196 



OPH 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



OPH 



Hermaphrodite. Calix: five-cleft. Corolla: five-cleft, fun- 

 nel-form. Stamina: five. Pistil: one. Male. Calix: bifid, 

 Corolla: five-cleft, with a funnel-form mouth. Nectary: 

 Cylindric. Stamina: two. The only species known is, 



1 . Ophioxylum Serpentinum ; Scarlet-flowered Optiioxylum. 

 Stem upright, round, quite simple; leaves in fours, placed 

 crosswise, lanceolate, ovate, smooth, acuminate, petioled. 

 Jussieu describes this shrub as having three or four leaves in 

 whorls ; flowers glomerate, terminating, white with a red tube ; 

 males mixed with the hermaphrodites, two-stamined only, 

 with a cylindric entire crown at the throat of the tube, without 

 any germen. It flowers in May. Native of the East Indies. 



Ophira: a genus of the closs Octandria, order Monogynia. 

 - -GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : involucre two-valved, 

 three-flowered ; valves lateral, kidney-form, emarginate, con- 

 duplicate, permanent. Corolla: four-petalled, superior 

 petals oblong, converging. Stamina: filamenta eight, the 

 length of the corolla; antheree ovate. Pistil; germen i 

 ferior, turbinate, hispid; style filiform, shorter than the sta- 

 mina ; stigma emarginate. Pericarp : berry one-celled. 

 Seeds: two. Observe. It bears much resemblance to the 

 Grubliia of Bergius, which has a superior germen, and simple 

 stigma. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Involucre: two-valved, 

 three-flowered. Corolla : four-petalled, superior. Berry : 

 one-celled. The only species known is, 



1 . Ophira Stricta. This is an upright shrub, with opposite 

 ovate-linear leaves, and lateral sessile flowers. Found by 

 Burmann in Africa. 



Ophrys; a genus of the class Gynandria, order Diandria. 

 ' GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: spathes wandering ; 

 spadix simple; perianth none. Corolla; petals five, oblong, 

 converging upwards, equal, two of these exterior; nectary 

 longer than the petals, hanging down posteriorly, one some- 

 what keeled. Stamina: filamenta two, very short, placed 

 on the pistils ; antherae erect, covered with the inner margin 

 of the nectary. Pistil: germen oblong, contorted, inferior; 

 style fastened to the inner margin of the nectary ; stigma obso- 

 lete. Pericarp: capsule subovate, three-cornered, blunt, 

 striated, three-valved, one-celled, opening at the keeled angles. 

 Seeds: numerous, like saw-dust; receptacle linear, fastened 

 to each valve of the pericarp. Observe. The second species 

 has four stamina, or two in each cell. Some modern writers 

 have very unadvisedly cancelled the whole class Gynandria, 

 and removed this natural order into the class Diandria. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Nectary : somewhat keeled 



underneath. The species are, 



* With branched Bulbs. 



1. Ophrys Nidus Avis; Bird's-nest Ophrys. Bulbs in 

 bundles of fibres ; stem sheathed, leafless ; lip of the nectary 

 bifid. The name is derived from the matting and twisting 

 of the fibrous roots ; from which arise two oval veined leaves, 

 three inches long, and two broad, joined at their base; be- 

 tween these springs up a naked stalk, about eight inches high, 

 terminated by a loose spike of herbaceous flowers, resem- 

 bling gnats, composed of five petals, with a long bifid lip to 

 the nectarium, a crest or standard above, and two wings oi\ 

 the side; capsule angular, opening in six parts, and filled 

 with small seeds like dust. Native of various parts of 

 Europe. In England, it is found about Charlton, Gravesend, 

 Maids tone, and Rochill, in Kent; Selborne, in Hampshire; 

 Madingly wood, in Cambridgeshire; Aldborough, in Suffolk; 

 and Heydon, in Norfolk; near Ingleton; and in Offley park, 

 in Yorkshire; Buckham wood, in Cumberland; and near 

 Kendal, in Westmoreland; not uncommon about Newton 

 Cartmel; where it was found by Mr. Hall, who observes, that 

 the woods in that part of Lancashire are cut down every 



fifteen years; that for six or eight years after they are cut, 

 this plant is not to be found, but as soon as the grasses are 

 nearly destroyed by the shade, it appears again, and in some 

 places is tolerably plentiful. Mr. Blackstone. observed it ia 

 White-heath wood, by Harefield. It is also found in some 

 woods of Scotland, but is not common. This plant refuses 

 culture, but maybe transplanted from the places where it 

 grows naturally, into a shady part of the garden, where, if 

 the roots are not disturbed, it will continue many years, and 

 flower, but not increase. The best time to remove the roots 

 is in July, or August, when the leaves are decaying; for it 

 will be difficult to find the roots after the leaves are gone. 

 It flowers in May and June. 



2. Ophrys Corallorhiza ; Coral-rooted Ophrys. Bulbs 

 branched, flexuose: stem sheathed, leafless; lip of the nec- 

 tary trifid. The roots consist of six white succulent obtuse 

 fibres, branched like coral. Native of the northern parts 

 of Europe; also of Switzerland, Carniola, and the south of 

 France. In Britain it is found sparingly, in fir woods, in the 

 north of Scotland. It flowers in August and September; 

 and must be treated like the preceding species. 



3. Ophrys Spiralis ; Spiral Ophyrs, or Triple Ladies' 

 Traces. Bulbs aggregate, oblong; stem somewhat leafy; 

 flowers in a spiral, directed one way; lip of the nectary un- 

 divided, crenulate ; root-leaves four or more, forming a tuft, 

 ovate, lanceolate, smooth, entire at the margins, bright green, 

 half an inch in breadth, dotted when magnified, and faintly 

 ribbed. It is found in many parts of France, Germany, 

 Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and England ; flowering from 

 August to October. It may be met with, on Hanwell Heath, 

 near Isleworth; and on Enfield Chase, in Middlesex; Barn 

 Elms, in Surry; Dartford, in Kent; on the Hill of Health, 

 between Cambridge and Madingly; and by Hinton, and 

 Feversham Moors, in Cambridgeshire; on the south side of 

 Shotover Hill, in Oxfordshire; on the Fen, in Little Marlow, 

 Buckinghamshire; Warckton, in Northamptonshire; in the 

 closes near Buddon wood, Leicestershire; at East Leke, in 

 Nottinghamshire; near Leeds, in Yorkshire; in the lime-stone 

 pastures about Newton Cartmel ; and is not uncommon in 

 the northern counties; on the road from Truro to Redruth, 

 in Cornwall; under the rocks at Pinney Cliffs, near Lyme. 

 It grows in pastures, both dry and moist; not only in a cal- 

 careous soil, but in dry sand, barren clay, elevated pastures, 

 rocky sunny exposures, good soil, boggy commons, &c. ; and 

 is not so much rare, as overlooked. Mr. Curtis remarked, 

 that it grows more readily than its congeners in a garden, 

 and that the protuberant germina, placed regularly one above 

 another, somewhat resemble plaited hair, whence perhaps its 

 name of Ladies' Traces, or, if this conjecture be correct, 

 Ladies' Tresses. It will grow in almost any soil or situation. 



4. .Ophrys Cernua; Nodding Ophrys. Bulbs in bundles; 

 stem leafy; flowers drooping; lip of the nectary oblong, 

 entire, acute ; the root consists of very many thick fibres ; 

 root-leaves linear, long; stem-leaves sheathing, very short; 

 spike dense, oblong ; flowers closely recurved, drooping. 

 Native of Virginia, and Canada. 



5. Ophrys Ovata; Common Ophrys, or Twayblade. Bulbs 

 ibrous; stem two-leaved; leaves ovate; lip of the nectary 

 jifid ; root perennial ; flowers numerous, in a loose spike, four 

 inches long or more, yellowish green. They have a fragrant 

 musky scent; and are on pedicels, longer than the genninaor 

 jractes. Native of most parts of Europe, and common all 

 over Great Britain, where it has long been called Twayblade, 

 'rom its two leaves, although it sometimes varies with three. 

 A strong infusion of the fresh root is good against the bleecl- 

 'ng of the piles, and the expressed juice is recommended to 



