O R O 



O R Y 



all directed the same way, twelve or more, of a 

 yellow colour. It is a native ot" Siberia. 



Tile third has a perennial root, creepins;, not 

 tuberous, woody, black, with many strong libres : 

 the stem about a toot high, upright, unl)ranched, 

 smooth, angular, twisted or elbowed at each in- 

 sertion of the leaves: the leaves alternate, peti- 

 oled, leaflets two or three pairs, without an odd 

 one, large, ovate-lanceolate, sessile, quite entire, 

 nerved, bright green, smooth, tender : the sti- 

 pules at the base of the petioles large, wide : the 

 ilowers are blue. It is a native of many parts of 

 Europe, flowering in March or April. 



There are varieties with purple flowers, with 

 pale blue flowers, with deep blue flowers. 



The fourth species has a perennial root, con- 

 sisting of tough fibres, swelling here and there 

 into irregular tubercles, each of which produces 

 a stalk about a foot high, simple, upright, hav- 

 ing two or three leafy or winged angles : the 

 leaves are alternate, three or four in number ; 

 each consisting of two or three pairs of smooth 

 sessile leaflets without an odd one, the petiole 

 terminated by a kind of awn, as are the leaflets, 

 being a production of the midrib ; leaflets all el- 

 liptical, blueish underneath, the lower ones 

 broader, the upper approaching to linear, all liav- 

 ing three nerves or longitudinal veins : the stipules 

 in pairs at the base of each leaf, frequently en- 

 tire, but more often jagged at bottom, with one 

 or several teeth : the flowers from two to four 

 or five in a thin spike on naked slender axillary 

 peduncles, ofa reddish purple. It is a native of 

 most parts of Europe, flowering in May and June, 

 and sometimes in April. 



It is sometimes called JFuod-Pea and Heath- 

 Pea. 



The fifth has a perennial root, strong, woody : 

 the stems many, branching, two feet high, hav- 

 ing one pinnate leaf at each joint, composed of 

 five or six small, oblong, oval leaflets : the flowers 

 are on very long axillary peduncles, having four, 

 five, or six purple flowers at the top. It is a na- 

 tive of most parts of Europe, flowering from 

 May to July. 



The sixth species has the stem angular, with 

 the angles slightly winged, branched, somewhat 

 villose ; the leaflets on short petioles; the nerves 

 underneath villose : the stipules oblong, one- 

 tailed: the racemes striated : the flowers directed 

 one way, pendulous: standard obeordate, red, 

 v/ith lines of a deeper colour. It is a native of 

 the South of Europe. 



Culture. — All the sorts are capable of being 

 increased by seeds and parting the roots. The 

 seed should be sown in the beginning of the au- 

 tumn, as in September or October, in the clumps, 

 borders, or other parts where they are to remain, 



or on a bed of good earth, to be afterwards prick- 

 ed out and transplanted. The plants should be 

 kept perfectly free from weeds. 



The roots of the large plants may be parted in 

 the autumn, and inunediately planted out where 

 tlie plants are to grow. The small roots may be 

 set in nursery rows, to remain till sufficiently 

 strong for being finally planted out. 



They are all liardy flowerino; ornamental plants 

 for the borders, clumps, and other parts of 

 pleasure-grounds. 



ORYZA, a genus containing plants of the 

 exotic annual kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Ilexandria 

 Digynia, and ranks in the natural order of Gia- 

 mina or Grasses. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 flowered glume, two-valved, very small, acu- 

 minate, almost equal : the corolla two-valved : 

 valves boat-shaped, concave, compressed, the 

 larger fivc-angled, awncd ; nectary (petals of 

 Micheli) two-leaved, flat, on one side of the 

 germ, very small : leaflets narrow at the base, 

 truncate at the tip, caducous: the stamina have 

 six capillary filaments, the length of the corolla : 

 anthers bifid at the base : the pistillum is a tur- 

 binategerm: styles two, capillary, reflex: stigmas 

 club-shaped, feathered : there is no pericar|)ium : 

 corolla growing to the seed, oval-oblong, com- 

 pressed, margms thin, two streaks on each side 

 at the side : the seed single, large, oblonir, blunt, 

 compressed, with two streaks on each side. 



The species is 0. satira, Rice. 



It has the culm from one to six feet in leno'th, 

 annual, erect, simple, round, jointed: leaves su- 

 bulate-linear, reflex, embracing, not fleshy : the 

 flowers in a terminating panicle : the calycine 

 leaflets lanceolate : the valves of the corolla equal 

 in length ; the inner valve even, awnless ; the 

 outer twice as wide, four-grooved, hispid, awned : 

 the style single, two-parted. It is a native of 

 India. 



There are several varieties. 



The Common Rice has the culm four feet hioh : 

 the panicle spiked, the spikes conmionly sim- 

 ple : the fruit oblonu;, pale, with hnig awns. It 

 is late, and is cut from six to eight months after 

 planting. 



The Early Rice has the culm three feet high t 

 the panicle spiked ; spikes branching : the fruit 

 turgid, brownish red, with shorter awns. It 

 ripens and is cut in the fourth month from 

 planting. 



The Dry or Mmintain i? fee has the culm three 

 feet high, and more slender ; the fruit longish, 

 with awns the longest of all. It is sown on 

 mountains, and in dry soils. 



The Clammy Rice has the culm four feet high ; 

 4 



