OPHRYS 



ovate, greenish; petals narrowly linear; labellum lung, 

 oliloiif;, purplish brown, with pale white or blue marks 

 in till' i-tnter; central lobe notched. Spring ami early 

 siinmur. Cent, and E. Europe. R.B. 21:241. 

 .\A. Mttrijln of the Uihellum yellow or greenish yellow. 



tenthredinifera, Willd. Sawflt Obchis. Stem G in. 

 hifrli: Ivs. elliptic-lanceolate: spike 3-8-fld. : fls. nearly 

 1 in. across ; sepals oblong, obtuse, concave, varying 

 from rose to white; petals very small; labellum broadly 

 obcordate, greenish yellow, pubescent, with a large 

 chestnut -colored spot on the disk. Mediterranean 

 region. B.R. 3:205; 13.1093. B.M. 1930. F. 1872, p. 128. 



mtea, Cav. Stem 4-7 in. tall, many-fld.: Ivs. linear- 

 oblong: fls. % in. across ; sepals oblong, obtuse, in- 

 I'urved, green ; petals much smaller, linear-oblong; 

 labellum quadrate, golden yellow, with a purple disk. 

 .Mediterranean region. B.M. 5941. 



Accra* anthropdphora, Br. A(h*''-f i^^^t :i< U],!,ivs .inthro- 



I)ophora, Linn. Max Orchls. > -i- ' •• !iigh, the 



spike being 2-4 in. long: Ivs. ovate ti. , .:.:..[, ^- .. i .-.late: fls. 

 dull yellowish t.'i'c<'ii ; sci):ils ;iinl jm i i i_- i^- nver the 



iiarr.iu ■.•upl II !,■,.;,,'„"■...,,: ,•■, ^, 'Early 



spec 



OPLiSMENUS (Greek. »»■»,,/ ; y 

 nniiineip. A genus allied t.j Tai 



of the warmer regions, oiu; 



atories for ornament. Spike 

 conil glume, and often the third, a 



^a^: 



1542. Ooli 



Burmannii, Pal. (Panicum rariegattim of florists). 

 Fig. 1542. A half-creeping perennial, with small, simple 

 |)anicles, the common form with neatly white and pink 

 striped leaves. Trop. Asia. — Popular for edges of beds 

 ;in<l for hanging baskets. Propagated bv divisions of 

 the rooting stems. Gn. 47, p. r.8. A.S.Hitchcock. 



OPIUM is the product of Papaver somniferum, the 

 i-oininon annual summer-blooming poppy of our gar- 

 dens with smooth, glaucous leaves. 



OPOPANAX. See Acacia. 



OPONTIA (old Latin name used by Plinv, later used 

 fur the Indian Fig, thought by some to be derived from 

 Opus, a town in Greece: by some authors the name 

 is said to have been derived from a small port. Opus, 

 in South America, from whence plants of the Indian 

 Fig were early exported to the Old World). Cnctar,-,!-. 



OPUNTIA 



Opuutia is a genus of great variation in habi 

 pearance, and, from the frequency of natura 

 and ill-deflned specific lines, one of the mos 

 genera of flowering plants to satisfactorily j 

 systeraatii' order. Opuutias vary from small, 

 plants a !"■ A iiK li.^ ,il..ive the ground to trees 

 spread! I: 

 clavat.- ■ 

 areola'. 



circular: 

 mixed x\ 

 ber of 

 flowers : 

 the jo 



I -r.- feet high. The f 

 i! iiid bear more or less elevated 

 I ihich appears a small caducous 

 !■ I'lini' and foliar. An oval or 

 '!' a with soft wool, inter- 

 : i 1 1-^ually a variable num- 

 i.il of each leaf. The 

 ■ miiijI\ i..a:m(1 the upper portion of 

 ns, i>n tlK> bristle-bearing part of the 

 areola, and have spreading, showy corollas. The usually 



lied inferior ovaries are not of foliar develop- 

 iffer but slightly in appearance 

 iv are usually bristle- and spine- 

 iiilent, frequently edible ; seeds 

 and often margined. Some of 

 ~ are seen in the illustrations 



ment, a 



beariiii,' 

 the for 



(Figs. i:.t.;-i.j-iii,. 



Some of the larf^est Cacti are Opuutias, while nearly 

 all that are of economic value belong to this genus. The 

 genus numbers about 130 species and manv varieties 

 and hybrids. It ext.-nds from Britisli Ainerie'a south- 

 ward thi-on- ii til. I iiih .1 S! .Ill -, ,M . \ 1. ... \\".' -I I III 1 11'^ anil 

 Central.\' .. •■■.: . . ,.' •■n... . \ -..i,'- \ i.i.Ti.'a. 

 The sp... i. .. .'I ., .. I. II arid 



of species in southwestern United .'-in. - n,.! ii.iihern 



Mexico, where they ai-e often tri-rs in.l i ih. inost 



conspicuous part of the flora. A 1 , ;. . ^ n. ex- 

 tensively i-nltivar...) ill v.-arni V, -■,,■ (..,■ .... large, 



edible fiai'i -''■< ..-.■- .,,■..:..,.. .. , k, ,. ., . wiu-re 



introdiM iltiva- 



tion ami . . • ■ ■ ■ ■ ^. i •.. ■ .i' ■! ■".,■■:. • i... .■..■.■ds. 



Alth0Uf,'li I'l. I il.iililla-. ar.. 1..-- :i11r;i..| r, .: 11^ 1-...1 plants 



and, on aia-,,uiit of their harliid spinas and bristles, 

 more difficult to handle than most other Cacti, they are 

 coming into favor on account of their unique appear- 

 ance, rapiility of growth and attractive fls. They grow 

 best with an abundance of heat and simlight, the char- 

 acter of the soil being a secondary consideration. Like 

 all other Cacti, they require perfect drainage. They are 

 readily grown from cuttings, and also from seed under 

 proper management. 



Economic I'd ?«<•.- Economically considered, the 

 Opuutias are by far the most important of the Cacti. 

 Although originally confined to the New World, the 



i.~i-a|H..I t ri.ni ,.uli)., :ii I..1I iiii.l 1 ..,■. nnc wild in every arid 



aii'i ~. II I i I I"' where the tenipera- 



tiir. [..I III I II I Wherever grown, their 



t' ii'l-'ii. \ I- '.. . I i\ationand become per- 



sistent aii.l tr.i In this respect they 



are much niur,. i.. : , t'.ireigu countries thaii 



in Amerii-a, th.. pi . r . iiivity. 



Ortfini. nf'^l I III. iital plants, Opuutias 

 ai.- iiiiiiri. I, I'll. I- I ... ,1 ,:, , r,.,,,, il,|.ir stift', for- 

 I ! ■ ' I I nil-, with other 

 ■I bristles they 

 I.I' .I,,:...:;: I., i ai..l .'ir.. .•.-h- I I, y most gar- 

 most effective. 



Most species grow rapidly and bli...in |.r..| iisi Iv. The 



