The leaves of P. glabcr are stated to be 

 used in place of those of Ilex par aguayensis 

 for the preparation of Mate or Paraguay 

 Tea. [M. T. M.] 



PRINSEPIA utilte is a prickly shrub 

 common in the most barren places of the 

 Himalaya, forming a genus of Rosacea, and 

 referred by Royle, who first described it, to 

 the Chrijsobalanacece, because as the fruit 

 enlarges it does so very unequally, and 

 the seed of the style remains at the base 

 as in the true genera of that group ; but 

 at the time of flowering the style is termi- 

 nal, and the genus is in fact nearly allied to 

 Primus. The leaves are small, serrate; the 

 flowers very abundant, growing three or 

 four together in the upper axils, and not 

 unlike those of our blackthorn; the ber- 

 ries are usually very numerous, small, and 

 purple. They are not edible, but the seeds 

 yield a useful oil. 



PRIONIUM. A very remarkable South 

 African plant, the Palmiet or Palmet of 

 the Dutch colonists, P. Palmita of bo- 

 tanists, is the only representative of this 

 genus of Juncacece. In its botanical cha- 

 racters it is scarcely distinguishable from 

 Juncus, to which, indeed, the plant was 

 once referred. The principal differences 

 consist in the three stigmas being sessile 

 upon the three-celled ovary, in the ovules 

 being confined to the lower half of the cells, 

 and in the seed having a very large club- 

 shaped embryo ; but in habit and general 

 aspect it presents more the appearance of 

 one of the Bromeliacece, having a tuft of 

 sword-shaped channelled leaves, between 

 two and three feet long, about an inch 

 broad at the base, and tapering upwards 

 to a point, with the margins sharply ser- 

 rated. In South Africa it grows in the 

 beds of rivers, and often increases to such 

 an extent as to choke them. It lias a 

 trunk-like partially submerged stem, from 

 five to ten feet in length and about the 

 thickness of a man's arm, principally com- 

 posed of the remains of the sheathing 

 bases of the leaves; and the branching 

 panicle of flowers is produced from the 

 centre of the tuft of leaves. The leaf- 

 sheaths contain a network of strong black 

 fibre suitable for brush-making, or, when 

 curled, as a substitute for horsehair; the 

 leaves themselves are useful for plaiting 

 and thatching, and also yield very good 

 fibre; while the heart, cr cabbage, is eat- 

 able. [A. S.] 



PRIONOTES. A genus of Epaeridacece, 

 having a five-parted calyx without bracts ; 

 a tubular corolla, with an open throat and 

 a five-parted smooth limb; five stamens, 

 the filaments adhering by half their length 

 to the tube ; and a five-celled seed-vessel. 

 They are smooth much-branched shrubs, 

 with oval serrated leaves, and single-flower- 

 ed axillary peduncles. The genus contains 

 only two species— P. cerinthoides, a native 

 i of Tasmania, and P. americana, found in 

 j Staten Island. This latter species has also 

 been described under the names of Lebe- 

 tanthus and Allodape. [R. H.J 



PRIORIA. A large and handsome tree 

 from Central America and some of the 

 West Indian Islands, with pinnace leaves 

 and large terminal panicles of small flowers. 

 It forms a genus of Leguminosce of the 

 suborder Ccesalpiniece, allied to Copaifera, 

 but differing in its large more petal-like 

 sepals, and in its large broad flat strongly- 

 veined pod. 



PRISCO. The Spanish name for a kind 

 of Peach. 



PRISMATIC. Prism-shaped; having se- 

 veral longitudinal angles and intermediate 

 flat faces, as the calyx of Frankenia pul- 

 verulenta. 



PRISMATOCARPUS. Pretty little an- 

 nuals formerly arranged with Campanula, 

 but distinguished by having a rotate co- 

 rolla, and an elongated prismatical capsule. 

 P. liybrhla, a plant from six to twelve 

 inches high, has a slightly-branched erect 

 stem, oblong roughish leaves which are 

 wavy and toothed at the edges, and a few 

 terminal solitary flowers which expand 

 only in fine weather. Itoccursoccasioimllv 

 in cornfields. [C. A. J.] 



PRISMENCHYMA. Prismatical cellular 

 tissue. 



PRITZELIA. A genus of Umbelliferce, 

 having five unequal petals, the two smaller 

 in pairs, the fifth large and radiant, all 

 ovate acute and entire; and one half of the 

 fruit usually abortive, the fertile half with 

 ribs, not winged, and no oil-vessels. The 

 only species is an herb, native of the Swan 

 River district in Australia; it is erect, 

 with scattered bristles; the umbels simple, 

 of eight to twelve white or pale rose- 

 j coloured flowers. It was named in honour 

 j of Pritzel, who wrote on the genus Ane- 

 mone. . [G. D.] 



PRIVA. A genus of Verbenacece, con- 

 [ tabling a few species, natives of America, 

 I Africa, and India. They are perennial 

 j herbs, with a woody or tuberous rhizome, 

 opposite serrate leaves, and subsessile 

 I flowers in axillary and terminal spikes; 

 the calyx is tubular, ventricose, and five- 

 | toothed; the corolla tube cylindrical, and 

 l the limb unequally quinquefid ; stamens 

 ' four included didynamous, with erect two- 

 celled anthers bifid at the base; and the 

 ovary four-celled with an ovule in each cell. 

 The capsule is surrounded by the enlarged 

 calyx ; when mature it dehisces into two 

 cocci which are two-celled, or one-celled 

 by abortion. [W. C] 



PRIVET. Ligustrum. — , BARREN. 

 Rhamnus Alatemus. —, EGYPTIAN. Law- 

 sonia alba. — , GARDEN. Ligustrum 

 vulgare, 



PROBOSCIDEOT7S. Having a hard ter- 

 minal horn, as the fruit of Martynia. 



PROCERUS. Very tall. 

 < 



PROCESS, PROCESSUS. Any extension 

 of the surface. 



