PON 



POO 



vice-tree three ; in the medlar five : in 

 peach, plum, &c. a single nut or stone, 

 containing a kernel. 



POMET1A, in botany, a genus of the 

 Monoecia Hexandria class and order. Es- 

 sential character : calyx, one-leafed, six- 

 cleft ; petals six : male, stamens six : fe- 

 male, berry globular, with one seed in 

 the centre There are two species, viz. 

 P. pinnata and P. ternata. 



POMMEREULLIA, in botany, so nam- 

 ed in memory of Lady du Gage de Pom- 

 mereull, a genus of the Triandria Mono- 

 gynia class and order. Natural order of 

 Gramina, or Grasses. Essential charac- 

 ter : calyx, turbinate, two valved, three or 

 four flowered ; valves four cleft, awned 

 at the back ; corolla, two valved, awned. 

 There is but one species, viz. P. cornu- 

 copise, a native of the East Indies, whence 

 it was found by Koenig. 



POMUM, in botany, an apple : a spe- 

 cies of seed-vessel composed of a succu- 

 lent fleshy pulp, in the middle of which 

 is generally found a membranous capsule, 

 with a number of cavities for containing 

 the seeds. Seed-vessels of this kind have 

 no external opening or valve. At the 

 end opposite to the foot stalk is frequent- 

 ly a small cavity, called by gardeners the 

 eye of the fruit, and by botanists " um- 

 bilicus," from its fancied resemblance to 

 the navel in animals. 



PON./EA, in botany, so named in me- 

 mory of John Pona, a genus of the Oc- 

 tandria Trigynia class and order. Natu- 

 ral order of Sapindi, Jussieu. Essential 

 character : calyx five parted, spreading ; 

 petals four, with pilliferous glands at the 

 tip; germ three-sided; capsule, three 

 winged, three celled, with onej>eed in each 

 cell. There is only one species, viz. P. 

 guianensis- 



PONTEDER1 A, in botany, so named in 

 memory of Julius Pontedera, professor of 

 botany at Padua, a genus of the Hexan- 

 dria Monogynia class and order. Natural 

 order of Ensatse. Narcissi, Jussieu. Essen- 

 tial character : corolla one petalled, six- 

 cleft, two lipped ; stamens three, inserted 

 into the top, three into the tube of the co- 

 rolla ; capsule three celled. There are se- 

 ven species ; these are aquatic herbaceous 

 perennial plants, with fibrous roots, chiefly 

 natives of the East Indies ; both root and 

 stem leaves sheathing, frequently sagit- 

 tate ; flowers in spikes or umbels termi- 

 nating, or put forth from the cloven sheath 

 of the leaves, each having a spathe. 



PONTON, or PONTOON, in war, de- 

 notes a little floating bridge made of boats 

 and plunks. The ponton is a machine 

 consisting of two vessels, at a little ctts- 



VOL. V. 



tanee, joined by beams, with planks laid 

 across for the passage of the cavalry, 

 the cannon, infantry, &c. over a river, or 

 an arm of the sea, &c. The late invent- 

 ed ponton is of copper, furnished with an 

 anchor, &c. to fix it. To make a bridge, 

 several of these are disposed two yards 

 asunder with beams across them ; and 

 over those are put boards or planks. 

 They are also linked to each other, and 

 fastened on each side of the river by a 

 rope run through a ring in each of their 

 heads, and fixed to a tree or stake on 

 either shore : the whole makes one firm 

 uniform bridge, over which a train of ar- 

 tillery may pass. 



POOP, the stern of a ship, or the 

 highest, uppermost, and hinder part of 

 the ship's hull. 



POOR laws. Of the general outline of 

 this most enormous and almost ineffectu- 

 al burden on the people, much has been 

 said in the excellent treatise of Mr Colqu- 

 houn. The 43 of Elizabeth, c. 2, is the 

 foundation of all that is good in the poor 

 laws ; making provision tor finding work 

 for the industrious and able ; for compell- 

 ing the idle and able to labour ; and for 

 affording relief to the diseased and impo- 

 tent : and the 13, 14 Charles II. c. 12, is 

 the foundation of all that is evil, by form- 

 ing the system of settlements and re- 

 movals ; a system, establishing oppres- 

 sion, litigation, and expense, and which 

 has been made more oppressive, and 

 more productive of litigation and expense, 

 by every subsequent statute, till the sta- 

 tute ot the 35th of his present Majesty ; 

 which, by forbidding removals in case 

 the pauper is not absolutely chargeable, 

 has remedied more than half the evils 

 occasioned by the former laws. 



Overseers. The churchwardens of every 

 parish, with two, three, or four substan- 

 tial householders, according to the size 

 of the parish, to be nominated in Easter 

 week, or within a month after, under the 

 hands and seals of two or more neigh- 

 bouring justices, and who shall be called 

 overseers of the poor. 43 Elizabeth, c. 

 2, s. 1. 



Where there are no churchwardens, 

 the whole power is vested in the over- 

 seers, 17 George II c. 38, s 15 



Overseer dying, or becoming incapable 

 of acting, two justices may appoint an- 

 other. Ibid s. 3. If any person shall find 

 himself aggrieved by any act of the jus- 

 tices, Ap.* sessions, whose determination 

 shall be final. Ibid s. 6. 



* In this article the following abbrevi- 

 ations will be used : P. denotes penalty j 



31 



