PL A
(832)
P L A
So fafculiferous Plants; with a pentapitalous or five head- ed flower; as Maiden-Pinks, Campions, Chickweed, St. Johns- Wort, Flax, Primrofe, Wood-Sorrel, &c.
21 Ptef j with a o-ae faftou tfwt ; as Garlick, Daffodil-, Hyacinth, Saffron, &c. See Bulb.
22° Thole whofe Roots approach nearly to the bulbous Form ; as Flower-de-luce, Cuckoo-pint, Baftard Hellebore, &c._
23 Culmiferous Plants, with a graffy Leaf, and an im- perfect Flower, having a fmooth hollow jointed Stalk, with a long (harp pointed Leaf at each Joint, and the Seeds con- tained in a chaffy Husk •, as Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats; and moft kinds of Grafs. See Culmiferous.
24 Plants with a graffy Leaf, but not Culmiferous, with an imperfect or ftamineous Flower - , as Rufhes, Cats-Tail, trc.
2*.° Plants whofe Place of Growth is uncertain ; chiefly Water-Plants, as the Water-Lilly, Milk-Wort, Moufe-Tail, &c.
For the Tranfmutation of one Specks of Plants into another. See Transmutation, Degeneration, &c.
The Properties and Virtues of Plants have been obferved
by forae Naturalifts to bear an Analogy to their Forms.
In the Philofophical Tranfatlions, we have a Difcourfe of Mr. James Pcttiver, to (hew. That Plants of the fame or
like Figure, have the fame or like Virtues and Ufes. Thus,
the Umbelliferous Tribe, he obferves, have all a Carminative Tafte and Smell, are powerful Expellers of Wind, and
therefore good in all flatulent Diforders -The Galleate or
Verticillate Kind are a Degree warmer; and more powerful than the laft, and therefore may be reputed Aromatick, be- ing proper for Nervous Diforders. The Tetrap'etalous
Kind are hot like the two former, but exert their Power in a different Way, viz. by a Diuretick Volatile Salt, which makes them of Ufe in Chronical Difeafes, Obftructions, Ca- cochymlas, &c.
PL ANT A, in Anatomy, the lowed Part, or Sole of the Foot of Man. See Foot and Sol e.
PLANTAGENET, in Hiftory, an Addition, orSur- Name, bore by many of our ancient Kings. See Surname, d-c.
The Term Plantagenet has given infinite Perplexity to the Criticks and Antiquaries, who could never fettle its Origin and Etymology._'Tis allowed it firft belonged to the Houfe of Anjou, and was brought to the Throne of England by plenty II. where his Male Pofterity preferved it till the Time of Henry VII. a Space of above 400 Years.
' Tis difputed who it was that firft bore the Name. Moft of our Fnglifl) Authors conclude, that our Henry II. inherited it from his Father Geoffrey V. Earl of Anjou, Son of Fart V.
King of Jerufalem, who died in 1144. This Geoffrey they
will have the firft of the Name", and our Henry II. the lffue of Geoffrey by Maud only Daughter of Henry 1. the fecond.
Yet Menage will not allow Geoffrey to have bore the Name ; and in effe£t the old Annalift of Anjou, J. Bourdigne, never calls him fo.— The firft, Menage adds, to whom he gives the Appellation, is Geoffrey third Son of this Geoffrey V.
Yet muff the Name be much more ancient than either of thefe Princes, if what Skinner fays of its Origin and Ety- mology be true. — That Author tells us, that the Houfe of Anjou derived the Name from a Prince thereof, who having kili'd his Brother to enjoy his Principality, took to Repen- tance, and made a Voyage to the Holy Land to expiate his Crime; difciplining himfelf every Night with a Rod made of the Plant Genet, Genifta, Broom ; whence he became nick-named Plant a-genit.
Now, 'tis certain that our Geoffrey made the Tour of Je- rufalem; but then he did not kill his Brother ; nor did he go there out of Penance, but to affift King Amauris his Bro- ther. — Who then fhould this Prince of the Houfe of Anjou be ? Was it Fulk IV ? 'Tis true he difpoffefs'd his elder Bro- ther Geoffrey, and clapt him in Prifon, but did not kill him-, nay, Bourdigne obferves, he was even releafed out of the fame by his Son Geoffrey V. already mentioned.
Further, this Fulk did make a Journey to Jerufalem, and that, too, partly out of a penitential View •, we are affured by Bourdigne, he did it out of Apprehenfion of the Judgments of God and eternal Damnation, for the great Effufion of Chriftian Blood, in the many mortal Battles he had been in.
The Annalift adds, that he made a fecond Voyage ; but
'twas to return God Thanks for his Mercies, &c. To which we may add, that Fulk was never call'd Plantagenet ; fo that what Skinner advances appears to be a Fable.
There is another common Opinion which appears no bet- ter founded ", and 'tis this, that the Name Plantagenet was common to all the Princes of the Houfe of Anjou, after Geof- frey V •, whereas in Fact the Name was only given to a few ; and that, as it fhould feem, to diftinguifh them from the reft. Thus Bourdigne never applies it to any but the third Son of Geoffrey V ; and diftinguifhes him by this Appellation from
the other Princes of the fame Family. Tho' 'tis certain
■t was likewife given to the elder Brother, Henry of England, as before obferved.
PLANTAR! S, in Anatomy, a Mufde which has a fl s fj. v Beginning, 'from the back part of the external Protuberance of the Thigh-bone, and defending a little way between the Gemellus and Soleus, becomes along and (lender Tendon which marches by the infide of the great Tendon over the Os Calcis to the bottom of the Foot •, and expands itfelf undeir the Sole, Upon the Mufculus perforatus, to which it adheres clofelyj as the Palmaris does in the Hand. See Poor Palmaris, &Ci '
Some reckon this among the Extenders of the Foot. See Extensor.
PLANTAT ION, in the Colonies, a Spot of Ground which fome Planter or Perfon arrived in a new Colony pitches on to cultivate and till for his oWii Ufe. See C 0- 10m.
_ PLANTING, in Agriculture and Gardening, the fet. iing of a Tree, or Plant, taken up from its former Place, in a new Hole or Pit proportionable to its Bulk ', throwing frefh Earth over its Root, and filling up the Hole to the Level of the other Ground. See Plant, Trasksplantingj Gardening,^.
Planting an Orchard. See Orchard.
Planting of Forejl-Trees. See Seminary, Tree, &c.
Planting of Wall-Fruit-Trees. After 2 Years Growth'
in the Nurfery, Stone-Fruit, being firft inoculated or grafted* ate ready for Removal ; which is beft done in October or No- vember.
To prepare the Soil for its new Gueft ; a Hole is dug 2 foot deep; Or if the Soil be not very good, the Pit is made fhallower, and Earth rais'd above it.— With the Soil dug up< they frequently mix either a rich Soil from elfewhcre ; or a Manure, fo as the Mixture be at leaft as rich as the Soil out of which the Plant came.
The Hole being half fill'd up with this Compoft, it is trodden down, to afford a firm Red: to the Root, all the Extremities whereof are cut off, and the Tree fitted to the Wall by cutting off fiich Branches as grow direclly either towards or from-wards the Wall, and leaving only the fide Branches, which are to be nailed to it.
This done, the Tree is fet in its Hole, as fir from the Wall as is confident with the Heads fpreading thereon ; that the Root may have the more room backwards, and the Hole then fill'd up with the Compoft;
If the Soil be poor 'tis proper to manure round the Tree 5 and in the end of February, to cover it with Fern or Straw. —Twill be neceffary to prune and nail the Tree to the Wall, at leaft twice or thrice every Year. See Wall- Fruit.
Keverfe-PumiyG, is a Method of Planting wherein the Ordinary Pofition of the Plant , or Shoot, is inverted ; the Branches being fet in the Earth, and the Roots rear'd into the Air.
Agricola mentions this monftroiis Way of planting, which he affures us fucceeds very well in moft, or all forts of Fruit-Trees, Timber-Trees, &c. foreign and domeftick.
Bradley affirms us to have feen a Lime-Tree in Holland growing with its firft Roots in the Air, which had fhot out Branches in great Plenty ; at the fame time that its firft Branches were turned into Roots and fed the Tree.
The induftrious Mr. Fahchdd has praftifed the Cime at home ; and gives us the following Directions for the Per- formance thereof.
Chufe a young Tree of one Shoot, of Alder, Elm, Wil- low, or any other Tree that takes root readily by laying. Bend the Shoot gently down till the extreme Part be in ths
Earth, and fo let it remain till it has taken good Root
This done, dig about the firft Roof, and gently take it up' out of the Ground till the Stem be nearly upright ; in which ftate ftake it up
Then prune the Roots, now ersaed in the Air, from the Bruifes andWounds they received in being dug up ; and anoint the pruned Part with a Compofition of 4 Parts of Bees-Wax, 2 of Rofin, and 2 of Turpentine, melted together and ap- plied pretty warm — Then prune off all the Buds or Shoots upon the Stem, and drefs the Wounds with the fame Compo- fition, to prevent any collateral Shootings; and leave the reft to Nature. See Fecundity.
P l a n t 1 n g, in Architeaure, denotes the difpofing of the firft Courfes offolid Stone on theMafonry of the Foun- dation, laid level according to the Meafures, with all the Exactnefs poffible. See Foundation, Building, House,
PLASM, Plasma, a Mould, wherein any Metal, or fuch like running Matter, which will afterward harden, is caft. See Mould; fee alfo Plastic.
PLASTER, orPLAisTER, in Building, a Compo- fition of Lime, fometimes with Hair, fometimes with Sand, &c. to parget or cover the Nudities of a Building. See Pargeting.
Plaster of Paris, is a Foffil-Stone, of the Nature of a Lime-ftone; ferving many Purpofes in building; and ufed likewife in Sculpture, to mould and make Statues, B3ffo
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