Pogogyna 



( 218 ) 



Poisonous Plants 



POGOGYNE. 



Hardy annuals (ord. Labiatse), with small, linear 

 leaves and long spikes of lilac or bluish flowers, the 

 flowers being produced in whorls intermixed with 

 leafy bracts. Seeds may be sown indoors and 

 transferred to the open border in May, or they may 

 be sown outside in April. Any good garden soil. 



Principal Species : 

 Douglasii, 1', sum., pur. nudiuscula, 1', sum., bl. 



POGONIA. 



Terrestrial Orchids (ord. Orchidaces) with small, 

 round tubers, often ornamental foliage and white, 

 pink, or lilac flowers. Propagation, by division at 

 the time of potting. Compost, fibrous loam, peat 

 and sphagnum, broken sandstone, charcoal, and 

 crocks. Thorough drainage is essential. A 

 minimum temperature of 50 should be given, 

 and plenty of water whilst growth is active, 

 drying off and resting as the leaves decay. 



Principal Species : 

 barklyaua, 2', sum., grn., Forclii, 1', yel., ro. lip, 



Ivs. 9" across. Ivs. large, bronzy grn., 



discolor, 6", sum., grn., pur. beneath. 



wh., Ivs. rich br., Vilicata, 9", sum., grn. 



blotched grn., under speciosa, 1', sum., pur. 



Bide pur. 



POGONOPUS. 



Stove trees and shrubs (ord. Rubiaceae) from 

 tropical America. Exsertus or caracasensis (syn, 

 Howardia caracasensis) is the only species culti- 

 vated. It is very showy, grows 4' to 8' high, and 

 produces terminal heads of pink flowers in summer. 

 Propagation, by seeds and cuttings. Soil, light 

 loam. 



POGOSTEMON. 



A genus of herbaceous or sub-shrubby plants 

 (3rd. Labiatse). They are of little horticultural 

 value. 



Principal Species : 

 Patchouli, 3', Je., wh., suavis, sweet. 



with pur. marks. 



POINCIANA. 



Evergreen trees and shrubs (ord. Leguminosse), 

 requiring stove treatment. Propagation, by seeds 

 sown in heat in spring, or by cuttings of short side 

 growths in very sandy soil beneath a bell-glass 

 over bottom heat. Soil, rich, fibrous loam, with 

 coarse sand or sharp road grit. 



Principal Species : 



elata, 15', Jy., yel. regia, 15' to 40', Jy., 



Gilliesii (see Csesalpinia crim. ; the seed pods 



Gilliesii). of this species are of 



pulcherrima (see Csesal- remarkable length. 



pinia pulcherrima). 



POINSETTIA. 



Description. The plant grown in British gardens 

 under the name of Poinsettia pulcherrima is 

 correctly Euphorbia pulcherrima (ord. Euphor- 

 biacese). It is grown for its brilliant scarlet 

 crimson bracts. 



Propagation. By lengths of the old, firm stem, 

 inserted in sandy soil, in brisk bottom heat, in 

 March ; by side growths secured in April or 



Poet's Cassia (see Osyris). 



Poet's Narcissus (sec Narcissus poetieus). 



Pogospermum (sec Catopsis). 



May from the old plants when these have been 

 placed in heat and encouraged to grow after a 

 season of rest. Each cutting should have a heel 

 of old wood and be dipped in fine sand to stop 

 the bleeding. Thumb pots, one cutting in each, 

 should be used, and the compost should be light, 

 plunging the pots in brisk bottom heat. Dwarf 

 plants in 3" pots, with heads of bracts If/' in dia- 

 meter, can be grown for Christmas table decoration 

 from cuttings struck in August and September. 

 The plants must be grown without a check. 



Soil. Mellow loam three parts, decom posed leaf 

 mould and short manure one part each, with sharp 

 sand. 



Other Cultural Points. Care must be taken that 

 the cuttings do not damp off, which they are prone 

 to do unless the inner surface of the glass in the 

 propagating case is dried each morning. After 

 removal from the cutting pots to those 4i" in 

 diameter the benefit of slight bottom h<>;it is 

 desirable, but there must be no forcing, and the 

 plants must be gradually hardened until after they 

 have become established in 8" pots; they can be< 

 placed in a frame or pit for the summer. Before 

 the roots can possibly have become chilled they 

 should be placed on a stage in a temperature of 

 55, where they will soon commence to grow if 

 properly watered. Weak liquid manure may be 

 applied when the bracts are showing. The tem- 

 perature may be gradually increased, but sharp 

 fluctuations must be strenuously guarded against. 



Varieties. Besides the type there are several 

 varieties of the Poinsettia. These are alba, creamy 

 white bracts ; major, very long and broad bracts ; 

 and plenissima, bracts more numerous. 



POINTING-IN. 



This technical term is applied to the business of 

 lightly forking over the surface of a fruit tree border, 

 or other plot full of roots, to incorporate with the 

 soil any dressing of artificial manure or the remains 

 of a mulching. For this work a fork is the only 

 tool permissible, and only the upper ~1" of soil 

 should be moved witli it, so that the roots are not 

 damaged. 



POISONOUS PLANTS. 



So very many plants are more or less poisonous 

 that it would require a small volume to deal with 

 them all, consequently only a few of the more 

 important can here be referred to. 



Among those that poison by contact the best 

 known is the Stinging Nettle, but its effects soon 

 pass away. Belonging to the same order are 

 Laportea moroides and L. gigas, and if these are 

 touched by any uncovered part of the body the 

 effects of the poison left by the stinging hairs will 

 be felt for days, and possibly many weeks, after- 

 wards. The popular Primula obconica is another 

 instance, but from this, as from some members of 

 the Rhus family, some folk take no harm, while 

 others are made quite ill by handling it. 



Many other plants are poisonous only when 

 eaten, and it may be the root, bark, seed, leaf, or 



Poiretia (of Smith, sec Hovea ; of Cavanilles, fee 



Sprengelia). 

 Poison Jlulb (see Brunsvigia and Crinum asiat- 



icum). 



Poison Elder (see Wins renenala). 

 Poison JVitt (see Strychnos Xitx-Tomica). 

 Poison Oak (see Rhus Toxicodendrori). 





