OPUXTIA 



1143 



ovate, greenish; petals narrowly linear; labellimi long, 

 oblong, purplish bro\vn, with pale white or blue marks 

 in the center; central lobe notched. .Spring and early 

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

 AA. Margin of the labelluin yrUow or greenish i/eltoiv. 



tenthredinifera, Willd. Sawflv Orchis. Stem 6 in. 

 high: 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, puljesceiit. with a large 

 chestnut - colored spot on tlin disk. Jlediterranean 

 region. B.R. 3:205; 13.109:'. B..M. I'XfO F. 1872, p. 128. 



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

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

 curved, green ; petals much smaller, linear-oblong; 

 labellum quadrate, golden yellow, with a purple disk. 

 Mediterranean region. B.M. 5941. 



Aceras anthropdphora, Br \.l.. rii-^l .^ Oplu-ys anthro- 

 pophora, Linn. Man OR'Iii- ^ ■ " in liiRh. the 



spike being 2-4 in, long: Iw ,. ' Lun-eolate: lis. 



dull yellowish green; sep.-il- ;i : ■ tu'Hig o\er tlie 



column: labellum much lon^'.r I !im: ii. -i.i viile lobes long, 

 narrow, and the middle lobe split int.) Iw.. n;irn>w lobes. Early 

 summer. Pastures, S. Europe. *.>plirys differs from Aceras in 

 having a very convex labellum. Both genera are distinguished 

 from Orchis by the absence of a spiu-. 



Heinrich Hasselbring. 



OPLlSHENUS (Greek, owned ; referring to the awns ) . 

 Graminece. A genus allied to Panicura, containing 4 

 species of the warmer regions, one of which is cult, in 

 . for ornament. Spikelet 1-fld.; first and 

 glume, and often the third, awned. 



^S^: 



Burmannii 



Bunnaimii, Pal. {Panicum variegalum of florists). 

 Fig. 1.J42. A half-creeping perennial, with small, simple 

 panicles, the common form with neatly white and pink 

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

 and for hanging baskets. Propagated by divisions of 

 the rooting stems, (in. 47, p. 68. a. S. Hitchcock. 



OPIUM is the product of Papnver somniferum, the 

 common annual summer-blooming poppy of our gar- 



OPOPANAX. See Acacia. 



OPCNTIA (old Latin name used by Pliny, later used 

 for 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). CactAcem. 



Opuntia is a genus of great variation in habit and ap- 

 pearance, and, from the frequency of natural hybrids 

 and ill-defined specific lines, one "of the most diflicult 

 genera of flowering plants to satisfactorily present in 

 systematic order. Opuntias vary from small, prostrate 

 plants a few inches above the ground to trees with 

 spreading tops 20 or more feet high. The stems are flat, 

 clavate or cylindrical, and bear more or less elevated 

 areolae, from each of which appears a small caducous 

 pointed leaf, rarely spreading and foliar. An oval or 

 circular area, more or less covered with soft wool, inter- 

 mixed with barbed bristles and usually a variable num- 

 ber of spines, occurs in the axil of each leaf. The 

 flowers are borne singly toward the upper portion of 

 the joints or stems, on the bristle-bearing part of the 

 areola, and have spreading, showy corollas. The usually 

 many-ovuled inferior ovaries are not of foliar develop- 

 ment, and sometimes differ but slightly in appearance 

 from normal stems. They are usually bristle- and spine- 

 bearing. Fr. dry or succulent, frequently edible; seeds 

 large, flattened, discoid and often margined. Some of 

 the forms of Opuntias are seen in the illustrations 

 (Figs. 1543-1549). 



Some of till- lar-. -t Cin'ti are Opuntias, while nearly 



all that are uf ni.' \ :i hi.- belong to this genus. The- 



genus nuiiib. r^ :,l...ui l:;ii s|>ecies and many varieties 

 and hybri.N. It .mmmI- Iimui British America south- 

 ward throu-li ; I !■ ^. .! ~:.i.s. :Mpxiro. West Indies finil 

 Central Aiiii-r; ■ . ■.-:■ . - ' . rnii.ii-tion "f .•■;,,uth.\iii,.ri.'a. 



The speei.'- i - ■ -ilyt., ;iriil ;i!i.l s, -1111 arid 



regions; hi.«. • i. - ■• i.mnd in rct;i..iis of hcavv 



rainfall. Tin } ai. i.iiimI m u-r,at._-st quantity and variety 

 of species in s..utli\vcstirii United States and northern 

 Mexico, where they are often trees and form the most 

 conspicuous part of the flora. A few species are ex- 

 tensively cultivated in warm regions for their large, 

 edible fruits, while others are grown as hedges. Where- 

 introduced, many species have escaped from cultiva- 

 tion and become dangerous and troublesome weeds. 

 Although the Opuntias are less attractive as pot-plants 

 and, on account of their barbed spines and bristles, 

 more difficult to handle than most other Cacti, they are 

 coming luto favor on account of their unique appear- 

 ance, rapidity of growth and attractive fls. They grow 

 best -with an abundance of heat and sunlight, 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. 



£. I ? — Econom illy con le ed the 



Op n a 1 f r the t u| rta t of 1 e Cacti. 



Al ho h r nail c nfined to 1 e \e v W rl 1 the 



e per- 



t they 



than 



plant and on acco 

 are d fttcult to hand] 

 deners as a n an 

 hedges and a gro 

 mo t eff c ve 

 Mo t 1 e es gro 



h other 

 les they 

 o t gar- 



ro I II II profuselv The 



fls a a rule are I II If var ous col irs, 



altho gh Ilwr 1 11 oon w ther after 



1 loo n no- 1 1 e t o Ij for a f e v days. 



Tl e p I I lis ally cover the base of 



tl e H r 1 I 1 e as cut flowers With 



m n pe 1 I 1 toca I i O tetraca tha, 



and some f rn of f 2 tht br ght colored fruits, 



wh ch rema n on the plants for a long t n e after ripen- 

 ng, render them more attract ve n fru t than n flower. 

 Crested or fasciate forms (Fig. 1543) aie common. 



Me .FrM«off7ieOp«n(ms. -Although ext.-nsivily culti- 

 vated for their fruit in many countries, win r.- tli. v fur- 

 nish an important article of diet for 4-:. inniiths , a. h 

 year, they do not as yettakeapomologi<-al rank with the 



