AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



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OPH 



The typical genus of Ophioglossacece, distin- 

 guished from all others of that order, by having 

 its fructification borne in the form of spikes. 

 The species are spread over the whole world, 

 from the Torrid to the Arctic Zones, and being 

 of simple structure are not readily discrimi- 

 nated. Some botanists regard the greater part 

 of them as mere forms of O. vulgatum, the 

 common Adder's Tongue. 



Ophiopo'goii. From ophis, a serpent, and 

 pogon, a beard ; a translation of the native 

 Japanese name. Nat. Ord. Hcemodoracce. 



A small genus of hardy or half-hardy her- 

 baceous perennials, natives of India, China 

 and Japan. They have long, linear leaves 

 and erect spikes or racemes of flowers, about 

 a foot in length. O. Jaburan variegatus is a 

 most beautiful and useful plant for the cool 

 green-house or for hanging baskets, vases, 

 etc. Its deep violet-blue flowers, freely pro- 

 duced in dense spikes, followed by deep blue 

 berries about the size of currants, and re- 

 maining a long time in perfection, are an ex- 

 cellent contrast to the drooping broad grass- 

 like leaves striped with green and creamy- 

 white. There is a variegated form of O. 

 Japonicus intermedius, known as O. J. argenteo- 

 marginatus which though producing white 

 flowers is also an excellent plant for the pur- 

 poses named. They are both introductions 

 from Japan, are of easy culture, and are in- 

 creased readily by division. Syn. Flueggia, 

 sometimes spelled Fluggia. 



O'phrys. From ophrys, eyebrows ; referring 

 to the fringe of the inner sepals. Nat. Ord. 

 OrchiddcecB. 



A small genus of terrestrial Orchids, chiefly 

 natives of England. They are exceedingly 

 difficult to manage, but produce their flowers, 

 which are of rare beauty, freely in early sum- 

 mer, in fields and dry pastures. O. opifera 

 looks as though a bee were buried in the 

 flower; another, O. aranifera, has the lip in 

 the form of a spider ; and in a third, O. mus- 

 cifera, the whole flower resembles a fly. 



Opium. See Papaver somniferum. 



Oplisme'nus. From hoplismenos, awned ; re- 

 ferring to the awns. Nat. Ord. Graminacece. 

 A small genus of tender grasses allied to 

 Panicum, broadly dispersed over the tropical 

 and sub-tropical regions. O. Burmanni 

 variegatus is a beautiful drooping grass, 

 prettily variegated with white and pink. It 

 is best known in cultivation as Panicum 

 variegatum. 



Opo'panax. Ancient Greek writers mention a 

 medicinal plant under this name, which is used 

 by botanists to designate a genus of Umbelli- 

 ferce, containing two or three species. O. 

 Chironium, is a plant six or seven feet high, 

 resembling the Parsnip, and is a native of 

 southern Europe. It yields a milky juice, 

 having similar properties to those possessed 

 by Ammoniacum, but is now scarcely used. 

 The plant is of no ornamental value, and is 

 only to be found in botanic gardens. Syn. 

 Malaibala Apoponax. 



Opora'nthus. From opora, autumn, and anthos, 

 a flower. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidacece. 



A hardy, free-flowering bulb from the south 

 of Europe. The flowers bear a strong resem- 

 blance to the Yellow Crocus, for which, in- 

 deed, if it flowered at the same season, it 



OPU 



might easily be mistaken. It is very orna- 

 mental, and should be planted in beds with 

 the Colchicum, as they flower at the same 

 season, and contrast finely in color. It grows 

 freely in a light soil, but should have a slight 

 protection in winter to perfect the bulbs. It 

 generally comes into flower with our first 

 frosts, the leaves remaining green during the 

 winter. This bulb was formerly classed as 

 Amaryllis lutea, and none but the keen eye of 

 the botanist can see any difference. This 

 genus is now included with Sternbergia, which 

 see. 



Opposite. Placed on opposite sides of some 

 other body or thing, and on the same plane. 

 Thus when leaves are opposite, they are on 

 opposite sides of the stem ; when petals are 

 opposite they are on opposite sides of the 

 flower, and so on. 



Oppositifolius. Opposite a leaf, that is to say, 

 growing on the side of astern opposite to that 

 on which a leaf grows ; also applied to leaves 

 opposite to each other. 



Opu'ntia. Prickly Pear. Indian Fig. A Latin 

 name of which the derivation is not applicable 

 to the species now placed under it. Nat. Ord. 

 CactacecB. 



There are upward of a hundi'ed and fifty 

 species of the Opuntia, or Prickly Pear, all of 

 which are natives of this continent. They are 

 found chiefly in Mexico. California, Peru, 

 Brazil, the West Indies, and a few in the United 

 States. The plants, when old, are hard and 

 woody, but the new growth remains succu- 

 lent or fleshy for some time. Some species 

 grow erect and tree-like, while others are 

 procumbent or creep on the ground, and 

 nearly all have spines. The upright growers 

 sometimes reach a height of ten feet or more, 

 and one kind even twenty feet. Some of 

 them (O. Tuna, for example) have been in- 

 troduced into southern Europe, Africa and 

 other places where they are cultivated for the 

 sake of obtaining Cochineal. The flowers (ex- 

 cept in Nopalea) are generally a dull reddish 

 orange. The fruit is pear-shaped, two or 

 three inches long, and of a bright carmine 

 color when ripe. The fruit is edible, and has 

 a pleasant sub-acid flavor, being considered 

 cooling and refreshing, and is much used in 

 the West Indies and other places. The 

 juice is sometimes used as a water color, 

 and also for coloring candies. In Mexico the 

 plant is used for hedges as well as for the 

 Cochineal insect, and from the fruit is pre- 

 pared a beverage called Colinche. Writers 

 tell us that in Algeria the French make from 

 the old wood a number of ornamental articles, 

 such as flower trays, fancy baskets, etc., and 

 even veneering. The Opuntia, it will be seen, 

 is a plant of considerable commercial value. 

 Botanists have taken three species from 

 Opuntia, to which they have given the generic 

 name Nopalea; the reason of which may not 

 be apparent to the common observer. In 

 the new genus the flowers have erect petals, 

 which are drawn together at the top instead 

 of being expanded, as they are in Opuntia; the 

 stamens are longer than the corolla, but 

 shorter than the style. The stems are round, 

 or nearly so, with jointed, fleshy, flat branches; 

 but unlike Opuntia, the tubercles upon the 

 branches are not always armed with spines. 

 The flowers, instead of being yellow or orange. 



