Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/901

 PET

PENGUIN, or Pinguin, in botany, the name by which/ Dillenius calls the Ananas of Tourneforti See the article Ananas, Suppl.

PENNY-suarr, a name fometimes given to the Cotyledon, or navel-wort of botanical writers. See the article Navel- wort, Suppl.

MarJh-PEKHY-wort, the Englifh name of a genus of plants, called by botanifts Hydrocele. See the article Hydroco- tvle, Suppl.

PENI'ELASMiS, in the hiftory of (uell-fim, the name by which Dr. Hill calls the concha anatifera of other writers. See thearticle Anatifera concha, Suppl. The Pentelafmis, according to him, is a genus of animals, compofed of a fhelly body, affixed to a flelhy and foft pedi- cle i the body is compofed of five valves, and the pedicle is fometimes (hoit, and fometimes long. The animal itfelf be- longs to the Tritons. See the article Triton, Append.

PEONY, or Piony, in botany, the Englilh name of a diftinfl genus of plants, called by botanifts Pxonia. See the article

PjEONtA, Suppl.

PEPPER (Suppl.) — Indian Pepper, or Guinea Pepper, names by which fome call the Capficum of botanifts. See the article Capsicum, Suppl. Poor-man's-PEPPEK, a name fometimes given to the Lepidi- um. See the article Lepidium, Suppl. Wuter-VEVPEK, a name fometimes given to a fpecies of Sedum,

or Houle-leek. See the article Sedum, Suppl. PEPPEK-mini, the name of a fpecies of mint. See the articles

Mentha and Mint, Suppl. Pepper-owY, a name by which fome call the Lepidium, or

dittander. See the article Lepidium, Suppl. PEPPER-Hrd, the Englifh name of the Rlamphaftos, with a yellow rump, otherwife called Toucan. Sec the article Tou- can, Suppl. PERESKlA, in botany, a name given by Plumier to a genus of plants, comprehended under the Cactus of Linnseus. See the articles Cactus, Append, and MelocacTus, Suppl. PL.RSEA, in botany, the name given by Plumier to a fpecies of

the Laurel of Linnseus. See the article Laurus, Append. PERSIMON, in botany, a name fometimes given to the La- chryma Jobi, or Job's tears. See the article Lachryiwa, Append. PESTlLENCE-imrt, a name fometimes given to the Petafttes,

or butter-burr. See the article Petasites, Suppl. PETAL (Suppl.) — The Petulfifz plant is that part which, for want of a more diftincT: expreffion, we call in Englifh the • leaves of the flower. See the article Flower, Suppl. That great botanift, the late Mr. Pitton Tournefort, fixed upon the molt (hiking and fhewy parts of vegetables, as the foundation of his method and generical divifions of the vege- table world ; which he has accordingly rang'd into twenty- two clafTes.

The firft is of the plants with a monopetalous or one-leaved flower, form'd like a bell ; and the flowers of this clafs he af- terwards fubdivides into four kinds ; firft, the bell-fafhioned flowers properly fo called, as being very nearly of the regular fhape of a bell : Secondly, the tubulate bell-fafiioned flowers, which are narrow and oblong : Thirdly, the expanded, which open in form of a wide bafon : And, fourthly, the globofe-; the mouth of which is narrower than the body. In this clafs he comprehends the Mandrake, Lilly of the valley, &c. The fecond clafs is of the plants with monopetalous funnel- fajhioaed, and rotated, or wheel-like flowers. The flowers of this clafs he divides into two kinds only ; the one repre- fenting at its mouth, the bottom of an inverted cone, the other a falver or fawcer 5 and thefe he diftinguilb.es by the names of funitel-fa/hioned and faker-like flowers : Of this clafs are the Tobacco, Henbane, &c.

The third clafs is of what he calls the plants with anomalous, monopetalous flowers ; of thefe he makes the varioufly-fhaped monopetalous flowers of Birthwort, Foxglove, Figwort, and fome others j fome of which reprefent a face, and others the fnoutof an animal : To diftinguifh the plants of this clafs the author however is oblig'd fairly to confer the imperfecilon of the method of chilling by the Petals alone, and call in the affiftance of the different (truaure of the feed veflels. In this clafs he comprehends the Toadflax, Butterwort, &c. The fourth clafs is of the plants, which have a' monopetalous, labiated, or llpp'd flower ; which he defines to be fuch an one as is narrow, like a pipe within, and expanded ; and in form of lips at the mouth. In this clafs are comprehended the Sage, Clary, DeadmttU, Mint, Baum, &c. The fifth clafs is of the plants with a polypetalous, cruciform flower ; that is, fuch an one as is compofed of a number of leaves, difpofed in form of a crofs ; and thefe he afterwards more nicely defines to be fuch as are always compofed of four Petala, or leaves only, and thofe ever difpofed in form of a crofs. Of this clafs are the Crejfes, Muftard, Scurvy-grafs,

The fixth clafs is of the plants which have a rofaceous, or rofe- like flower. This he defines to be fuch an one as is com- pofed of many leaves or Petals, difpofed like thofe of the rofe into a round figure: The number of Petals, he adds, is uncertain and indeterminate in this clafs ; and that they are APPEND. '

PET

frequently five, and more rarely four than two. Of thin clals are the Chtckvjeed, Orp.ne, Saxifrage, Rue &c

Thef Ta f dali '\° f th, ep ' ams * ith ""W'rous flowers Thefe he defines to be polypetalous, rofaceous flowers, whofe cup goes off into a fruit compofed of two feeds, cohering firmly together while green, but naturally feparatmg, when ripe ■ and obferves, that in this clafs the flowers are generally difpofed ,n great numbers together, and in the form of what

keen offth f '" if"! ^ '° ^ ^"^ 0Ver < h ™ to keep off the fun; but he does not make this a neceffary cha- rter of the clafs. The plants comprehended under this are Carrots, Parjneps, Earth-nuts, Chervel, Fennel, &c I he eighth clafs is of the plants with a caryophyllous or p'ink- hke flower which he defines to be fuch an one as is compofed of many Petals, difpofed m an orbicular form, and arifin* each from the bottom of the cup, as from a tube, in the famS manner as they do in the common pink. Of this clafs are the Catchfly, Sea-lavender, Flax, &c. The ninth clafs is of the plants which have a liliaceous, or l.lly-like flower, which he defines to be fuch an one as is compofed of fix Petals, fometimes indeed but three but al ways divided however into fix at the end. Here the author alio again acknowledges the imperfection of clafling by the Petals, fince here he takes in the affiftance of the figure and d.vifion of the feed veffel, which he fays muft always in this clafs be tricapfular, or divided into three cells ; and plants which have this feed veflel, tho' their flowers are not ftriaiy of the Idly fhape, are allowed to be truly of the clafs Of this are the AJphodel, Saffron, Flower-de-luce, Tulip, Crown- Imperial, &c.

The tenth clafs is of the plants with a polypetalous, papiliona- ceous flower, or one that is compofed of many Petals, and in form refembles a butterfly. Thefe flowers the author defines to be compofed of four diffimilar Petals, which ifluc from a one-leaved cup, which is hollow, and like the conic paper-cafes people twift up to put fpices, &c. in ; and di- vided into many fegments at the rim ; and from this cup ants alfo the Piftil of the flower. The upper leaf in thefe flowers which in fome fort reprefents the colours earned by foldiers in battle, he calls the Vexillum or Enftgn ; the low- er, which is hollow'd, and in form of a boat, the Hulk; and the two fide ones the wings. The plants comprehended un- der this clafs are the Liquorice, Peas, Fenugreek, &c. The eleventh clafs is of plants with an anomalous or irregu- lar polypetalous flower. Among thefe he comprehends fuch of the polypetalous flowers as are of various fhape,' and com- pofed of diffimilar or irregular Petals, and could not well be comprehended under any one expreffive or determinate cha- rafler. Of this clafs are the Violet, Fumitory, Dier's-weed IVoolfslane, &c.

The twelfth clafs is of the plants with a flofculous flower. 1 his he defines to be one compofed of a number of fmal'l flowers, crowded clofe together, and comprehended in the fame general Calyx, or cup ; thefe flowers, which together compote this complex one, he obferves are generally'com- pofed of only one Petal, which is wider at the mouth, than at the other end, and generally notched or divided there into many fegments. He alfo has recourfe to the other parts of the flower for farther defcriptions ; and comprehends under it the Thiflles, Knapweed, Bluebottle, &c. The thirteenth clafs is of the plants with a femiftofculous ' flower. Thefe he defines to be compofed of a multitude of half flowers, each compofed of one Petal, hollow in its lower part, but in its middle and upper part flat and plain ; and dif- pofed into a (ingle or manifold circle. He here alfo defcribes the fruftification of the plants of this clafs, and comprehends in it the Lettuce, Dandelion, Hawkweed, &c. The fourteenth clafs is of the plants with a radiated flower. Thefe flowers the author defcribes to have two parts, a mid- dle or difi, compofed of fmall fijlular flowers, and a rim, or edge, called the corona, which is made up of half flowers ; and fometimes, though feldom, of plain flat Petals. Under this clafs are comprehended the Starwort, Ragwort, Golden- rod, Sunflower, &c.

The fifteenth clafs is of the plants which have flowers com- pofed of fiamina or threads, fuftaining the apices or capfules of the fecundating farina. The author diftinguifhes thefe alfo by their Piftil changing into a fingle feed envelop'd in a hufk, and of this clafs makes the Sorrel, Arfmart, Orrach, the Graffes, Horfetails, &c.

The fixtcenth clafs is of thofe plants which the author fup- pofes to have no flower at all ; and yet to produce feeds. Of this clafs he determines the Ferns, Liverwort, and Adder' s- tongue, to be.

The feventeenth clafs is of thofe plants whofe flowers and fruit he fays are both ordinarily wanting. Thefe he after- wards divides into the earth and water plants ; among the firft he reckons the Moffes, Mujhrooms, &c. And among the o- thers the Fucufes, Algas, Corallines, &c. the flowers and feeds of which he obferves we are as yet at lead ignorant of.

The eighteenth clafs is of the trees and drubs, which have apetalous flowers, or (lowers without Petals or leaves at all. Of this clafs are the Ajh, Box, &c.

2 I The