844 



and Theophrastos' time. Annual, attaining a height of 

 4 feet. Several varieties occur, one with black grains. 

 They all need a rich hut friable soil. It is one of the best 

 of all grains for poultry, but furnishes also a palatable and 

 nutritious table-food. It ripens still in Middle Europe. 



Panicum pilosum, Swartz. 



Tropical America. A perennial fodder-grass. 



Panicum repens, L. 



At the Mediterranean Sea, also in South Asia and North 

 Australia. Regarded by the Cinghalese as a good fodder- 

 grass. It is perennial and well suited for naturalization on 

 moist soil or river-banks or swamps. 



Panicum prostratum, Lam. (P. setigerum, Eetz.) 



Egypt, South Asia, North Australia, perhaps also indigenous 

 to tropical America. Perennial. Recommendable for pas- 

 tures. 



Panicum spectabile, Nees* 



The Coapim of Angola. From "West Africa transferred to 

 many other tropical countries. A rather succulent very 

 fattening grass, attaining a height of about 4 feet. It 

 may be assumed, that hitherto about 300 well-defined 

 species of Panicum are known, chiefly tropical and sub- 

 tropical, thus very few extending naturally to Europe, or 

 the United States of North America, or Japan, or the 

 southern part of Australia. Though mostly from the hot 

 zones these grasses endure in many instances our clime, 

 and some of them would prove great acquisitions, particu- 

 larly the perennial species. Numerous good kinds occur in 

 Queensland and North Australia spontaneously. Panicum 

 is the genus richest in species among grasses. 



Papaver somniferum, L.* 



The Opium-Poppy. Orient. The capsules of this tall annual, 

 so showy for its flowers, are used for medicinal purposes ; 

 from the minute but exceedingly numerous seeds, oil of a 

 harmless and most palatable kind can be pressed remuner- 

 atively ; but a still more important use of the plant is that 

 for the preparation of Opium, of which a quantity valued in 



