59 



OPUNTIA TUNA, Mill. 

 Prickly pear. 



Native of West Indies, and tropical America. 



A cactus 3 or 4 feet high, spines 4 or 5 in a cluster, yellowish 

 flowers yellow of 3 or 4 inches diam. 



" The plant roasted is applied as a poultice to indolent swellings 

 and foul sores. 



The young joints are sometimes employed as a substitute for ochras 

 to thicken soup. 



The fruit is insipid, but is said to possess astringent properties. It 

 is principally employed to give a crimson colour to liqueurs, and to 

 the fruits used in confectionery." (Macfayden.) 



Plants used for hedges. 



On it, and on 0. coccinellifera, the coccus insect lives, which yields 

 the cochineal dye. 



ORANGE. See Citrus Aurantium. 



ORYZA SATIVA, Linn. 



Rice. 



Native of India and China. An annual grass. (Graminece.) 

 Seeds (Rice) contain a larger proportion of starch (85 to 90 per 

 cent.) than other cereals, much less nitrogenous substances (7 per cent.), 

 and less of fatty matters (0.8 per cent.), and inorganice consti- 

 tuents. Rice is therefore less nutritive, and yet it is more largely 

 used as food than any other grain. 



PAPAW. See Carica Papaya. 



PARROT WEED. See Bocconia frutbscbns. 



PASSIFLORA EDULIS, Sims. 



Mountain Sweet Cup. 



Native of Andes. Naturalised in Blue mountains. 

 A passion- flower with lobed leaves and whitish flowers ; fruit egg- 

 shaped, purplish, with hard shell. (Possifloracece) 

 Fruit edible pulp. 



PASSIFLORA LAURIFOLIA, Linn. 



Water-Lemon, Pomme d'Or. 



Native of West Indies and tropical America. 



A passion-flower ; leaves oval, entire ; flowers white with red blotches 

 crown violet with white streaks ; fruit egg-shaped, of an orange-yellow 

 colour, and soft rind. (Pas&ifloracece.) 



Fruit edible pulp. 



