264 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
OUVIRANDRA, 
is used in several ways. They are mostly 
tall growers, with thin straight stems that 
bear good-sized pinnate leaves. 
For propagation and cultivation, see 
Palms, general details of culture. 
(E. Batava. <A stately species that 
attains a considerable height, but which 
may be kept within reasonable bounds for 
some time under pot culture. A native of 
South America. 
(EZ. dealbatus. A species that attains 
a moderate size, and is distinct-looking 
when it has advanced beyond the early 
stages of growth. From the Amazon 
country. 
(@. frigidus. A free-growing species that 
forms a handsome head of leaves. Tropical 
America. 
OREOPANAX. 
A genus of evergreen, ornamental- 
leaved plants nearly allied to the Aralias, 
in appearance not unlike <A. Sieboldii. 
They do the best in an intermediate tem- 
perature ; in other matters treat as advised 
tor stove Aralias, which see. 
O. dactylifolium. A handsome, large- 
leavee plant, with palmate, deeply-lobed 
leaves. Introduced from Mexico. 
O. plantanifolium. A pretty kind, with 
general habit somewhat like O. dactyli- 
folium. From Peru. 
Insects.—The juices of these plants are 
little suited to the tastes of insects, but 
thrips sometimes affect them, for which 
sponge and syringe freely. 
OTHONNA CRASSIFOLIA. 
An evergreen plant, from the Cape of 
Good Hope, with scandent habit. It is of 
no particular merit, but is sometimes used 
as a greenhouse climber. It can be in- 
creased by cuttings in spring in the usual 
way, and grown on in a pot until it is large 
enough for planting out. 
The flowers are yellow, produced in 
autumn. 
Insects.—Nothing interferes much with 
this plant except red spider or aphides ; 
should the former be troublesome syringe 
freely ; for aphides fumigate. 
OUVIRANDRA. 
Among the most singular of all vegetable 
productions are the Ouvirandras or Lattice 
Plants. They are stove aquatics whose leaves 
float near the top of the water in which 
they grow, but not quite on the surface. 
The water should not be very deep, for 
the plants are not large growers — the 
leaves of a healthy, well-grown specimen 
rarely attain a length of more than 12 or 
15 inches, and are borne on foot-stalks not 
nearly so long as the leaf-blade. Coming 
as they do from Madagascar, a country 
proverbial for its high temperature, it 
follows that under cultivation Lattice 
Plants must be continuously in water 
kept at something approaching a uniform 
temperature. Another matter of impor- 
tance is that the water should be clean and 
without sediment, otherwise the deposit 
left on the leaves would not only spoil 
their appearance, but also cause them to 
decay prematurely. 
These Ouvirandras can be increased by 
division of the crowns, but we much prefer 
seedlings, which are produced freely from 
self-sown seeds wherever the plants are 
crown well, and have sufficient room. 
They can, however, be induced to grow 
freely in a moderate space, such as a tub 3 
feet or so in diameter and 2 feet deep. In 
the bottom of this should be put a mound 
of loam about 6 or 8 inches deep and a foot in 
diameter ; in this the young plant should 
be placed and the soil just pressed around 
it, the surface of the mound being left 
quite smooth ; then fill up with water ata 
temperature of 80°, introducing it very 
gently, so as not to displace the soil. The 
vessel thus furnished should be set over, or 
as close as possible to, the hot-water pipes, 
so that the water in which the plant is 
immersed may be kept at an even tem- 
perature ; this is best secured by growing 
it in something that will hold a consider- 
able body of water, such as a slate or lead 
cistern about 3 feet square; in that case 
the plant can be put in a pot, and the pot 
placed on another inverted in the tank, 
and then the leaves will not be too deep in 
the water. Some fresh water at a tem- 
perature of 80° should be added three or 
four times a week, so as to cause a moderate 
portion to run over ; in this way the water 
will be regularly renewed, and kept in a 
fresh, clear condition. 
Little further is required, except that if 
the water, notwithstanding the precaution 
suggested, happens to get foul, it should be 
completely changed, and the leaves very 
carefully sponged, so as to remove all 
slimy matter from them. These plants, 
however, rarely do well if the water cannot 
be kept clean without entire renewal. We 
have spoken of Ouvirandras as requiring 
the water kept in a continuously warm 
state. This cannot well be done except in 
a house in which a high temperature is 
maintained, and unless such is at com- 
mand it is of little use attempting their 
cultivation. Where the plants have plenty 
