504 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Opuntia continued 



FIG. 756. OPUNTFA RAFINESQUII. 



O. Raflnesqnil (Haflnesque's).* /., often with a red centre, 

 larger, and with more numerous petals (ten to twelve) than in 

 0. vulgaris. June. I. spreading, some of the axils bearing a few 

 small spines and a single strong one, 9in. to 12in. long. Plant 

 with deep green joints, h. 1ft. North America, 1868. Hardy. 



O. Salmiana (Prince Salm-Dyck's).* /. yellow, red. September. 

 Plant erect, branched, of a greyish-green colour ; branches 

 cylindrical, without tubercles ; areolae somewhat crowded, white- 

 tomentose, the mature ones pulvinately globose, 

 the lower ones with three or four minute, reddish 

 prickles, h. 2ft. Brazil, 1850. (B. M. 4542 ; L. & 

 P. F. G. i. 101.) 



O. Segethi (Segeth's). This species is similar 

 in habit to 0. Pceppigii, but has much longer 

 flowers, the ovary being 3iin. long, with a few 

 thick, cylindric, spreading bracts, lin. long ; 

 corolla pale pink, liin. in diameter. Chili, 1884. 

 (B. G. 1129.) 



O. stenopetala (narrow - petaled). fl. yellow, 

 small ; sepals and petals subulate, sub-erect. 

 Plant prostrate; joints large; prickles one to three, 

 deflexed. Mexico, &c., 1835. SYN. 0. grandis. 



O. sulphurea (sulphur - coloured), fl. yellow. 

 July. Stem articulated; joints erect, sub- 

 globose, of a beautiful green colour ; prickles 

 pale-tomentose ; upper ones bristly, dark purple, 

 very minute, penicillately collected; lower ones 

 six to twelve, elongated, acicular, white, purple 

 at the apex ; central ones very long. h. 2ft. Chili, 

 1827. 



O. Tuna (Tuna).* fl. reddish-orange. July. fr. 

 rich carmine, 2in. to Sin. long. Branches jointed, 

 4in. to Sin. or more long, oval or oblong, with dis- 

 tant bundles of yellow, unequal, spreading spines. 

 Stem (of an old plant) sometimes 20ft. high. 

 West Indies, &c., 1731. See Fig. 757. 



O. tunicata (coated-spined). Plant sub-erect, 

 much-branched ; branches green, divergent, at- 

 tenuated at base, tuberculate-areolar ; areolte 

 obtuse, oblong, white-tomentose ; prickles four 

 to six large ones, and two or three small ones, 

 all white, membranous, sub-pellucid, tunicated. 

 Mexico, 1840. 



O. Turplnll (Turpin's). Plant articulate, erect, 

 low, with mammillariform tubercles, greyish - 

 green ; joints globose - ovate, crowded, young 

 ones about 2in. in diameter ; areolae round, 

 white-tomentose; prickles biformed, varying 

 from three to ten lines long. Chili, 1844. 



O. vulgaris (common).* fl. pale sulphur-yellow. 

 June. fr. nearly smooth, pulpy, edible. I. 

 minute, ovate - subulate and appressed ; axils 

 bristly, rarely with a few small spines. Plant 

 low, prostrate or spreading, with flat and broadly 

 obovate joints, h. 2ft. Mexico, &c., 1596. (B. M. 

 2393, under name of Cactus Opuntia.) 



O. vulgaris (common), of Tenore. A synonym 

 of OTf'icus.Indica. 



ORACH (Atriplex hortensis). A plant 

 sometimes cultivated for the use of its 

 leaves, principally as a substitute for 

 Spinach. It will grow in almost any 



Orach continued. 



soil, but produces the largest leaves 

 in that which is rich. Sow seed 

 in drills, 2ft. apart, in March, 

 and again, successionally, if much 

 in demand, as the plants soon 

 run to seed. If seed is required, 

 it should be collected before 

 becoming quite ripe ; otherwise, 

 the wind will carry it away. The 

 flowers should be pinched off if 

 seeds are not to be kept. There 

 are about three varieties, dis- 

 tinguished by their colours, i.e., 

 white or pale green, red, and purple. 

 The plant commonly called Bed 

 Mountain Spinach (A. hortensis ru- 

 bra) has fine, ornamental foliage, 

 grows to a height of 3ft. or 4ft., 

 and is very useful in sub-tropical 

 gardening. It is a hardy annual; 

 consequently, a new stock must be 

 raised each year. 



ORANGE. Citrus Aurantium, and some of the 

 other members of the Orange family, have been culti- 

 vated for so long a period, and over such an extended 

 geographical area, that it is scarcely possible to refer 

 the numerous forms, which have originated under culture, 

 to their respective and specific types. There can, how- 

 ever, be no doubt that the two or three parent types, 



FIG. 757. OPUNTIA TUNA. 



