294 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



OXE 



house shrubs. Many have tuberous roots, 

 others are bulbs. Some are tender, others pei-- 

 fectly hardy. The flowers are always hand- 

 some in form and beautiful in color. The 

 leaves vary considerably, but they are most 

 commonly trifoliate and slightly acid. Many of 

 the species are grown in the green-house, one of 

 the most useful being O.floribunda, which was 

 introduced from Brazil in 1829. This very beau- 

 tiful species requires protection during winter. 

 It has bright rose-colored flowers, which are 

 produced in great abundance during nearly 

 the whole year. There is a variety of this 

 species with pure white flowers. Both are 

 rapidly increased by division of the root. 

 Of the bulbous species, O. Bowiei is decidedly 

 the handsomest. The flowers are large and 

 of a most brilliant rose color, and produced 

 in the greatest profusion. This is generally 

 cultivated as a green-house species ; it will, 

 however, endure our winters if planted in a 

 rockery or in the border; and so tenacious is 

 it of life that it will dispute possession with 

 almost any other plant in the bed. This 

 species was introduced from the Cape of Good 

 Hope in 1824. O. tetraphylla, four leaved 

 (syn. O. Deppei), and O. lasiandra (woolly- 

 stamened) continue in bloom nearly all sum- 

 mer and are very effective jjlanted in groups in 

 the herbaceous border or rockworli. The 

 bulbs require to be taken up and kept from 

 frost during winter. One of the most desir- 

 able for conservatory decoration is 0. lutea, 

 another Cape species, with large terminal 

 clusters of golden yellow flowers, on long 

 slender scapes; there is a beautiful double 

 variety of this species. O. Valdiviensis is a 

 charming little hardy, annual spt'cies with 

 bright yellow flowers ; introduced from Chili 

 in 1862. O. versicolor is still another beau- 

 tiful species. It requires the sunlight to ex- 

 pand its flowers; but they are generally 

 thought to be more beautiful when closed 

 than when open. The colors are crimson, 

 white, and a pale shade of yellow. It is 

 rapidly increased by offsets. A. acetosella, 

 our common Wood Sorrel, is a native of Great 

 Britain, and by naturalization has become 

 common throughout the States. All the 

 species under cultivation are either from the 

 Cape of Good Hope or South America, and all 

 alike are of easy culture. 



Oxe'ra. From oxeros, sour ; in allusion to the 

 a(;rid taste. Nat. Ord. Verbenacece. 



A genus of about ten species of climbing 

 shrubs, natives of New Caledonia. O. pul- 

 chella, the only species yet in cultivation, is a 

 very handsome, green-house climber, with 

 large, yellowish-white flowers, two inches 

 long, between funnel and bell-shaped, and is 

 of easy culture ; increased by cuttings. 



Ox-eye. See Heliopsis. 



Ox-eye Daisy. See Leucanthemum. 



Oxlip. Primula elatior. 



Oxya'nthus. From oxys, sharp, and anthos, a 

 flower ; referring to the sharp-toothed calyx 

 and corolla. Nat. Ord. Rubiacece. 



A genus of white-flowered evergreen shrubs 

 from Sierra Leone, allied to Gardenia, and 

 requiring the same treatment in cultivation 

 and propagation. 



Oxyco'ccus. Cranberry. From oxys, sharp, 

 and kokkos, a berry ; sharp acid taste of the 

 berries. Nat. Ord. Vacciniac&s. 



OXY 



" The Cranberry is a familiar trailing shrub, 

 growing wild in swampy, sandy meadows and 

 mossy bogs in the northern portions of both 

 hemispheres, and produces a round, red, acid 

 fruit. Our native species, O. macrocarpus, so 

 common in the swamps of New England, and 

 on the borders of our inland lakes, as to form 

 quite au article of commerce, is much the 

 largest and finest species ; the European 

 Cranberry, O. palustris, being much smaller in 

 its growth, and producing fruit inferior in size 

 and quality. The Russian, O. viridis, is also a 

 medium-sized variety. Of O. macrocarpua, 

 there are three varieties : the ' Bell-shaped,' 

 which is the largest and most valued, of a 

 very dark, bright red color; the 'Cherry,' 

 two kinds, large and small ; the large one the 

 best, of a round form, a fine, dark, red berry, 

 nearly or quite equal to the Bell-shaped ; and 

 the Bugle Oval, or Egg-shaped, two kinds, 

 large and small, not so highly colored as the 

 Bell or Cherry, and not so much prized, but 

 still a fine variety." — Downing. Cranberry 

 culture, where the conditions are favorable, 

 is very profitable ; and as the subject is 

 receiving much attention, both in this 

 country and in Europe, it may be of service 

 to give a few facts in regard to the best 

 methods of raising Cranberries successfully. 

 The selection of land for the cultivation and 

 growing of the plants is the first considera- 

 tion ; for, unless it is adapted to their growth, 

 it will be useless to plant them. The soil 

 best adapted is low, moist land, suitably 

 drained, so that the water will be from twelve 

 to eighteen inches lower than the surface of 

 the ground. They will grow on moderately 

 damp soil that can be plowed or cultivated, so 

 as to make it friable and soft, or on the 

 borders of streams or ditches, as the plant 

 draws its nourishment from air and water ; 

 light sandy soil or muck covered with two 

 or three inches of sand is the best adapted to 

 their culture. They will not do well on d/ry 

 sand or clay. If planted on rich muck or 

 loam, they grow rank and strong, sometimes 

 eight or ten feet, and cover the ground with a 

 net of vines three or four inches thick. As 

 the fruit grows on the end of the shoot, the 

 rank growth throws out but few buds ; but if 

 sanded over, the shoots are of short growth, 

 and throw out more and stronger fruit buds. 

 There are large portions of land all over our 

 country that is now of but little value, too 

 wet or too cold for grass, that would grow 

 large quantities of fruit, if properly prepared 

 by draining and sanding. In preparing the 

 ground, if it be wet and spongy, it should be 

 well drained, so as to leave the water about 

 ten or twelve inches below the surface. It 

 can then be prepared by burning over and 

 removing the top soil, carting it off for com- 

 post, or burning when it is dry ; by leveling 

 the ground, and covering it with pure sand 

 (free from seeds or weeds), two or three 

 inches deep, to keep the surface loose, and to 

 prevent foul grass from choking the plants. 

 Some growers prefer to put on two or three 

 inches of sand (on the ice), and after two 

 years' growth, to put on one or two inches 

 more, which, we think, is an improvement. 

 The sand should not be mixed with the soil, 

 but placed in a layer of two inches over it ; it 

 will thus keep down all weeds. The roots of 

 the Cranberry are very fine, and do not retain 



