former, but is very beautiful, and is the only 

 European species. 



Paro'chetus. From para, near, and ochetos, a 

 brook ; its habitat. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



A small genus of prostrate herbaceous 

 plants widely distributed over the mountain- 

 ous regions of tropical Asia, and in some 

 portions of Africa. P. communia the Sham- 

 rock Pea, the only cultivated species, is a 

 trailing clover-like plant, with bright-green, 

 slightly blotched leaves, growing freely dur- 

 ing summer, and producing its solitary bright- 

 blue flowers of amethyst tint, in autumn, 

 admirably adapted to trail down the face of a 

 rockery. Although it is considered a hardy 

 perennial, yet it will occasionally get winter- 

 killed ; therefore, for the purpose for which 

 it is adapted, a few plants should always be 

 held in reserve to fill any vacancy there may 

 be in spring. 



Parony'chia. Nail-wort. A genus of the Nat. 

 Ord. Illecebracece, containing about forty 

 species of but little interest except P. serpyl- 

 lifolia which makes a pretty covering for 

 beds, or amongst taller growing plants, and 

 is much used in carpet bedding. 



Farro'tia. Iron-tree. Named after F. Parrot, 

 a German naturalist and traveler. Nat. Ord. 

 Hamamel idaceaz. 



A small genus of hardy trees or shrubs, 

 natives of northern Persia and the Caucasus. 

 P. Persica, the only species yet in cultivation, 

 is a very ornamental tree for the lawn ; its 

 yellowish flowers are not particularly showy, 

 but its ovate-oblong deep green leaves are 

 very striking when they assume their au- 

 tumnal tints of orange and scarlet. It is 

 closely allied to the Liquidambar, and is 

 increased by seeds or by layers. Introduced 

 from Persia in 1848. 



Parrot's Bill. A popular name of Clianthus 

 puniceus. 



Pa'rrya. Named in honor of Capt. W. E. Parry, 

 the Arctic navigator. Nat. Ord. Cruciferce. 



A genus of hardy, dwarf pilose plants, all 

 Arctic, or natives of the highest mountains of 

 northern Asia. P. nudicaulis, with lilac flow- 

 ers, P. integerrima, bright purple, and P. 

 Arlica, pale purple, are all beautiful plants for 

 the rock-garden or rock-work. P. Arabidi- 

 florum is a synonym of Neuroloma or Arabia 

 Arabidiflora. 



Parsley. Apium (Carum) Petroselinum. This 

 well-known seasoning herb is a hardy bien- 

 nial, a native of Sardinia, whence it was intro- 

 duced into England in 1548. Its uses for 

 culinary purposes, such as sauces, soups, and 

 in garnishing various dishes, has become 

 very general, and several varieties of it are 

 offered by seedsmen. Among the ancient 

 Greeks and Romans, Parsley always formed a 

 part of their festive garlands, on account 

 of retaining its color so long; and Pliny 

 states that, in his time, there was not a salad 



