1900 SUPPLEMENT—RECENT 
Onychium—continued. 
year round. The same compost snits them both, viz., 
a mixture of fibrous loam, peat, or leaf-mould, and silver- 
sand, in abont equal proportions. Both shouldbe potted 
loosely, as they have a great aversion to hard soil at any 
time. Care must also be taken to ensure their fronds 
being kept dry at all seasons, as if allowed to get wet 
they soon turn to a darkish-brown colour and begin to 
decay. O. japonicum is easily propagated from spores, 
which germinate freely, or by division; but the same 
cannot be said of O. awratum: the fact of its forming 
only single crowns prevents its increase by division. The 
only mode of dealing effectually with this handsome 
species is, therefore, by means of seedlings, which come 
up freely enough, but which haye a natural tendency 
to damp off just above ground while in a young state. 
In potting or planting O. auratum, the utmost care 
should be taken to keep the crown well above the 
surface of the soil, which must be thoronghly drained. 
ONYCHIUM (of Blume). A synonym of Dendro- 
bium (which see). 
OOSPORA ABIETINUM. This fungus is respon- 
sible, according to Oudemans, for the shedding of the 
foliage of certain well-known species of Abies—A. Nord- 
manniana and A, Pinsapo to wit. It is a very minute 
species, and the only preventative seems to lie in 
collecting and burning the shed foliage. 
OOSPORE. A technical name for a spherical, dark- 
coloured, smooth body found in fungi, and more popularly 
known as a resting spore. It results from the fer- 
tilisation of an oosphere, a rounded ball of protoplasm, 
which Professor Marshall Ward popularly translates as 
an incipient egg, the egg itself being the oospore. The 
actual process is set out in Vol. III., under Perono- 
spora, p. 81; and an oospore, much magnified, is illus- 
trated in Fig. 91. , 
OPERCULARIA UMBELLATA. A synonym of 
Pomax umbellata (which see). 
OPHIOGLOSSUM. Snake’s Tongue. Including 
Rhizoglossum. Although none of the Ophioglossums are 
what may be termed very ornamental, yet several of 
them should be grown, as they deservedly are in some 
of our best collections as great curiosities. They are 
useless as pot plants, and succeed best when planted 
out in the Fernery, where a naturally damp spot should 
be prepared for them. The compost should consist of 
fibrous loam and half-decayed sphagnum in abont equal 
proportions, with an admixture of sand, in which their 
fleshy roots plunge with avidity. Ophioglossums are not 
aquatic plants ; therefore, although requiring a constantly 
moist situation, they must not on any account be planted 
where there is any stagnant water. Propagation is 
usually effected by division. We are not aware that 
any seedlings have eyer been raised artificially. 
O. japonicum (Japanese). A synonym of Lygodiwm japonicum. 
OPHIOPOGON. 0. intermedius (Syn. Fluggea 
intermedia) is now regarded as a distinct species, and 
not as a variety of O. japonicus; there is a form of the 
latter, variegatus, having the leaves striped with yellowish- 
white. O. spicatus (of Ker) is a synonym of Liriope 
spicata. 5 
eh ane acpi Included under Allium (which 
see). 
OPHIOSTACHYS. A synonym of Chamelirium 
(which see). ett 
Sd ape A synonym of Aquilaria (which 
see). 
OPHRYS. Three species of this genus are inelnded 
in the British Flora, viz.: O. apifera, O. aranifera, 
and O. muscifera. To those described on pp. 500-1, 
Vol. II., the following should be added: 
O. Bertolonii (Bertoloni’s)* #. of medium size, having the 
sepals and petals pale rose and the lip dark maroon Italy, 
1889. A handsome species. 
O. bombylifiora (Bee Flower). The correct spelling, according 
to the Kew authorities, of 0. bombylifera. 
OPIUM POPFY. ‘See Papaver somniferum. 
OPLISMENUS. To the plants described on p. 501, 
Vol. II. (both of which, according to the ‘ Index 
Kewensis,” are forms of O. compositus, a cosmopolitan 
species), the following should be added : 
Vol. V. 
INTRODUCTIONS, &C. 569 
Oplismenus—continued. 
O. Burmanni albidus (whitish). /. mostly white, with a 
green stripe along the midrib. India, 1886. A pretty, stove 
or greenhouse Grass, of dwarfer and more compact habit than 
the common variegated form, 0. B. variegatus (described as 
Panicum variegatum, of gardens, on p. 19, Vol. III). 
O. imbecillis variegatus (weak, variegated). A garden 
name for 0. Burmanni variegatus. 
OPOPANAX CHIRONIUM. According to the 
‘* Index Kewensis,”’ this is the correct name of Malabaila 
Opopanax (which see). 
OPUNTIA. To the species described on pp. 502-4, 
Vol. IL., the following should be added: 
0. Arbuscula (small tree). #. greenish-yellow, tinged with 
red, ljin. across; petals few. June. Trunk woody, about 
4in. thick, 7ft. to 8ft. high, with green bark; branches 
numerous, slender, copiously jointed; ultimate joints Jin. 
long, sin. thick, slightly tubercled and bearing tufts of whitish 
spines nearly lin. long. Mexico. A remarkable, stove species. 
O. arenaria (sand-loving). jl. 2in. across. May. fr. lin. long, 
bearing a few short spines. Stems spreading, forming a tuft 
3ft. through and 1ft. high; joints lsin. to 3in. long and nearly 
as broad, terete, with very prominent tubercles and numerous 
tawny bristles; upper spines lin. to lsin. long, white, with 
a yellow point, the shorter ones hair-like and curled. Mexico. 
Stove. Requires a very loose, sandy soil. 
0. camanchica, /r. deep red, oval, 2in. long, sweet and juicy. 
Stems prostrate and extensively spreading, with ascending, 
obovate-orbicular joints 6in. to Tin. long; bristles greenish 
or yellowish-brown; spines one to three (or marginal ones 
three to six), reddish-brown to blackish-brown. ‘Texas, 
Colorado, &e. Hardy. 
O. c. albispina (white-spined).* A pretty, white-spined variety. 
oO. eo CAE (greater). A variety having very large, obovate 
joints. 
O. c. minor (lesser). A variety with small, prickly joints. 
O. c. orbicularis (orbicular). A strong-growing form, having 
large, roundish, thin, bluish-grey-green joints beset with long, 
light brown spines. Colorado, 1899. 
O. c. rubra (red). 7. dark brownish-red, becoming carmine at 
margins and outside, 24in. across; stamens yellow; ovary 
slender and not prickly. 
O. c. salmonea (salmon). This is a remarkable colour-variety. 
At first it is a glossy chamois, but afterwards changes to a 
salmon. 
O. clavata (club-shaped). jl. yellow, l4in. across. jr. lemon- 
yellow, l4in. long, with clusters of bristle-like spines. J. jin. 
long. Stem short; joints club-shaped, 2in. long, lin. broad, 
narrowed to both ends; cushions tin. apart, composed of 
various-sized spines up to lin. long. ew Mexico, 1854. 
Stove. 
O. cylindrica cristata (crested). A dwarf, cockscomb 
variety, with the leaves and white hairs growing all along 
the wrinkled top of the “‘comb.” Stove. 
O. dearmatus (without prickles). This belongs to the papyra- 
cantha group, but is smaller, with small bunches of fine, short 
spines. Chili. 
0. decipiens. The correct name is 0. imbricata. 
O. decumana (huge).* jl. orange, large. Summer. 7. brownish- 
red, watery, oval, 4in. long, spiny; flesh red, sweet. Stem 
hard, woody, brown-barked, bearing an enormous head of 
elliptical flat joints each 12in. to 20in. long and about lft. 
broad, smooth, greyish-green, with a few scattered cushions 
of very tiny bristles and sometimes a spine or two. Brazil, 
1768. Stove. The largest species in cultivation; it is said 
to be what is known in Malta as the Indian Vig. Syn. 
O. maxima. 
0. dejecta (debased). jl. scarlet, with elongated stamens. 
Stems cylindrical; branches pendent; joints erect-divaricate, 
much compressed, narrow, elongated; areol remote, scarcely 
tomentose; upper prickles setaceous, whitish, the lower ones 
white. Cuba, 1840. 
O. diademata (diademed). jl. unknown. Stem short, erect, 
composed of globose, superposed joints, greyish-green, very 
succulent ; topmost joint pear-shaped, with a tuft of whitish 
hairs and spines on the apex, out of which the new crowth 
pushes; cushions large, lin. apart, with a tuft of short grey 
hairs and spines, and a curving large spine. La Plata. Warm 
greenhouse. A ten-year-old plant at Kew is only 4in. high. 
O. echinocarpa major (larger). Stem 4ft. high; joints Sin. 
to 10in. long; spines long, sheathed. 
O. Emoryi (Emory’s).* 7. sulphur-yellow, tinged with purple, 
2hin. across, August and September. fr. 24in. long, lin. thick, 
covered with cushions of bristles and spines. Joints 
cylindrical, curved, Jin. long; tubercles very prominent, longi- 
tudinally attached, the tips crowned with cushions of short 
bristles and numerous radiating spines, some 2in. long and 
very strong. Mexico. Warm greenhouse. 
O. ferox (tierce). $j. unknown. Stems not articulated, 
compressed, branched, somewhat tuberculate ; areole clustered, 
4D 
