PAPPUS, in botany, thistle-down, a sort of feathery or hairy crown, with which many seeds, particularly those of com pound flowers, are furnished, for the purpose of dissemination. A seed sur mounted by its pappus resembles a shut tle-cock, so that it is naturally framed for flying, and for being transported by the wind to very considerable distances from its parent plant. By this contri vance of nature, the dandelion, ground.
sel, &c. are disseminated far and wide. In some plants, as hawk-weed, the pap pus adheres immediately to the seed ; in others, as lettuce, it is elevated upon a foot-stalk, which connects it with the seeds. In the first case it is called pappus sessilis ; in the second, pappus stipita tus : the foot-stalk, or thread, upon which it is raised is termed " stipes." PAR, in commerce, signifies any two things equal in value ; and in money af fairs, it is so much as a person must give of one kind of specie to render it just equivalent to a certain quantity of ano ther. In the exchange of money with
foreign countries, the person to whom a bill is payable is supposed to receive the same value as was paid the drawer by the remitter ; but this is not always the case, with respect to the intrinsic value of the coins of different countries, which is owing to the fluctuation in the prices of exchange amongst the several European countries, and the great trading cities. The par, therefore, differs from the course of exchange in this, that the par of ex change shews what other nations should, allow in exchange, which is rendered certain and fixed by the intrinsic value of the several species to be exchanged : but the course shews what they will allow in exchange ; which is uncertain and contingent, sometimes more, and some times less ; and hence the exchange is sometimes above, and sometimes under par. See EXCHANGE.