2414 



OSMUNDINE 



OSTROWSKIA 



OSMUNDINE. The material now so largely used 

 in this country, and also exported to Europe in quan- 

 tities for the rooting medium in which to grow epiphytal 

 orchids. Not long ago it was considered necessary to 

 send to England for peat for this purpose, and the word 

 peat used in this connection meant the roots of the 

 bracken, Pteris aquilina, when growing in bog-mold. 

 The supply of this became exhausted, owing to the 

 enormous growth of the orchid cultivation, and it was 

 necessary to find a substitute. The first thing tried 

 was the mats of root-fibers of the common Polypodium 

 vulgare as found growing on trees in large masses in the 

 moist climate of Ireland. This was composed of a clear 

 light brown fiber with a little humus, and could be torn 

 off the branches in large mats 2 or 3 inches in thick- 

 ness, and when cut up in suitable pieces made excellent 

 material. However, the supply was soon exhausted 

 and Belgium furnished a quantity which is still being 

 used to some extent. In the meantime the roots of the 

 two species of Osmunda so common and so widespread 

 in this country, O. cinnamomea and O. Claytoniana, 

 have been found to give very excellent results. These 

 two ferns make huge masses of roots above the level 

 of the soil, sometimes several feet square, and when 

 these are grubbed up, or rather off the ground, sawed 

 in slabs with a cross-cut saw, the fern rhizomes taken 

 out, two, grades of material are obtained in which any 

 orchid will grow. The fiber at the base is coarse, black, 

 and contains some earthy matter, and is very suitable 

 for the culture of cypripediums, coelogynes, and other 

 orchids like the lycastes that are more or less terrestrial. 

 For orchids with the characteristic white aerial roots, 

 the brown upper part of the osmundine is most suitable, 

 as it is sponge-like in color and texture, and will not 

 decay or become unsuitable for at least three years. 

 Care must always be taken in potting orchids to make 

 all firm, or too much moisture will be held in suspen- 

 sion by the osmundine for the roots to ramify and do 

 well. 



In cattleyas imported from their native habitats, 

 mats of polypodium are often seen which, together with 

 the orchid roots, enable the plants to anchor securely 

 to the trees. The nature of these fern-masses is identical 

 with that of osmundine except that they are living, 

 whereas the osmundine is not. It is well to use the 

 osmundine as soon as possible after being cut up from 

 the original piece. The pieces are best gathered in 

 autumn, stored in a dry place for the winter's work, 

 and cut up as needed, and if any are not used, place 

 the clumps outdoors for the summer in a shady place 

 where they will grow on indefinitely until wanted for 

 use. 



The collection, manufacture, and export of osmun- 

 dine is now quite a large industry, and the United States 

 is supplying practically all the orchid-growing world 

 with an admirable material, often in thousand-barrel 

 lots, at a price below that of any other kind, with the 

 additional advantage of being more durable than any 

 other. The osmundas named are indigenous to all the 

 eastern states, but the osmundine industry is con- 

 fined at present to New York because of easy ship- 

 ment. Osmunda regalis is not used, as it is more often 

 found in swamps, and the root-fiber is likely to be 

 sour. Moreover this species does not make the large 

 clumps that the others do, making 't unprofitable to 

 gather them. E. O. ORPET. 



OSOBERRY: 0. 



'smaroma. 



OSTEOMELES (Greek, stone apple or stone fruit). 

 Rosacese, subfamily Pbmeae. Ornamental shrubs, some- 

 times grown for their graceful foliage and white flowers. 



Evergreen: Ivs. alternate, pinnate, with linear stip- 

 ules; Ifts. small, entire: fls. in terminal corymbs; calyx- 

 teeth small, acute; petals 5, ovate-oblong; stamens 

 15-20; styles 5, distinct; ovary inferior, 5-celled, each 



cell with 1 ovule: fr. a small pome with persistent 

 calyx and 5 1-seeded stones. Three species in E. Asia 

 and Polynesia. Closely related to Pyracantha and 

 Cotoneaster, but easily distinguished by the pinnate 

 Ivs. The S. American genus Hesperomeles, with about 

 10 species, of which none seems to be in cult., is some- 

 times united with Osteomeles; it has simple Ivs. and 

 is apparently more nearly allied to Cratsegus. 



These plants are slender-branched shrubs with ever- 

 green small pinnate foliage, and white flowers followed 

 by bluish black berry-like fruits. All three species are 

 in cultivation at least in Europe, but can be grown only 

 in subtropical or warmer temperate regions, the har- 

 diest being probably 0. Schwerinse. They prefer a 

 sunny position and well-drained soil. Propagation is by 

 seed sown soon after maturity, but it germinates slowly, 

 sometimes not until the second year, or by cuttings of 

 half-ripened wood in July and August under glass; it 

 also may be grafted on cotoneaster. 



anthyllidifdlia, Lindl. Shrub, to 6 ft., or more: young 

 branchlets densely villous: Ifts. 13-19, obovate-oblong 

 or oblong, mucronate or obtuse, pubescent on both 

 sides while young, later glabrous and lustrous above, 

 silky pubescent beneath, %- l A\n. long: corymbs 1-1^2 

 in. across, grayish villous; fls. ^in. across; styles vil- 

 lous: fr. subglobose, bluish black, villous at first, 

 finally nearly glabrous, about J^in. thick, sweet. Spring. 

 Hawaiian Isls. to Pitcairn Isl. Trans. Linn. Soc. 13:8. 

 In the Hawaiian Isls. known as "uhi-uhi." 



O. Schwerinse, Schneid. Shrub, to 10 ft.: Ifts. 17-23, oblong or 

 narrow-oblong, acute, %%, rarely J^in. long, slightly pubescent 

 or nearly glabrous: corymbs loose, slightly villous: fr. glabrous. 

 S.W. China. B.M. 7354, G. 27:219, and G.C. III. 50:433 (as O. 

 anthyllidifolia). O. subrotunda, Koch. Low shrub: Ifts. 11-17, 

 obovate-oblong, obtuse: corymbs and calyx silky pubescent. S. 

 Japan, S.E. China. H.I. 27:2644. ALFRD REHDER . 



OSTEOSPERMUM (Greek, bone seed). Composite. 



A group of South African yellow-flowered shrubs or 



subshrubs, scarcely in cultivation. 



Leaves alternate or rarely opposite: heads many-fld. 



radiate; pistillate fls. all rays; staminate fls. all disks, 

 with abortive ovules and style; 

 involucre in few rows, the 

 scales free: achenes of the ray 

 drupaceous or nut-like, thick, 

 very hard, glabrous and with- 

 out pappus. Thirty-eight spe- 

 cies are known, all S. African. 

 In Flora Capensis 3:433-436, 

 the whole group is mono- 

 graphed. 



monilif erum, Linn. Shrubby, 

 yellow-fid., grows 2-4 ft. high, 

 and was offered in 1891 in 

 southern Fla. It is a usually 

 unarmed, much-branched, 

 subshrub with leathery Ivs. 

 about 1J^ in. long. It is 

 known in Austral, as the 

 "bushtick berry." It appears 

 to have dropped out of cult. 

 There are many natural varie- 

 ties, none of which seems to be 

 known in cult. N. TAYLOR. 



OSTROWSKIA (after N. ab 

 Ostrowsky, Russian patron of 

 science). Campanulacese. GIANT 

 BELL-FLOWER. One species, a 

 very large-flowered perennial 

 herb. 



Very closely allied botani- 

 cally to Campanula but distin- 

 guished, according to Hooker, 

 2683. Ostrowskia by the whorled Ivs., the numer- 

 magnifica. (XH) ous divisions of the calyx and 



