PICEA (PEE-say-a)
PINACEAE. Attractive N. Hemisphere, conifers with pendulous cones. Grown for ornament or timber. Most soils and zones, and easy from seed.
—Picea likiangensis. (100) PICA-26. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $12.00
'LIJIANG SPRUCE'. Tree to 100 feet, with green to blue-green 1/2" needles. Grey scaly bark and 3" cones that may be reddish or purple when young. SW China and Tibet. Zone 7. "In April and May when loaded with its male flowers and brilliant red young cones it is spectacularly beautiful."—Hilliers. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.

PIMPINELLA (pim-pi-NEL-a)
UMBELLIFERAE. Herbs with white or yellow flowers in umbels, and feathery leaves. Best sown directly to not-too-rich soil. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.
—Pimpinella Anisum. (1000) PIM-1. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $6.00, 1/4 Pound: $15.00
'ANISE'. White flowers. A dainty annual to 1 1/2 - 2 feet, with feathery bright green leaves. Greece to Egypt. Grown for the popular seeds used as a condiment for bread, pastries and cheese, to flavor liqueurs, and medicinally. Known to the ancient Greeks, it is mentioned by Dioscorides, Theophrastus, and Pliny. The leaves may be used in salads. Medicinally the seeds and oil are used as estrogenic agents to promote milk secretion, regulate and promote menstruation, ease birth, and allay symptoms of menopause. A number of synthetic estrogens were originally modeled after the estrogenic compounds found in the oil. Anise still has merit in that it is non-carcinogenic, has low toxicity, and is gentle in action. Not to mention you don't need a prescription, and it is low cost. See: 'Fennel and Anise as Estrogenic Agents'. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (1980) Vol. 2, pages 337 - 344.

PINELLIA (pi-NELL-ee-a)
ARACEAE. Ornamental E. Asian summer-growing arums. Best in moist part shade.
—Pinellia pedatisecta. (20) PINE-19. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $5.00, 5 grams: $10.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are available
Click for photo »
Small light green 7" hoods in summer, with a long, wiry tail that curves down then up 6". Divided 6" leaves. Hardy perennial to 18". N. and W. China. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
NEW—Pinellia tripartia 'Atropurpurea'. (20) PINE-24A. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
'PURPLE DRAGON'. Purple 4" spathes in spring and summer, with long green tails. Bulb to 18", with shiny three-parted leaves. Japan. Zone 5. Stands shade.

PINUS (PEE-nus or PYE-nus)
PINACEAE. North Hemisphere evergreen conifers. The pines are popular and widely adapted. Valuable for timber, ornament, fuelwood, rosin, turpentine, and edible seeds. Best in well-drained soil.
—Pinus aristata. (25) PINU-2. Packet: $2.50
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_aristata.php
'BRISTLECONE PINE'. Small tree to 10 - 50 feet with stark green 1 1/2" needles and 3 1/2" cones. SW U.S. Zone 3. Slow growing and long lived, up to 2000 years. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks, no prechill.
—Pinus attenuata. (25) PINU-6. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $7.50
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_attenuata.php
Tree: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=7335+3182+4411+0061
Branch with cones: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0602+0342
'KNOB-CONE PINE'. Small tree to 6 - 40, even 80 feet, with slender light green 3 - 7" needles and 6" cones. Oregon and California. Zone 6. Germinates in 2 - 8 weeks with no prechill.
—Pinus Cembra v. sibirica. (20) PINU-138. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $10.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are available
Nice photos on a Czech site: http://botany.cz/cs/pinus-cembra-sibirica/
'SIBERIAN PINE'. Extremely hardy form of the stone pine, to Zone 1. Cones slightly larger. Seeds edible, containing up to 64% oil, pressed for cooking. Tea of the young needles is vitamin-rich. Give seed a prolonged prechill and hold pots several years.
—Pinus clausa 'Choctawhatchee'. (25) PINU-14. Packet: $2.50
'CHOCTAWHATCHEE SAND PINE'. Needles are dark green, 3" long, and 3" cones. Small tree to 30 feet. Sandy soil, Florida. Zone 7. Has been grown as far north as Tennessee. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Pinus durangensis. (10) PINU-16. Packet: $2.50
Info and photos: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_durangensis.php
'DURANGO PINE'. Dark green 6 - 10" needles and 3" cones. Tree to 130 feet, with grey-brown bark. Mts. of W. México. Zone 8. The only pine with needles in sixes. Germinates in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Pinus kesiya. (50) PINU-30. Packet: $2.50
'KHASI PINE' . To 100 feet, with slender 9" needles and 3" cones. SE Asia. Zone 9. Fast growing, good timber producer for warm regions. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
—Pinus Lambertiana. (15) PINU-32. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $14.00
Photo: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1202+0928
Cones: http://www.esacademic.com/pictures/eswiki/83/Sugarpine.jpg
'SUGAR PINE'. The tallest pine, to 220 feet, with 2 - 4" needles and 8 - 24" long cones, the largest in the genus. Oregon to Baja. Zone 7. The large seeds are eaten, and it exudes a sweet sap. Give 2 - 3 month prechill 10 germinate in a month.
—Pinus leiophylla. (50) PINU-34. Packet: $2.50
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_leiophylla.php
'CHIHUAHUAN PINE', 'OCOTE CHINO'. To 100 feet, with 4 - 6" grey-green needles and 3" cones. Arizona to México. Zone 7. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks.
—Pinus Massoniana. (50) PINU-37. Packet: $2.50
'CHINESE RED PINE'. To 80 feet, with thin, light green 8" needles and 3" cones. China. Zone 7. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
—Pinus Mugo Mughus. (25) PINU-44. Packet: $3.00
5 grams: $10.00
'DWARF SWISS MOUNTAIN PINE'. Low shrub to 4 feet, with crowded 2" needles and 2" cones. Alps. Zone 3. Very ornamental. Produces Hungarian terebinth. Germinates in 2 - 24 weeks warm.
—Pinus oocarpa. (10) PINU-50. Packet: $2.50
'OCOTE CHINO'. Stiff, sea-green 12" needles and 3" cones. Tree to 80 feet, México to Honduras. Zone 9. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
—Pinus Pinea. (10) PINU-62. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Pound: $20.00
'ITALIAN STONE PINE', 'UMBRELLA PINE'. Round-topped tree to 40 - 80 feet, with stiff, bright to grey green 8" needles, and 4" cones. Mediterranean. Cultivated for the large, sweet, edible nuts. Considered sacred to Poseidon by the ancient Greeks. Zone 8. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks warm. Some lots are sensitive to warm temperatures and need cool temperatures to germinate.
—Pinus Roxburghii. (=longifolia) (25) PINU-72. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: 5.00, 1/4 Pound: $15.00
'CHIR' or 'EMODI PINE'. Beautiful Himalayan pine to 80 feet, with long, drooping, light green 12" needles and 7" cones. Zone 6. The seeds are eaten in India. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks with no prechill needed.
—Pinus tabulaeformis. (50) PINU-77. Packet: $2.50
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_tabuliformis.php
Photo: http://www.plantphoto.cn/tu.aspx?id=87950
Photo of needles and cones: http://www.plantphoto.cn/tu.aspx?id=28060
'CHINESE RED PINE'. To 80 feet, with 4-6" needles and 3" cones. Northern China. Zone 4 or 5. Germinates in 2 - 4 weeks warm.
—Pinus taiwanensis. (50) PINU-79. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $14.00
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_taiwanensis.php
'TAIWAN PINE'. To 100 feet or more, with 4 1/2" needles and 2" cones. Endemic to the mountains of Taiwan. Zone 8. Germinates in 1 - 4 weeks.
—Pinus tecunumanii. (50) PINU-80. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $14.00
Info: http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_tecunumanii.php
'PINABETE', 'PINO OCOTE'. To 180 feet, with 6 - 11" needles and long-stalked 2 - 4" cones. SE México. Zone 8. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks warm.
—Pinus Torreyana. (10) PINU-97. Packet: $4.00
'TORREY PINE'. Small round-headed tree to 60 feet, often gnarled in the wild. Stiff dark green 8 - 12" needles and round 6" cones. Rare endemic, only a few thousand trees occur in a small spot on the San Diego coast and on Santa Rosa Island. Large edible seeds. Zone 7. Germinates in 4 - 6 weeks and a 4 week prechill often helps.

PITHECELLOBIUM (pi-the-se-LO-be-um)
LEGUMINOSAE. Ornamental broad-headed tropical and subtropical trees with puff-like flowers and pinnate leaves. Easily grown in warm regions. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 4 weeks.
NEW—Pithecellobium dulce. (20) PITH-4. Packet: $2.50
'GUAMUCHIL'. Yellow puff-like flowers on a broad-crowned tree to 45 feet or more, with oval leaves. Mexico. Zone 8 - 10. The pods turn red when ripe, and the pulp is sweet and eaten with salt, chile, and lemon, or made into a lemonade. Good firewood crop, and the seeds produce an oil. Drought resistant, likes heat, and good in low desert areas. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks.

PLATYCODON (pla-te-KO-don)
CAMPANULACEAE. 'BALLOON FLOWER'. A single species. A showy hardy perennial thriving in well drained sandy loam. Easy from seed; blooms the second year. The flower buds are inflated and balloon-like before they open. Allow stems to die back in fall. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at warm temperatures. Do not cover seed. The young leaves are used in salads in Japan. Native to eastern Asia.
—Platycodon grandiflorus 'Florist Blue'. (100) PLTY-1B. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'BLUE BALLOON FLOWER' Large blue 3" flowers. Showy perennial to 2 feet. Zone 4. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Platycodon grandiflorus 'Fuji Pink'. (100) PLTY-1FP. Packet: $2.50
'FLORIST PINK'. Large pink 3" flowers. Showy perennial to 20". Zone 3. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.

PODOLOBIUM: See Oxylobium.

POGOSTEMON (po-go-STEM-on)
LABIATAE. Tropical Asian herbs for fragrance.
—Pogostemon cablin. (300) POGO-6. Packet: $3.00
1/4 gram: $18.00, Gram: $50.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are available
'TRUE PATCHOULI'. Tropical shrublet to 2 - 3 feet with very fragrant mauve flowers in 1 - 3" spikes, and 2 - 4" leaves. East Indies. Zone 9b or 10. The main source of patchouli oil. Used for fragrance, medicinally, and seasoning. Smells like a VW bus full of hippies. Best in warm places with part shade. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks. Aged seed best, and light and GA-3 helps.
Info and photos link: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53931/
—Pogostemon heyneanus. (200) POGO-11. Packet: $3.00
1/4 gram: $12.00, Gram: $35.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are available
'INDIAN PATCHOULI'. Small purple flowers in spikes on a shrubby tropical perennial to 5 - 6 feet, with highly fragrant leaves. Tropical Asia. Zone 10. Prefers full to part shade, good houseplant. One of the sources of patchouli oil. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks.

POINCIANA (poin-see-A-na)
LEGUMINOSAE. Showy warm-region small broad-crowned trees and shrubs with feathery pinnate foliage and spectacular flowers. Fast growing heat lovers, best in well-drained soil. Drought-resistant thriving in hot sun and warm regions, north to Oregon. Easy in pots in the greenhouse. Easy from seed, grow like Caesalpinia, which see.
—Poinciana Gilliesii. (=Caesalpinia Gilliesii) (10) POIN-2. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $9.00, 1/4 Pound: $30.00
Click for photos »
'BIRD of PARADISE BUSH'. Striking flowers with 3 - 5" long bright red stamens from 5-petaled yellow flowers in dense clusters. Blooms all summer. Shrub or small tree with feathery foliage. South America. Fast growing to 10 to 20 feet or so. An excellent ornamental, good in desert areas and the South, but grown as far north as Oregon. Zone 8. Easy in pots in the greenhouse in the North, and said to be possible as an annual if started early. The stamens have been used as a saffron substitute. "A very showy and worthy plant."—L. H. Bailey. Nick seed, germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
—Poinciana pulcherrima. (=Caesalpinia pulcherrima) (10) POIN-4. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $9.00
Click for photo »
'PRIDE OF BARBADOS', 'DWARF POINCIANA', 'FLOWER FENCE'. Striking flowers with red crinkled petals edged yellow, and bright 2 1/2" red stamens. Dense shrub to 10 feet with delicate dark green feathery foliage. West Indies. Zone 9. Fast growing, good hedge or screen in warm regions, blooming throughout warm weather. Stands some frost. Sacred in India. The seed and pods yield tannin and dye, and the orange colored wood is carbonized for ink in India. Leaves used as a fish poison in Guatemala. All parts have medicinal uses, and extracts have shown antiviral effects. Nick seed to germinate in 2 - 3 weeks.
—Poinciana regia: See Delonix regia.

POLEMONIUM (po-le-MO-nee-um)
POLEMONIACEAE. Mostly easily grown perennials for the border. Blue, yellow or purplish flowers. Best from fall-sown seed in rich loam. Common kinds germinate in 1 - 4 weeks at warm.
—Polemonium yezoense 'Purple Rain Strain'. (50) POLE-28P. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
Large violet inch-wide flowers in June and July. Hardy perennial to 20", with pinnate leaves. Japan. Zone 4. Until early summer the whole plant is reddish-purple, making a nice display. Germinates in 1 - 6 weeks or so.

POLYGONUM (po-lee-GO-num)
POLYGONACEAE. Annuals and perennials grown for their abundant bloom and attractive foliage. They range from dry, rocky areas to deep woods, to aquatic habitats. Easily grown in the border and wild garden; some are good ground covers or great in hanging baskets. Various species provide food, in the form of seeds, greens or roots, or forage, medicine and dyes. Researchers might find this vigorous group a fertile source of new crops. Most germinate in 2 - 3 weeks, some up to 2 months. Seed viable up to 25 years.
—Polygonum tinctorium. (50) POLY-46. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $15.00
'JAPANESE INDIGO', 'DYER'S KNOTWEED', 'AI' (Japan). Bright pink flowers in dense 3 1/2" spikes. Hardy annual to 2 - 3 feet. China. The leaves produce a beautiful blue dye of commercial importance in the Orient. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.

POLYSTICHUM (po-LIS-ti-kum)
POLYPODIACEAE. Mostly temperate zone woodland ferns grown for ornament. Easily grown. Prefers limestone and leafmold. See Fern Spores for germination.
—Polystichum munitum. (10,000) POLYS-12. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $7.50
'GIANT HOLLY FERN', 'WESTERN SWORD FERN'. Large, deep green, pinnate, leathery evergreen fronds to 10" wide, in large clumps to 3 to 5 feet tall. Striking and hardy, living to great age. Alaska to California. The thick roots were peeled and roasted in embers or cooked like potatoes with salmon eggs by Northwest Indians. Said to have a banana-like flavor. I've got to try it someday! Spores germinate in 2 weeks, prothallia form in the next few weeks or so.

PONCIRUS (pon-SIR-us)
RUTACEAE. A single species of hardy citrus.
—Poncirus trifoliata. (20) PONC-4. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $6.00, Pound: $40.00 BULK OUT OF STOCK - packets are available
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'TRIFOLIATE ORANGE.' Large white fragrant 2" flowers before the leaves, followed by very fragrant 2" fruits. Deciduous small tree to 15 feet, hardy to Chicago. Zone 5. Makes a nice, deer-proof 'living barbed wire fence' planted 2 feet apart. Fruits make a nice juice, best if squeezed a few weeks after picking. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks, best in the dark, cover seed well.
Photo and information links:
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/poncirustrifoliata/poncirus.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14734210 "Poncirus trifoliata fruit induces apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia cells." Poncirus fruit is used against cancer in Korea, and here is research showing it has activity against leukemia.
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Poncirus+trifoliata A good overview of uses of Poncirus.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874196014511 "Anti-anaphylactic activity of Poncirus trifoliata fruit extract." The extract prevented anaphylactic shock in rats.
—Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'. (20) PONC-4F. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $8.00, Pound: $80.00
Seed stored moist and refrigerated.
'FLYING DRAGON TRIFOLIATE ORANGE.' Striking variety with curly stems and hooked thorns, making a stunning display when leafless in winter. Large white fragrant 2" flowers before the leaves, followed by very fragrant 2" fruits ("Dragon's Eggs"). Deciduous small tree to 8 feet (smaller than the type, so easier to keep trimmed), hardy to Chicago. Zone 5. Makes a nice, deer-proof 'living barbed wire fence' planted 2 feet apart, and because the thorns are curved, they are not a hazard to tractor tires if branches get left on the ground after trimming. Fruits make a nice juice, best if squeezed a few weeks after picking. Comes 95% true from seed. Germinates in 3 - 8 weeks, best in the dark, cover seed well.
Photo and information links:
http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/poncirus-trifoliata-or-flying-dragon.html Great photos!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31545/
For wholesale mail-order bare-root one-year old seedlings for planting hedges (about 6" tall, with 6" roots, $2.00 each in lots of 50 or more, plus postage), contact Adam Turtle of Earth Advocates Research Farm, 30 Myers Road, Summertown, TN 38483-7323, Phone 1-931-964-4151 (7AM to 5PM Central Time).

Dragon's Egg Pie by Sue Turtle
Version 1

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk.
1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh squeezed juice from the Dragon's Egg (the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon' - takes about 10 - 15 fruit).
4 egg yolks.

Whip/blend (I use the blender) the yolks, then add the milk. Add the juice until just mixed.

Pour into a 9" graham cracker crumb crust. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

(This pie can be made with key limes if one wishes, but the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon' makes the best pie.)

Version 2

5 egg yolks (beat 3-5 minutes until thickened (I use the blender).
Slowly add in one 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk.
Then add in 3/4 cup fresh Flying Dragon fruit juice and whir just to blend.

In a separate bowl beat 3 of the egg whites until they form soft peaks and waver gently on the beater (DO NOT OVER-BEAT) Whites should be firm but not stiff. Fold the white gently and thoroughly into the other mixture.

Spoon at once into a graham cracker crumb crust shell (can be precooked or not but if pre-cooked - allow to cool).

Bake 20 minutes at 325° for about 20 minutes (in the center of the oven).

If you like you can cover with Meringue topping using the 2 remaining egg whites.
Meringue topping

Beat 2 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy.
Beat in 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
Continue beating until stiff and glossy.
DO NOT UNDER-BEAT.
Beat in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

Heap onto the hot pie filling and spread over filling - carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes until delicately brown.

Cool away from draft.