The germen afterward becomes a long taper pod with 
fuelling joints, in each of which is lodged one oblong feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feCtion of 
Linnaeus’s tenth clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have ten ftamina and one ftyle. 
We know but one Species of this genus, viz. 
Parkinsonia ( Aculeata .) Parkinfonia. Hoft. Cliff. 57. 
Parkinfonia aculeata, foliis minutis, uni cofte adnexis. 
Plum. Nov. Gen. 25, Prickly Parkinfonia with very 
fnall leaves , which are f opened to one middle rib. 
This plant was difcovered by Father Plunder in Ame- 
rica, who gave it this name in honour of Mr. John 
Parkinfon, who publifhed an Univerfal Hiftory of 
Plants in Englifh, in the year 1640. 
It is very common in the Spanifh Weft-Indies, but of 
late years it has been introduced into the Englifh fet- 
tlements in America, for the beauty and fweetnefs of 
its . flowers. This, in the countries where it grows na- 
turally, rifes to be a tree of twenty feet high or more, j 
and bears long {lender bunches of yellow flowers, 
which hang down after the fame manner as the La- 
burnum. Thefe flowers have a moll: agreeable fweet 
fcent, fo as to perfume the air to a conflderable dif- 
tance round about the trees ; for which reafon, the 
inhabitants of the Weft-Indies plant them near their 
habitations. And though this plant has not been in- 
troduced many years into the Englifh fettlements, yet 
it is now become fo common in all the iftands, that 
but few houfes are without home of the trees near it ; 
for it produces flowers and feeds in plenty in about 
two years from feed, fo that it may foon be made 
common in all hot countries ; but in Europe it re- 
quires a ftove, otherwife it will not live through the 
winter-. 
This plant is propagated by feeds, which fhould be 
fownih fmall pots filled with light frefh. earth early in 
the fpring, and the pots muft be plunged into a hot- 
bed of tanners bark, where, in about three weeks or 
a month’s time, the plants will come up, when they 
fhould be kept clear from weeds, and frequently re- 
frefhed with a little water. In a little time thefe 
plants will be fit to tranfplant, which fhould be done 
very carefully, fo as not to injure their roots. They 
muft be each planted into a feparate halfpenny pot 
filled with light frefh earth, and then plunged into 
the hot-bed again, obferving to ftir up the tan ; and 
if it hath loft its heat, there fhould be fome frefh tan 
added to renew it again. Then fhade the plants 
fiom the heat of the fun, until they have taken new 
root ; after which time they fhould have frefh air ad- 
mitted to them every day, in proportion to the warmth 
of the feafon. With this management the plants will 
grow fo faft, as to fill the pots with their roots by the 
beginning of July, at which time they fhould be 
fhifted into pots a little larger than the former, 
and plunged again into the "bark-bed to forward 
their taking new root; after which it will be the belt 
Way to inure the plants by degrees to bear the open 
air, that they may be hardened before winter ; for 
if they are kept too warm in winter, the plants will 
decay before the next fpring. The only method by 
which I have fucceeded in keeping this plant through i 
the winter, was by hardening them in July and Au- I 
guft to bear the open air ; and in September I placed 
them on Shelves in the dry ftove, at the greateft dis- 
tance from the fire, fo that they were in a very tem- 
perate warmth ; and there they retained their leaves 
all the winter, and continued in health, when thofe 
which were placed in a warmer Situation, as alfo thofe 
in the green-houfe, were entirely deftroyed, but thefe 
Seldom Survived the Second winter. 
PARNASSIA. Tourn.Inft. R. H. 246. tab. 127. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 345. Grafs of Parnaffus. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a permanent fpreading empalement , cut into 
five parts. The flower has five roundifh , concave, fpreading 
petals, which have five heart-Jhaped concave Mblariums, 
and five ftamina terminated by depreffed fummits, with a 
large oval germen having no ftyle, but four obtufe perma- I 
nent fiigmas in their place. The germen afterward turns ! 
to an ov at four-cornered cap fule with one cell, -containing 
fever al oblong feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fourth Section 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, which includes the plants 
whofe flowers have five ftamina and four Styles. 
The Species are, A 
1 . Parnassia [Paluftris . J Parnaffus Grafs. Parnaffia pa- 
luftris & vulgaris. Inft. R. H. Common Marjh Grafs of 
Parnaffus. 
2. Parnassia (Pleno flore ) vulgaris flore pleno. Com- 
mon Grafs of Parnaffus, with a double flower. 
The former of thefe forts grows wild in moift mea- 
dows in Several parts of England, but particularly in’ 
the north ; but it doth not grow in the neighbour- 
hood of London, any nearer than on the othe? fide of 
Watford, in the low meadows by Caffioberry, where 
it is in pretty great plenty. 
The other fort is an accidental variety of the former, 
which has been difcovered wild, and transplanted into 
gardens. This is but rarely to be found, being in 
very few gardens at prefent. 
Thefe plants may be taken up from the natural places 
of their growth, with balls of earth to their roots, 
and planted into pots filled with pretty ftrong, frefh, 
undunged earth, and placed in a jfhady fituation’ 
where, if they are eonftantly watered in dry weather, 
they will thrive very well, and flower every Summer ; 
but if the plants are planted in the full ground, it 
fhould be in a very moift fhady border, otherwife 
they will not live ; and thefe fhould be as duly wa- 
tered as thofe in the pots in dry weather, to make 
them produce ftrong flowers. 
They may be propagated by parting their roots, 
which fhould be done in March, before they put out 
new leaves ; but the roots fhould not be divided too 
fmall, for that will prevent their flowering the follow- 
ing Summer. Thefe roots fhould always be planted in 
pretty ftrong frefh earth, for they will not thrive in a 
light rich foil. In the fpring they muft be eonftantly 
watered, if the feafon fhould prove dry, otherwife 
they will not flower ; nor fhould they be parted of- 
tener than every third year, to have them ftrong. 
Thefe plants flower in July, and their feeds are ripe 
the latter end of Auguft. 
It is called Parnaffus, from Mount Parnaffus, on 
which it was fuppofed to grow ; and from the cattle 
feeding on it, it was called a Grafs, though the plant 
has no refemblance to any of the Grafs kind, but is 
more like the Ranunculus in flower, and the leaves 
are pretty broad, oblong, and Smooth. 
PARONYCHIA. See Illecebrum. 
PARSLEY; See Apium. 
PARSNEP. See Pastinaca. 
PARTERRE is a level divifion of ground, which, 
for the moft part, faces the South and beft front of 
a houfe, and is generally furnifhed with greens 
flowers, &c. 6 
There are Several forts of Parterres, as plain Grafs 
with borders, and Parterres of embroidery, &c. 
Plain Parterres are more beautiful in England than in 
any other countries, by reafon of the excellency of 
out turf, and that decency and unaffected fimplicity 
f that it affords to the eye of the Spectator. 
Others are cut into fhell and fcroll-work, with fand- 
alleys between them, which are the fineft Parterre 
works efteemed in France. 
As to the general proportion of Parterres, an oblong 
or long Square is accounted the moft proper figure 
foi a Parterre ; becaufe by the rules of perfpeCtive, 
01 the natural declenfion of the vifual rays in optics, 
a long Square finks almoft to a Square, and an exaCt 
Square appears much lefs than it really is, therefore 
a Parterre fhould hot be lefs than twice as long as ir 
is oroad ; twice and a half is accounted a very good 
proportion, and it is very rare that three times is ex- 
ceeded. 
As to the breadth of a Parterre, it is to take its di- 
mensions from the breadth of the front of the houfe. 
If the front of the houfe is one hundred feet long, the 
breadth of the Parterre fhould be one hundred and 
fifty 
\ d 
