OCHNA 



OCTOMERIA 



2319 



Guinea. G.C. III. 40:212. J.H. III. 44:209. G.W. 2, 

 p. 328 — O. muUijlora is a greenhouse shrub cult, by 

 a few fanciers for its remarkable appearance when 

 in fr. The fls. are yellow, appear in spring, and are 

 borne to the number of 10-15 in racemes terminating 

 short lateral branches. The blossoms are short-lived, 

 but the calyx is persistent . Its o sepals are greenish in fl., 

 but become a bright red in fr. The receptacle increases 

 until it becomes an inch or so thick, globular and bright 

 red. Upon it are borne black seedlike bodies, which 

 are the carpels. The red and black make a fine con- 

 trast. This plant is best prop, by half-ripened cuttings 

 struck in summer or autumn. It requires in England 

 a winter temperature of 48-00°, and summer tempera- 

 ture of 60-85°; soil, fibrous loam with plenty of 

 drainage. 



O. atropurpiirea, DC, of the Cape, may occur now and then: 

 ehrub, 4-5 ft., with ovate denticulate Ivs.: calvx dark purple, petals 

 yeUow; fls. on 1-fld. stalks. J.F. 1:29. WiLHEI.M MlLLER. 



L. H. B.f 



OCHROCARPOS (Greek, yellow fruit). Incl. Caly- 

 sdccion. Gutlifcrse. Trees, of about 20 species, wide- 

 sjjread in the tropics, little known horticulturally. Lvs. 

 opposite or in 3's, coriaceous: fls. axiUary, polygamous, 

 the petals 4-7 or more; stamens indefinite, free or 

 somewhat connate, the filaments slender and anthers 

 erect; ovary 2-celled: fr. berry-like, with a few large 

 seeds. O. africanu^, Oliver, is a tree 40-50 ft. liigh: lvs. 

 large, oblong-eUiptical, with the midrib very prominent 

 beneath: fls. from the nodes of the fallen lvs., 1,'2 in. 

 diam., the petals half as long again as sepals; stamens 

 very many: fr. verj' large, several inches diam., with 

 yellow pulp. Upper Guinea. 0. obovalis, Safford, is the 

 chopag" of Guam, the wood of which is used in house- 

 construction (p. 1699, Vol. III). It is a medium-sized 

 tree, with opposite short-petioled obovate or oblong- 

 obovate entire lvs. rounded at the apex, and fragrant 

 white polygamous fls. borne laterally, single or clus- 

 *e''ed- L. H. B. 



OCHROMA (named for the palcrwss of the fls.). 

 Bombamces. One tree of Trop. AJner., allied to Ceiba: 

 lvs. simple, angled or lobed: fls. large, terminal. O. 

 Lagopus, Swartz, is listed abroad but hardly a horti- 

 cultural subject; it is the corkwood or balsa of the W. 

 in<lies, from which canoes and other things are made, 

 the wood being very Ught, the bark yielding fiber: tree 

 W 40 ft. high: lvs. 5-7-lobed or only angular, nearly 

 entire or dentate, puberulous beneath: jietals 5-6 in. 

 long, yellowish white or brownish, somewhat sur- 

 passing the column of stamens, obovate and wavj', 

 clawed; calyx 5-lobed, subtended by a caducous 

 involucre of 3 parts; stamens comprising a column 

 which is topped by 1-celled anthers; stigma 5, exserted, 

 spiral: caps. 1 in. lonfe, 5-celled, with reddish brown 

 wool inside. L H B 



OCHROSIA (name records the pale yellow color of 

 the fls.). Apocyndcese. Fifteen or more trees, extending 

 from the Mascarene Isls. eastward to Hawaii, little 

 known to cult.: lvs. scattered, whorled or opposite, 

 with numerous nerves, cori:iceous, entire, often large: 

 fls. in peduncled cymes, of medium size, often very 

 fragrant, mostly white, yellowish or cream-colored; 

 cal\-x .small, glandless, deeply 5-cleft; corolla salver- 

 form, the tube cylindrical and dilated at point of 

 in.sertion of stamens, the throat constricted and gla- 

 brous; di.sk small or wanting: carpels 2, distinct or con- 

 nate at ba.se, ripening into spreading few-seeded or 

 1-seeded drupes. — The species are grown somewhat 

 in tropical countries for the ornamental foliage and frs. 



O. bfnbonica, Gmel., is an evergreen tree 20-30 ft., with stout 

 branches, glabrous: lvs. large, whorled, obovate, narrowed to a 

 petiole, rounded at apex, shining above: fls. white; corolla-linib 

 Hin. diam.: drvjpea about 2 in. long, bright red, considered to be 

 poisonous. Mascarene Isls. eastward. — (). dllptira, Labill.^O. 

 parviflora. — O. parri/ldra, Hemsl. (Cerbera parv-iflora, Forst.), is 



a Pacific species, somewhat planted in Hawaii: 30-40 ft., evergreen, 

 with rough bark and cylindrical twigs: lvs. ternate quarternate, 

 crowded at ends of branches, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, slii- 

 ning: fls. small, white: fr. 1 or 2 scarlet drupes, not edible. — O. sand- 

 wicensin. Gray, of Hawaii, is a small tree or large shrub, 10-2.5 ft 

 with long drooping branches; lvs. in 3's or 4's, long-oblong short- 

 anuminatc, shining above; fls. yellowish to cream-colored: drupes 

 dry, yellowish at maturity, not edible. T H I< 



OCIMUM (an old Greek name). Sometimes spelled 

 Ocymum. Labiatse. Sweet herbs. Sec Basil. 



Annual and perennial, sometimes shrubby, with 

 opposite lvs.: fls. mostly small and white or whitish, 

 or yellow, usually 6 in each verticil and the verticils in 

 terminal or paniculate racemes; ealj'x deflexed in fr., 

 unequal-toothed; corolla-tube usually not exceeding 

 the calyx, 2-lipped, the upper lip 4-lobed; stamens 4, 

 didynamous and declined; style shortly 2-cut: nutlets 

 ovoid or subglobose, smooth or punctate. — Species 

 about 60, in the warmer parts of the world. Little 

 known in cult, except in the basil, which is used as 

 seasoning and also grown for its verj- pleasing fragrance. 

 This is O. Basilicum, Linn., of Trop. Asia and Afr. and 

 Pacific islands: annual, glabrous or slightly pubescent, 

 much branched, 1-2 ft. high: lvs. petioled, ovate, entire 

 or toothed: fls. in moderately dense racemes, white or 

 more or less tinged purple; calyx becoming i4m- long, 

 and corolla li-liin. long; stamens .shghtly exserted. 

 O. minimum, Linn., the bush basil, is probably a small 

 cult, form of the foregoing. O. suave, Willd. (0. gratis- 

 .■iimum var. suAi'e, Hook.), the tree basil of India, Ah.. 

 and the E., is a shrub 4-8 ft. high, woody below and 

 much branched, the lvs. densely soft-tomentose on 

 both surfaces and in this differing from 0. gratissimum: 

 lvs. ovate, acute, crenate or coarse-toothed: corolki 

 whitish or purple-tinged, little exceeding the calyx, the 

 latter becoming J^in. long: racemes den.se and much 

 panicled, becoming 6-9 in. long. 



Of the common basil (O. Basilicum) are forms of com- 

 pact habit, and others with purplish foliage; also with 

 crimped or wavy lvs. The basils are tender and should 

 not be trusted in the open ground until un,settled 

 weather is passed. The plants may be started indoors, 

 and transplanted to 6-10 in. apart in warm ground. 

 The herbage is cut when the plant is growing, and dried 

 in bundles; the plant, when cut off, gives a new crop 

 if it is not exhausted and if the soil is good. Roots may 

 be lifted for a winter supply of foliage. The very aro- 

 matic herbage is used for seasoning, and the plant was 

 once esteemed for medicinal properties. The oil is 

 used in the preparation of certain liquors. L H B 



OCTOMERIA (from the Greek for eighl and pari, 

 referring to the poUinia). Orcliidacea: Epiphytic 

 herbs: .sts. cespitose: If. solitary, sessile or subsessile, 

 borne at the tips of the sts. : fls. smaU, clustered at the 

 b;i,se of the lvs.; sepals and petals similar, spreading; 

 labellum shorter than the sepals, strongly 3-lobed or 

 pandurate; column short; poUinia 8. — The foflowing 

 species are natives of Brazil. 



arcuata, Rolfe. Sts. somewhat slender, clothed with 

 membranaceous sheaths: lvs. subsessile, brown-purple 

 on both sides when mature, lanceolate, sub-recurved, 

 fleshy: fls. bright yellow, solitary, sub-pendulous; 

 sepals and petals oblong, obtuse; labellum recurved, 

 lateral lobes erect, obtuse, middle lobe broadly triangu- 

 lar-ovate, disk bicarinate, keels and side lobes dark 

 purple. 



decipiens, Dammer. Sts. 2-3-jointed, terete, clothed 

 with membranaceous sheaths: If. semi-terete; fls. fas- 

 ciculate, shortly pedicellate; sepals and petals ovate, the 

 lateral sepals slightly connate at base, yellow; labellum 

 triangular-ovate, elongated, 3-lobod; lateral lobes 

 rounded, erect; middle lobe yellow, di.sk bilamellate. 



Oppenheimii, Dammer. Sts. about 2 in. long: If. 

 ovate-l:uicei)l:ite: fls. white; lateral .sepals connate at 

 ba.sc, lanceolate, acute; upper sepal lanceolate, acu- 



