35 



with dew, while that under other trees is found to be dry, has given it the 

 nanie of rain tree, under the supposition that the leaves dropped water 

 during the night. 

 850. Pittosporum undulatum. — A plant from New Zealand, which reaches a con- 

 siderable size, and furnishes a wood similar to boxwood. The flowers are 

 very fragrant. 



331. Plagianthus betulinus.— The inner bark of the young branches of this plant 

 yields a very fine fiber, sometimes called New Zealand cotton, though more 

 like flax than cotton ; it is the Akaroa of the New Zealanders. In Tasma- 

 nia it bears the name of Currajong. Good cordage and twine for fishing 

 nets are made from this fiber. A. superior paper pulp is prepared from the 

 wood; it is also employed in making handles to baskets, rims for sieves, and 

 hoops for barrels. 



352. Platonia insignis. — A Brazilian tree which bears a fruit known in that 



country as Pacoury-uva. The pulp of this fruit is semiacid, very delicious, 

 and is employed in making preserves. The seeds embedded in this pulp 

 have the flavor of almonds. 



353. Plumbago scandens.— The root of this plant is called Herbe du Diable in San 



Domingo; it is acrid in the highest degree, and is a most energetic blister- 

 ing agent when fresh. 



354. Plumieria alba. — A South American plant. The flowers are used in per- 



fumery, and furnish the scent known as Frangipane or Frangipani. In 

 Jamaica the plant is known as red jasmine. 



355. Pogostemon PATOHOULT. — This plant affords the celebrated patchouli per- 



fume. The peculiar odor of patchouli is disagreeable to some, but is very 

 popular with many persons. The odoriferous part of the plant is the 

 leaves and young tops, which yield a volatile oil by distillation, from which 

 an essence is prepared; satchets of patchouli are made of coarsely powdered 

 leaves. Genuine Indian shawls and Indian ink were formerly distin- 

 guished by their odor of this perfume, but the test does not now hold good. 

 Ill effects, such as loss of sleep, nervous attacks, etc., have been ascribed 

 to its extensive use. 



356. Pongamia glabra. — Some years ago this tree was recommended as suitable 



for avenue-planting in the south of France. In India an oil called poonga 

 is exp essed from the seeds, which is much used for mixing with lamp oil. 

 It is of a deep yellow color, and is fluid at temperatures above 60 F. , but 

 below that it becomes solid. 



357. Portlandia grandiflora — This plant belongs to the cinchonaceous family, 



and is said to possess properties similar to those of the true cinchona. The 

 bark is exceedingly bitter. 



*58. Psidium cattleyanum. — This is the purple guava from China. The fruits are 

 filled with juicy, pale flesh, of a very agreeable acid-sweet flavor. 



359. Psidium pyriferum. — The West Indian guava, a well-known fruit in the 

 tropics, but only known here in .the shape of guava jelly. The wood of 

 the tree has a fine, close grain, and has bean experimented with as a sub- 

 stitute for boxwood for engraving purposes, but it is too soft to stand the 

 pressure of printing. 



860. Psychotria leucantha. — A plant belonging to the cinchona family. Emetic 



properties are assigned to the roots, which are also used in dyeing. Native 

 of Peru. 



861. Pterocarpus marsupium. — This tree affords gum-kino, which is obtained by 



making incisions in the bark, from which the juice exudes and hardens 

 into a brittle mass, easily broken into small angular, shining fragments of 

 a bright ruby color. It is highly astringent. The wood is hard and valua- 

 ble for manufacturing purposes. 



862. Punica granatum. — The pomegranate, a native of northern Africa and west- 



ern Asia. The fruit is valued in warm countries on account of its deli- 

 cious cooling and refreshing pulp. Numerous varieties are grown, some 

 being sweet and vinous, and others acid or of a bitter, stringent taste; the 

 color also varies from light to dark red. The bark of the root abounds 

 in a peculiar principle called puniein. This bark appears to have been 

 known to the ancients, and used by them as a vermifuge, and is still used 

 in Hindostan as a specific against tapeworm. The rind of the fruit of the 

 bitter varieties contains a large amount of tannin, and is used for tanning 

 morocco leather. The flowers yield a red dye. 



