N Y S 



N Y S 



the greatest progress may be planted out in a 

 loamy soil, in a sheltered situation, where they 

 may be capable of enduring the cold oftliis cli- 

 mate. They make the greatest progress where 

 the soil is inclined to be moist. 

 They may likewise be propagated by layers 



and cuttings, planted out in the autumn or 

 spring in the usual manner. 



The plants afford ornament and variety in 

 shrubbery and other parts, where the ground 

 is of a moist quality. 



O C I 



OAK. See Ouercus. 

 OAK .JERUSALEM. SeeCnENOPODiuM. 



OCIMUJM, a genus containing plants of the 

 tender herbaceous aromatic annual kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Didynamia 

 Gi/mvospermia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of I'trticillatcB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium, two-lipped, very short, per- 

 manent: upper-lip flat, orbiculate, wider, ascen- 

 ding: lower-lip four-cleft, acute, converging: 

 the corolla is onc-petalled, ringent, resupine : 

 tube very short, spreading ; one lip turned up- 

 wards, \\ ider, half-four-cleft, blunt, equal ; the 

 other lip turned downwards, narrower, entire, 

 serrate, longer : the stamina have four filaments, 

 declined ; two a little longer, and two putting 

 forth a reflex process at the base : anthers half- 

 mooned ; the pistillum is a four-parted germ : 

 the style filiform, situation and length of the 

 stamens : stigma bifid : there is no pericarpium : 

 calyx closed, cherishing the seeds : the seeds 

 four, ovate. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . 0. BasiUaim, 

 Common Sweet Basil ; 2. 0. minimum, Bush 

 Basil ; 3. 0. ienviflorum, Slender-spiked Basil. 



The first has the stem suflVuticose, three feet 

 high (a foot and half), erect, round, tomentose; 

 wi^h straight, ascending branches : the leaves 

 somewhat acute, serrate, pubescent, brownish- 

 red, waved, petioled, smelling like cloves : the 

 flowers are white, small, in long, upright, termi- 

 nating spiked racemes. The whole plant has a 

 strong scent of cloves. It is a native of the 

 East Indies, flowering in July and August. 



There are varieties with purple fringe-leaves ; 

 with green fringe-leaves ; green with stud- 

 ded leaves ; and the Large-leaved Basil. 



The middle-sized variety, or that which is 

 used in the kitchen, especially in French cookery, 

 rises about ten inches high, sending out opposite, 

 four-cornered branches from the very bottom i 



O C I 



the leaves are ovate-lanceolatc, ending in acute 

 points, indented on thtir edges. The whole 

 plant is hairy, and has a strong scent of cloves, 

 which to some is very agreeable. 



The chief sub-varieties of which are : the 

 Common Basil, with very dark green leaves and 

 violet-coloured flowers; the Curled-leaved Basil, 

 whh short spikes of flowers; the Narrow-leaved 

 Basil, smellmg like fennel ; the Middle Basil, 

 with a scent of citron ; the Basil with studded 

 leaves ; and Basil with leaves of three colours. 



The second specie? is a low bushy plant, sel- 

 dom more than six inches high, branching from 

 the bottom, and forming an orbicular head : the 

 leaves small, smooth, on short footstalks : the 

 flowers in whorls towards the top of the branches, 

 smaller than those of the first sort, and sel- 

 dom succeeded by ripe seeds in this climate. It 

 is a native of the East Indies, annually flowerin"- 

 in July and August. 



There are varieties with black purple leaves, 

 and with variable leaves. 



The third has the stem from one to two feet 

 high, roundish, purple, brachiate, having spread- 

 ing hairs scattered over it : the branches shorter : 

 the leaves bluntly serrate, soft, on long petioles : 

 the spikes terminating, in threes, long, narrow, 

 peduneled ; with opposite, smooth, bractes, 

 closely reflex : the flowers three from each 

 bracte, subsessile, which are so small as scarcely 

 to be visible to the naked eye : thev beo-in to 

 open from the top of the spike. It is a native 

 of Malabar, &c. 



Culture. — They areall capable of being increas- 

 ed by sowing the fresh seeds in the latter end of 

 March, upon a moderate hot-bed, covered to the 

 depth of five or six inches with good light mould, 

 putting them in a (juarter of an inch deep, fresh 

 air being given daily, and slight waterings occa- 

 sionally. When the plants have attained a few 

 inches in growth they should be pricked out upon 

 another hot-bed four inches apart, or set in pots 



