2416 



OTHONNA 



OURISIA 



therefore a natural sequence to say that the Othonna 

 crassifolia of horticulturists is properly Ot'ionnopsis 

 cheirifolia, a statement which the writer made in the 

 revision of Gray's "Field, Forest and Garden Botany." 



2685. Othonna crassifolia. A 

 yellow-flowered trailing plant with 

 succulent leaves. 



It turns out, however, that the Othonna crassifolia of 

 horticulturists is not the Othonna crassifolia of Linnaeus 

 (if he has been correctly reported). The former plant is 

 a true Othonna. It is the Othonna crassifolia of Har- 

 vey; but since this name crassifolia was used by Lin- 

 naeus, it leads to confusion to use it again in the same 

 genus, and Harvey's plant might take some other 

 name. In fact, before Harvey's time, the name Othonna 

 crassifolia was used by Meyer for still another species. 

 The 0. crassifolia of Harvey was once described as O. 

 filicavlis, but this name also has been previously used 

 in the genus. It seemed to the writer, therefore, as if a 

 new name must be given to the 0. crassifolia of Harvey 

 and of "the horticulturists, and this was done in the 

 Cyclopedia of American Horticulture (0. capensis)', 

 but under the International Rules, Harvey's name 

 may hold since the other crassifolias are clearly 

 synonyms. What, now, is Linnaeus' Othonna crassifolia? 

 As early as 1771, this plant was figured hi color by 

 Philip Miller as the "Othonna foliis lanceolatis integer- 

 rimis" of Linnaeus' "Hortus Cliffortianus." It was 

 figured again by Edwards in 1818 (B.R. 266). It is 

 an upright or ascending undershrub, with flat leaves 

 reminding one of leaves of the stock. It is described in 

 the European books, but is probably not in commercial 

 cultivation. It is native to the north of Africa. A 

 reproduction of part of Philip Miller's picture of the 

 plant, reduced in size, is shown hi Fig. 2686. 



crassifdlia, Harv., not Linn, nor Mey. (Othonna 

 capensis, Bailey). Fig. 2685. Perennial, becoming 

 shrubby at base in its native country, glabrous, with 

 slender trailing or drooping sts. : Ivs. 1 in. or less long, 

 fleshy and cylindrical-oboyoid, sharp-pointed, either 

 scattered or in clusters: pedicels 2-6 in. long, ascending, 

 slender; heads nearly or quite ^in. across when well 



frown, the narrow, bright yellow rays wide-spreading. 

 . Afr. V. 3 : 1 17 ; 10 : 138. An excellent plant for hang- 

 ing-baskets, for it withstands extremes of moisture and 



temperature. It is readily prop, by planting pieces of 

 the sts. It blooms in nearly all seasons. Fls. open only 

 m sun - L. H. B. 



OTTELIA (from a name in Malabar). Hydrochari- 

 tacese. Perhaps two dozen fresh-water herbs of the 

 tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres, some of 

 which may be useful as aquatics : Ivs. both submerged 

 and floating; the latter with long petioles, the blades 

 lanceolate, ovate or cordate: scape elongated, bearing 

 a fl. in a winged spathe; calyx 3-lobed; petals 3, yellow 

 or white, much longer than calyx-lobes; stamens 6-10 

 or more, bearing erect anthers: fr. 6-valved, inclosed in 

 the spathe. 0. alisnundes, Pers. (Stratiotes alismoldes, 

 Linn.) is of wide distribution. Afr. to Austral. : peren- 

 ennial, the Ivs. arising from the base on long 3-angled 

 petioles; blades broadly cordate, or rounded, obtuse, 2-6 

 in. or even more long or broad, 7-11-nerved: fls. white, 

 the petals broadly ovate and 1 in. long. B.M. 1201 (as 

 Damasonium indicum). G.W. 14, p. 658. The plants 

 are said to be eaten as pot-herbs by natives. L, jj. 3. 



OURATEA (vernacular name in Guiana). Syn. 

 Gdmphia. Ochnacese. Tropical American shrubs and 

 trees of minor importance horticulturally but some- 

 tunes grown for the yellow mostly paniculate fls. and 

 evergreen foliage; glabrous: Ivs. shining, stiff, alternate, 

 serrate or toothed: sepals and petals 5; receptacle or 

 torus prolonged into a gynophore; stamens 10, attached 

 on base of torus, erect and connivent, the filaments 

 very short; ovary deeply 5- or 6-parted: fr. 5 or less 

 drupes, sessile on the enlarged torus or disk. 0. cus- 

 piddta, Engler (Gdmphia cuspidata, St. Hil.), from 

 Brazil, is mentioned in horticultural literature abroad: 

 shrub 3-6 ft.: Ivs. alternate, elliptic, to 6 in. long, 

 minutely toothed: fls. yellow, about J^in. across, in a 

 terminal simple or branched panicle; petals obovate, 

 more or less crisped. O. olivsefdrmis, Engler (0. decorans, 

 Baill. Gdmphia olivsefdrmis, St. Hil. G. decorans, Lem.). 

 Tall shrub from Brazil: Ivs. broad-lanceolate, shining, 

 finely serrulate: fls. bright yellow, in a large dense ter- 

 minal raceme; petals obovate and broad. B.M. 5262. G. 

 27:325. Gn.62, p. 339 (note). J.F. 4:415. L. H. B. 



OURISIA (Gover- 

 nor Ouris, of the 

 Falkland Islands). 

 Scrophulariaceas. 

 Small herbs, used in 

 alpine gardening and 

 for borders. 



Perennial, rarely 

 somewhat woody at 

 the base, usually 

 dwarf, decumbent or 

 creeping a short dis- 

 tance, glabrous or 

 sparsely hairy: Ivs. 

 opposite, nearly all 

 radical, crenate or 

 entire: fls. either axil- 

 lary and solitary, or 

 in a raceme at the 

 apex of a scape, usu- 

 ally scarlet or rose- 

 colored; corolla-tube 

 cylindrical or slightly 

 bell - shaped at the 

 throat, mostly some- 

 what curved, lobes 

 nearly equal; sta- 

 mens 4, didynamous; 

 style entire: caps. 2- 

 celled. About 20 

 species in Tasmania, 

 New Zeal., S. Amer. 



2686. Othonnopsis 

 cheirifolia, a flat- 

 leaved plant which 

 has been confused 

 with Othonna crassi- 

 folia. (For compari- 

 son with Fig. 2685.) 



