346 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



PRA 



Prairie Clover. The genus Petalostemon. 



Pratensis. Belonging to or growing in mea- 

 dows. 



Pra'tia. Named after M. Prat-Bernon, a French 

 naval officer. A small genus of Campanulacece, 

 consisting of little creeping herbaceous plants 

 growing usually in marshy places, natives of 

 the southern part of South America, Australia, 

 New Zealand, and India. P. angulata, intro- 

 duced from New Zealand in 1879, is an 

 extremely pretty little creeper for rockwork. 

 P. repens, from the Falkland Islands, is also 

 well adapted for a like situation. 



Pre'mna. From premnon, the stump of a tree, 

 in allusion to the low stems of most of the 

 species. Nat. Ord. Verbenacece. 



A genus of over thirty species of tropical 

 shrubs or trees. Few x of the species are in 

 cultivation. 



Prena'nthes. From prenes, drooping, and 

 anthos, a flower ; on account of the drooping 

 flower-heads. Nat. Ord. Composites. 



A genus now restricted to a few European 

 and Asiatic herbs. P. purpurea, the only 

 species of interest common in mountainous 

 or hilly woods in central and southern Europe, 

 is a tall erect herb, with oblong-lanceolate, 

 stem-clasping leaves, and a large, loose, ter- 

 minal panicle of elegantly drooping purple 

 flower-heads. It may be increased by seeds 

 or by division. 



Prepu'sa. From the Greek word, prepo, which 

 means " I am handsome ;" on account of the 

 beauty of the flowers. Nat. Ord. Gentianacece. 

 A small genus of erect, slightly-branched 

 green-house plants, natives of Brazil. P. 

 Hookeriana, the only species yet in cultivation, 

 has beautiful large, white and crimson flowers, 

 and opposite, slightly fleshy leaves. It was 

 introduced in 1839, and is increased by seeds 

 or by cuttings of the young shoots. 



Presco'ttia. Named after John D. Prescott, a 

 botanist of St. Petersburg. Nat. Ord. Orchid- 

 acece. 



A genus of terrestrial Orchids, natives of 

 tropical America. Only a few species are in 

 cultivation ; they are more interesting botani- 

 cally than they are beautiful. 



Pre'slia. Named in honor of C, B. and I. S. 

 Presl, of Prague, authors of " Flora Sicula " 

 and other works. Nat. Ord. Labiates. 



P. cervina, the only species, is a hardy, 

 prostrate, perennial herb, with pale, purplish 

 flowers, allied to Mentha. It is a native of the 

 western Mediterranean region, is of easy 

 culture in any soil, and may be rapidly in- 

 creased by division. 



Fresto'nia. Named in honor of C. Preston, 

 M. D., a correspondent of Bay. Nat. Ord. 

 Apocynacece. 



A genus of tall climbing or twining shrubby 

 plants, natives of tropical America. P. venosa 

 has yellowish-green flowers, pale in the centre, 

 and produced in drooping racemes. It is per- 

 haps the only species in cultivation, and 

 forms a pretty specimen when trained upon 

 pillars or on a balloon-trellis. Syn. Echites 

 nutans. 



Pretty Face. Calliprora (Brodicea) lutea. 



Pricking off. This is a term used by gardeners 

 for the process of transplanting small seed- 

 lings as soon as they are fit to handle, and 



PEI 



replanting them closely together, preparatory 

 to being planted in pots or in the open ground. 

 It is distinguished from planting proper, inas- 

 much as the " pricking off " process is always 

 preparatory to the final planting. For ex- 

 ample, when Tomatoes come up thickly in the 

 seed bed, they must be pricked off at a 

 distance of an inch or so apart in a hot-bed, 

 again to be planted, either wider or in the 

 open air. If this is not done as soon as they 

 are fit to handle, the plants will spindle and 

 get weak, and often will die off altogether 

 from damping. 



Prickles. Sharp elevations of the bark, coming 

 off with it, as of the Hose. 



Prickly Ash. See Xanthoxylon Fraxineum. 



Prickly Cedar. Cyathodes Oxycedrus. 



Prickly Comfrey. See Symphytum. 



Prickly Pear. See Opuntia. 



Prickly Poppy. See Argemone. 



Pride of Barbadoes. Ccesalpina pulcherrima. 



Pride of Columbia. Phlox speciosa. 



Pride of India or China. Melia Azedarach. 



Pride-weed. Erigeron Canadensis. 



Frie'stleya. Named in honor of the celebrated 

 Dr. Priestly. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



A genus of handsome Cape plants, with bril- 

 liant yellow flowers. They grow best in very 

 sandy loam, which must be well drained. 

 The necessary water must be given cautiously 

 at all times, especially in winter, when great 

 care must be taken to keep the leaves dry, for 

 if wetted then they die off, and thus weaken 

 the plant. The ornamental character of the 

 genus is sufficiently great, however, to deserve 

 all the necessary attention. Propagated by 

 cuttings of well-ripened wood. Introduced in 

 1800. 



Prim. One of the common names of Ligustrum. 

 Primrose. Primula, especially the popular name 

 of Primula vulgaris. 



Primrose. Birds-eye. Primula farinosa. 



Primrose. Cape. See Streptocarpus. 



Primrose. Chinese. P. Sinensis. Syn. P. 

 pramitens. 



Primrose. Evening. ^Enothera biennis. 



Pri'mula. Primrose. From primus, the first ; in 

 allusion to the early flowering of the plants. 

 Nat. Ord. Primulacece. 



This extensive genus includes three of the 

 most popular and beautiful of florist's flowers, 

 viz., the Auricula, the Polyanthus, and the 

 Primrose. Of each, there are almost innumer- 

 able varieties. The Auricula, Primula Auricula, 

 is a native of the Alps of Switzerland, and the 

 mountainous countries adjoining, whence it 

 was called, when first introduced in 1596, the 

 Mountain or French Cowslip. It was also 

 called Bear's Ear or Oricola, whence the 

 modern name of Auricula. Parkinson, in 1629, 

 enumerates twenty varieties, which he says 

 were the best, though "many other varieties 

 were to be found with those who are curious 

 conservers of these delights of nature." The 

 alpine Auriculas, though hardy in Britain, will 

 not. however, endure the rigor of our winters 

 without protection, and as much care is 

 needed to protect them against the sun as the 

 cold. Notwithstanding this they may be 

 grown easily in pots or planted out in cold 



