﻿Trees of New York State 413 



officinale — L. (a drug) fr. officina, a work shop, now referring to anything 



kept by druggists and applied to the medicinal properties of Sassafras 



Sassafras (variifolmm). 

 opaca — L. (dark or opaque), referring to the dull green leaves of Ilex opaca. 

 Osage orange — fr. the tribal name of the Osage Indians — one of the Siouan 



tribes, and orange fr. the Skt. naranga through the L. aurantium, — see 



aurantiaca. The common name of Madura pomifera ovring to the large, 



orange-Uke fruit. 

 Osier — f r. the L. L. osarin, a bundle of willow twigs, through the Fr. osier 



and the M. E. osyere. The common name of Salix. 

 Ostrya- — ■ L. (hornbeam), fr. the Gr. uarijia, the Gr. common name for the tree. 

 ovata — L. (ovate or egg-shaped) fr. the Gr. woi-, an egg, through the L. 



ovum; referring to the ovate leaflets of Ccrya ovata. 

 palustris — L. (boggj-) fr. palus, swamp; referring to tlie low-land habitat 



of Quercus pahostris. 

 Papaw — f r. the Carib. ababai, through the Cuban papaya, the Sp. papaya 



and the E. papaw (pawpaw). The common name of Asimina triloba. 

 Paper-mulberry — fr. L. papyrus (see papyrifera) through the Fr. papier 



and mulberry, which see. The common name of Broussonetia papyrifera 



owing to the utilization of the bark for paper, 

 papyrifera — L. (paper-bearing) fr. the Egyptian word for a reed used in 



making paper and coming through the Gr. -arr/yioc, and ferre, to bear; 



referring to the papery bark of Betulo alba, var. papyrifera. 

 Paulownia — named for the Eussian princess Anna Pavlo\'na, dau. of Paul I. 

 Peach — fr. the Pers. pars through the L. persicum. which see, the Fr. pesche, 



and the M. E. peche. The common name of Prunu^ Persica. 

 Pear — fr. the L. pirum or Pyrus, which see, through the A. S. peru and the 



M. E. pere. The common name of Py-rus communis. 

 pendula — L. (drooping) fr. pendere, to hangj referring to the drooping 



branches of Sclix babylonica. 

 pentandra ' — -L. (five-stamens) fr. the Gr. Tti'-f, five, and. avaixk, of the male; 



referring to the number of stamens of Salix pentandra. 

 Pepperidge — fr. the E. dial, word for the barberry. An early common luuue 



of Nyssa sylvatica. 

 Persica — -L. (peach) fr. the Persian pars. This is the Plinean name for tlie 



peach. 

 Persimmon — f r. the Va. Indian word or the Algonquin pasimine in reference 



to the drjdng of the fruit fr. pas, to be dry. The common name of 



Diospyros virginiana. 

 Phellos — L. (cork) fr. the Gr. (ftt'/./of, cork, perhaps referring to Quercus 



suber. The word also applies to stony, barren ground which produces a 



pumice used as a substitute for cork on fish nets. The name was trans- 

 ferred to Quercus Phellos. 

 Picea — L. (pine) fr. the Gr. rcicaa, pitch, through the L. pi-x. Transferred 



as the generic name for the spruce. 

 Pine — f r. the L. Pinus, which see, through the A. S. pin. The common name 



of Pinus. 

 Pinus — L. (pine) f r. the Skt. pitu through the Gr. -Irrr. 

 Plane — fr. the Gr. -Aarafoi; through the L. Platanus which see, tlie Fr. and 



M. E. plane. The common name of Platanus owng to the spreading 



branches and broad leaves. 

 platanoides — L. (sycamore-like) fr. the Gr. -/.nraiw;, the plane tree, and 



o'ides, like; referring to the broad leaves of Acer platanoides. 

 Platanus — L. (the sycamore) fr. the Gr. -7aravoc, broad; referring to the 



broad leaves and crown of the European species. 

 Plum — ■ f r. the Gr. -povfivov through the L. Prunus which see, the A. S. plume 



(a change of r to 1 is not uncommon). The common name of species of 



Prunus. 

 pomifera — L. (apple-bearing) fr. pomum, the apple, and ferre. to bear, 



referring to the large fruits of Moclura pomifera. 

 Poplar — fr. the L. Populu^, wliich see, through the O. F. poplier and M. E. 



poplere. The common name of Populus. 



