BENCYCLOPMDIA OF GARDENING. 
235) 
zuela and Colombia; aphelandraflora, red, summer, 1 ft., Brazil; fulgens, red, 
May, 1 to 2 ft., Guadeloupe; muscosa, red, winter, 1 ft., Brazil; violacea, violet, 
summer, 1 ft., Brazil. There are 40 or more other species of little merit. 
Pitcher-plants (Sarracenias and Nepenthes), which see. 
Pittosporum (Parchment-bark).—Ord Pittosporiacee. Green- 
house evergreen & half-hardy flowering shrubs. First introduced 1783, 
CULTURE OF GREENHOUSE ‘SPECIES: Compost, two parts 
fibrous loam, one part fibrous peat, half a part silver sand. Position, 
pots or tubs in light airy sunny greenhouse. Pot, March or April. 
Prune straggling shoots moderately immediately after flowering. 
Water moderately, Sept. to April, freely afterwards. Syringe occa- 
sionally, except when in flower, during summer. Temp., Oct. to April, 
40° to 50°; Apuil to Oct. 60° to 70°. 
CULTURE OF HALF-HARDY SPECIES: Soil, deep sandy loam. 
Position, well-drained border against 8. walls 8. & S.W. England; 
pots in cold greenhouse, Oct. to May; sunny border outdoors, May to 
Oct., N. of London. Plant, March or April. Propagate by cuttings 
of moderately firm shoots, 2 to 3 in. long, inserted singly in small pots 
of sandy soil under bell-glass in shade in temp. 55° to 65° in summer. 
GREENHOUSE SPECIES: P. eriocarpum, yellow, fragrant, summer, 6 to 10 ft.; 
viridiflorum, greenish yellow, June, 6 ft. 
HALF-HARDY SPECIES: PL. crassifolium (Parchment-bark), purple, spring, 10 ft., 
New Zealand; tobira, white, fragrant, summer, 10 to 12 ft., Japan and China. 
Placea.—Ord. Amaryllidaceex. Greenhouse bulbs. Deciduous. 
First introduced 1840. 
CULTURE: Compost, two parts sandy loam, one part well-decayed 
cow manure or leaf-muuld, & one part coarse sand. Pot, Aug. or 
Sept., placing point of bulb just below surface of soil in a 44-in. pot 
or three in a 6-in. pot. Good drainage essential. Plunge pots to rim 
in coal ashes or cocoanut-fibre refuse in cold frame, & protect from 
frost until Dec., then remove to greenhouse. Water moderately from 
time growth begins until leaves decay, then keep quite dry. Repot 
annually in Aug. Season of growth, Jan. to Aug.; season of rest, Aug. 
to Jan. Temp., Dec. to April 50° to 55°; Ap. to Aug. 60° to 70°; 
Aug. to Dec. 35° to 40°. Propagate by offsets in Aug. 
SPECIES CULTIVATED: P. Arzz, yellow and purple, summer, 1 ft.; grandi- 
flora, white and crimson, summer, 1 ft.; ornata, white and red, 1 ft. All nattves 
of Chili. 
Plane-tree.—See Platanus. 
Plantain (Mura sapientum paradisiaca).—See Musa, 
Plantain Lily.—Sce Funkia. 
Piantain-tree (Musa sapientum paradisiaca).—See Musa. 
Platanus (Plane-tree). — Ord. Platanacew. Hardy deciduous 
trees. Orn. foliage. First introduced 1518. Leaves more or less 
deeply lobed, coriaceous, pubescent; green or variegated. 
CULTURE: Soil, deep rich moist loam. Position, parks, avenues, 
etc., for Oriental Plane; streets, squares in towns, or in open gardens 
or shrubberies in country for London Plane. Plant, Oct. to March. 
Prune into shape when desirable, Oct. to Feb. Plenty of moisture at 
roots essential; dry soil not suitable. Propagate by seeds simply 
pressed into surface of soil in moist position outdoors in autumn: 
cuttings of shoots 6 to Sin. long inserted in moist soil in sheltered 
position in Nov. ; peyering shoots in autumn or spring. 
SPECIES CULTIVATED: P. acorifolia (London Plane), 50 to 70 ft., Orient: 
occidentalis (Western Vlane), 70 ft., N. America; orientalis (Oriental Plane), 6) 
to 7U {t., Orient. 
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