Pittosporum 



( 210 ) 



Plantain 



the beds may be filled to within 1' of the top 

 .with coke, then a little straw, and the remainder 

 Cocoanut fibre refuse. 



Forcing pits must be given a cleansing yearly ; 

 glass and woodwork should be washed the glass 

 with clear, not soapy, water and the walls may be 

 scraped and limewashed. Melon and Cucumber 

 pits should have flowers of sulphur burnt in them 

 after each crop, to obviate possible attacks of red 

 spider. Where such houses form part of a range, 

 damp sacks must be hung before the doors, and all 

 other apertures carefully closed, to prevent the 

 escape of the sulphur fumes. It will be well also 

 to remove all plants from the houses immediately 

 adjoining, and throw open their ventilators until 

 all trace of sulphur smell has gone. Pits need 

 painting more frequently than other plant houses 

 every third year is advisable. 



PITTOSPORUM. 



Description. Greenhouse or half-hardy shrubs 

 or small trees (nrd. Pittosporeie), for the most part 

 with fragrant flowers in sub-umbels or panicles. 

 As conservatory subjects they have much to recom- 

 mend them. The best results are obtained from 

 plants grown in prepared borders. The half-hardy 

 species will do out of doors in the southern and 

 south-western parts of Britain, but it will be well 

 to give them the shelter of a wall in all cases. 

 Tobira is a great favourite with Paris nurserymen, 

 for its fragrant blooms find a ready sale in the 

 flower markets. 



Propagation. By cuttings of semi-matured 

 shoots, which root quickly in sandy soil, under a 

 bell-glass, in a close, but not warm, frame. 



Soil. For the outdoor plants, a good, sandy 

 loam; for pot plants, two parts loam, and one part 

 leaf mould or peat, with sand. 



Principal Species : 



crassifolium, 4' to 10',Ap., Tobira, 12', Mch., Aug., 



hlf-hdy., chocolate pur. hlf-hdy. shr., wh. , fra- 



Parchment Bark. grant. There is a varie- 



eriocarpura, dwarf, grh., gated var. 



golden yel., very frag- undulatum, 10', Feb., Je., 



rant. hlf-hdy. shr., wh., 



phyllyraeoides, grh. shr., numerous, 



flowers yel., !" across viridiftorum, f/,My., grh. 



(//. angustif olium) . shr., greenish yel., Jas- 



rhytidocarpum, grh. shr., mine-scented (eyn. sin- 



wh., in crowded umbels. ense). 



Other Species : 



coriaceum, 8', My., grh. variegatum, wh., grn. 



shr., bluish wh. ferrugineum, 50' to 60', 



cornifoliura, 2' to 4', My., Ap., Jy., grh., yel. 



hlf-hdy. shr., dull red. microcarpuin (we eugeni- 



elegans MM eugenioides). oides). 



eugenioides, 20' to 30', revolutum, 4' to fi', Feb., 



grh. tree, greenish wh., Ap., grh. shr., yel. (XI/H. 



fragrant (ay us. elegans fulvurn). 



and microcarpum). sinense (see viridiflorum) . 



PLACEA. 



Choice and beautiful greenhouse bulbs (prd. 

 Amaryllidea;), all from Chili, and closely related 

 to the Narcissus. The plants are not commonly 

 grown, a certain difficulty in getting them to thrive 

 militating against them. Propagation is by seeds 

 and offsets. Soil, light and rich; Herr Max 

 Leichtlin has obtained excellent results from a 

 compost of thoroughly rotted cow manure three 

 parts, and sand one part. The plants much dislike 



Pityrosperma (sec Cimicifvga). 



being cramped for root room. They are at rest 

 from August until the beginning of December, 

 when they begin to push up growth, ultimately 

 flowering, if the bulbs are strong enough, in May. 

 Plenty of water is needed when the roots are 

 active ; little or none when they are at rest. 



Principal Species : 

 Arzas, 9" to 12", yel., bright crim., the largest 



pur., bulb 21" across. of all. 



graudiflora, wh., striped ornata, 8" to 9", pure 

 wh., lined vermilion. 



PLAGIANTHUS. (COTTON TREE, 



KIBBON TREK.) 



A small genus of greenhouse and half-hardy 

 shrubs and herbs (ortl. Malvaceae). Propagation is 

 by cuttings for the shrubs, and by root division for 

 the herbs. Soil, loam two parts, leaf mould one 

 part, and sand. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 



Lyallii, 20', sum., hlf- Lainpenii, 6' to 8', 



hdy., wh. Nov., Feb., grh., pale 



sidoides, 4', sum., grh., yel.; a great improve- 



wh. nieut on the type (si/it. 



Lampenii). 

 Other Species : 

 betulinus, 40' toTO'.sum., wh. ; found in salt 



hdy. on walls, wh. marshes, 



divaricatus, 8', Je., grh., pulchellus, sum., tree, 

 wh., very small (*////. 

 Sida imlchellu). 



PLAGIOLIRION. 



A handsome bulbous plant, with white flowers 

 (or A. Amaryllideas). It may be grown with the 

 Eucharises (which nee). 



Only Species : 



Horsmannii, Je.. Jy., St., wh., small, ten to twelve 

 to an umbel, bulb long-necked. 



PLANE (r PLATANUS). 



PLrANTAGO. (PLANTAIN.) 



As cultivated plants the Plantagos (ord. Planta- 

 ginea;) are worthless. Propagated by seed and 

 division. Soil, common garden. Lanceolata, the 

 Ribwort Plantain, and major, are often very 

 troublesome upon lawns and cricket grounds. 

 Where they are numerous there is nothing for it 

 but to " spud " them up, taking care to remove as 

 much of the long, fleshy roots as possible. Dip- 

 ping a sharp iron skewer into vitriol and thrusting 

 it into the heart of the plant is an excellent method 

 of extermination. In all cases the places they 

 occupied should be filled up with fresh soil, and 

 grass seed sown. The seeds of major are an excel- 

 lent food for song birds in captivity, and the spikes 

 are commonly collected for the purpose. 



Principal Exotic Species : 



coriacea, 1', sum., st., wh., in a tall spike (syn. 

 brasiliensis). 



PLANTAIN. 



The common Plantain (Plantago major, see 

 PLANTAGO). The Plantain of the Tropics is Musa 

 paradisiaca (see MUSA). The name Plantain Tree 



Pladc.ro. (set- Canscora). 



Plaginlobhtm (see Hovea). 



Planera of Giseke (see Costus). 



Planer Tree (see Planera). 



Plane Tree, Scot oil (see Acer Pscudo-platanui) 



Plank Plant (Jiossiiea scolopendria). 



Plantia (see Hcxa/jlottis). 



