O X A 



O X Y 



the size of a pea : the root in the mature plant 

 consists of several logs slenderly tusiform, ter- 

 minating in a long fibre, ronnil, the thiekness of 

 a reed and more, some inches in length, fleshy, 

 brittle, pale, somewhat pellucid and sweet: the 

 stipes very many, herbaceous, round, the thick- 

 ness of a pigeon's quill, or even of a reed, thick, 

 green or purplish brown, a foot and a half high, 

 upright, but so weak as not to be able to sup- 

 port themselves without assistance, at the base 

 and origin of the branches having an ovate- 

 acuminate stipule ; both they and the branches 

 terminated by distant umbels of leaves and 

 flowers : the loaves several, at remote distances 

 in whorls : the petiole jointed at the base, round, 

 slender, snioothish, spreading a little, about two 

 inches in length, green : the leaflets on short 

 petioles, equal, quite entire, flat, spreading very 

 much, about half an inch in length, above green 

 and smooth, underneath dotted, more or less 

 purple-flesh-coloured, appearing densely villose 

 in the magnifier, with a row of orange-dots, be- 

 coming black in the dried leaves, and observable 

 only in the microscope with the light thrown on 

 it: the peduncles jointed at the base, axillary. 



round, pubescent in the magnifier, green, the- 

 length of the leaves ; with bractcs towards the- 

 top ojiposile, erect and jointed : above these nod- 

 ding and purple. 



Culfure. — The first sort ntay be readily in- 

 creased, by planting the divided roots in a moist 

 shady border in the early spring season ; and 

 afterwards they require only to be kept clear froi-n 

 weeds. 



The other sorts may be increased, by planting 

 ofF-sets from the roots or bulbs that come out 

 from the sides of the stems, in pots filled with 

 good light mould, sheltering them in the dry 

 stove or under a frame during the winter, ad- 

 mitting as much free air as possible in mild 

 weather. They only require to be protected in 

 the winter season afterwards, and occasionally 

 removed into other pots. 



T he two first sorts and varieties may be intro- 

 duced in the borders, and the others afford va- 

 riety among other potted plants. 



OX-EYE. See Buphthalmum. 



OX-SLIP. See Primula. 



OXYACANTHA. See Berberis^ 



OXYCEDRUS. See Junipekus. 



P ^ o 



P^ONIA, a genus comprising plants of the 

 large herbaceous flowery perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pvlijandria 

 D'gi/uia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 AlullisUiqncB. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a five- 

 leaved perianthium, small, permanent : leaflets 

 roundish, concave, reflex, unequal in size and 

 situation: the corolla has five roundish petals, 

 concave, narrower at the base, spreading, very 

 large: the stamina have numerous filaments, 

 (about three hundred) capillary, short: anthers 

 oblong, quadrangular, erect, four-celled, large : 

 the pistiUum consists of two ovate germs, erect, 

 tomentose : styles none : stigmas compressed, 

 oblong, blunt, coloured : the pericarpium has as 

 many capsules, ovate-oblong, spreading and re- 

 flex, tomentose, one-celled, one-valved, open- 

 ing longitiidiiially iiiwards : the seeds several, 

 oval, shining, coloured, fastened to the opening 

 suture. 



V 2E O 



The species are : 1 . P. officinalis, Common 

 Peony ; 2. P. tenuifolia, Slender-leaved Peony. 



The first has a thick large root, constituted'' 

 of several thick fleshy tubers, hanging by strings- 

 to the main head, with upright round smooth 

 stems, branching half a yard or two feet in 

 height : the leaves are larce, many-lobed, with 

 oblong-oval spreading folioles : the flowers large, 

 deep red or purple, on the terminations of the 

 stalks. 



There are two principal varieties: the Com- 

 mon Female and Male Peony. 



The former of these has the roots composed of 

 several roundish thick knobs or tubers, which- 

 hang below each other, fastened viilh strings : 

 the stalks are green, about two feet and a half 

 high: the leaves composed of several unequal 

 lobes, which are variously cut into many seg- 

 ments: they are of a paler green than those of the 

 latter sort, and hairy on their under side : the 

 flowers are smaller, and of a deeper purple colour. 



