306 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OP PLANTS 



PAS 



the ten parts of the perianth represent the 

 Apostles, two ot them absent (Peter, who 

 denied, and Judas, who betrayed our Lord i ; 

 and the wicked hands of His persecutors are 

 seen in the digitate leaves of the plant, and 

 the scourges in the tendrils. Had this genus 

 been named by modern scientists, it is proba- 

 ble their imagination would have taken a 

 somewhat different direction. All the Passion 

 Flowers are handsome, fast-growing and free- 

 flowering plants. They are best adapted for 

 large structures ; in small houses close prun- 

 ing becomes necessary, and the plants conse- 

 quently cannot develop their true characters. 

 The flowers are very beautiful in some 

 species ; in all, they are of singular form and 

 very interesting. The deep red or scarlet 

 P. racemosa (syn. P. princeps) and its many 

 hybrids, P. Raddiana (syn. P. Kermesina), and 

 others produce their flowers in long pendulous 

 racemes and are unsurpassed for green-house 

 decoration. P. qriadrangidaris, and its varie- 

 gated-leaved variety, P. q. acubifolia, P. Decais- 

 neana, P. alata, etc., have very large sweet- 

 scented flowers, the upper side of the calyx 

 and petals deep crimson, and the rays varie- 

 gated with purple, white, and crimson. P. 

 ccBTulea and its white sweet-scented variety, 

 Constance EUiott, as well as the beautiful hybrid, 

 forms P. c. Colvillei, P. c. racemosa, etc., are 

 favorite sorts for covering arbors, trellises, 

 etc., and are often used as drooping plants in 

 largo vases or hanging baskets. They are 

 nearly hardy with us and with P. incamala (the 

 Maypops of the Southern States) are entirely 

 so south of Washington. Beautifully golden- 

 variegated varieties of the white, P. C. Con- 

 stance EUiott and P. Pfordtii have been pro- 

 duced by Mr. John Spalding, of New London, 

 Conn., by grafting them on the golden-spotted 

 P. q. acubifolia. They are great acquisitions 

 to our list of variegated climbers, and grow and 

 flower as freely as the types. P. echdis is 

 sometimes grown for its edible fruit which is 

 purple when ripe, the pulp orange-colored and 

 of a pleasant sub-acid taste with a flavor some- 

 thing like an orange. Several other species 

 produce edible fruits, which are g.reatly 

 esteemed in their native countries. All of 

 the species are easily increased by cuttings, 

 except P. racemosa, and its hybrids, which 

 grow much better when grafted on any of the 

 free-growing sorts. 



Passiflora'ceae. A natural order of herbs or 

 shrubs, often climbing; natives chiefly of 

 warm climates, but most numerous in South 

 America, and the West Indies. Several 

 species are of economic value, some of them 

 having edible fruit. The order comprises 

 nineteen genera, including Tacsonia, Passi- 

 flora, and Carica, and upward of two hundred 

 species. 



Passion Flo-ro-er. See Paseiflora. The name is 

 also applied to the species of Tacsonia. 



Pastina'ca. Parsnip. From pastinvm, a dibber ; 



referring to the shape of the root. Nat. Ord. 



UmbelUfercE. 

 A genus of uninteresting plants with the 



exception of P. sativa, the Parsnip, which 



see. This genus is now included under 



Peucedanum. 

 Patchouli Plant. The common name of Pogos- 



temon PatchoM, which see. 



PAU 



Patens, Patent. Spreading wide open, as petals 

 from the calyx. 



Patsrso'nia. Named after Col. William, Pater- 

 son, an excellent botanist. Nat. Ord. Iridacece. 

 A small genus of green-house herbaceous 

 perennials from New Holland, with purple. 

 Iris-like flowers, very showy, put of so short 

 duration that the plant is not worth cultivat- 

 ing. 



Patience. Patience Dock, or Herb Patience. 

 Rumex Patientia. The leaves were formerly 

 much used in France and England, and to 

 some extent in this country as a pot-herb, 

 now almost entirely superseded by Spinach. 



Patri'nia. Named in honor of E. L. Pairin, a 

 French traveler in Siberia. Nat. Ord. Valerian- 

 acecE. 



A genus of hardy perennial herbs, natives 

 of central and eastern Asia. Th«ir yellow 

 flowers are borne in corymbose-paniculate 

 cymes, well above the foliage. They will 

 succeed in any light, rich soil, and may be in- 

 creased by seeds. Generally cultivated under 

 the name of Valeriana. 



Patulous. Moderately spreading. 



Fauciflorus. Few-flowered. 



Paulli'nia. Named after Ch. Fr. Paullia, a 

 Danish botanist. Nat. Ord. Sapindacem. 



An extensive genus of South American 

 evergreen climbers, with divided compound 

 leaves. P. thalictrifolia, bears clusters of pale 

 pink flowers, but is cultivated more for its 

 beautiful fern-like foliage, and forms a very 

 beautiful climber for the warm green-house. 

 It was introduced from Eio Janiero in 1871, 

 and is easily increased by cuttings. 



The seeds of P. sorbilis is the Guarana of 

 Brazil, of which the " Treasury of Botany" 

 says: "The Guarana is extensively used in 

 Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Eica. and other parts 

 of South America, as a nervous stimulant and 

 restorative. The pounded seeds oonstituta 

 Guarana. It is used both as a remedy for 

 various diseases, and also as a material for 

 making a most refreshing beverage. Not only 

 is the active principle of Guarana identical 

 with Theine, but as far as is known, no other 

 substance yields It so abundantly, the amount 

 being 5.07 per cent., as against good Black 

 Tea, which yields 2.13, and Coffee from .08 to 

 1.00. The mode of using the Guarana is 

 curious and interesting. It is carried in the 

 pocket of almost every traveler, and with it 

 the palate-bone or scale of a large fish, the 

 rough surfaces of which form a rasp, upon 

 which the Guarana Is grated ; and a few of the 

 grains of the powder so formed are added to 

 water, and drank as a substitute for Tea. The 

 effect is said to be very agreeable." 

 Paulo'wnia. Named after the hereditary Prin- 

 cess of the Netherlands, daughter of the 

 Emperor of Russia. Nat. Ord. Serophvlari- 

 a^cem. 



P. imperialis comprises this genus. It is a 

 splendid hardy tree, both for foliage and 

 flowers ; in habit and general appearance re- 

 sembling the Catalpa, though less hardy. 

 The young shoots are liable to be killed by 

 frost in this latitude, but if protected for one 

 winter, they will not require further atten- 

 tion, and its rapid growth afterwards will well 

 repay for that little trouble, with a beautiful 

 flowering shade tree. The flowers, which re- 



