ris, differs in the more elongated lateral 

 and marginal rather than short apical sori. 

 The only species is O. pallens, a large de- 

 compound fern of the Mascaren Islands, 

 ■with small glossy coriaceous ultimate divi- 

 sions. Cheilanthes differs in its punctiform 

 receptacles, as does Hypolepis. [T. MJ 



OCHROS. In Greek compounds=pale-yel- 

 low : thus ochroleucus is pale-yellow blend- 

 ed with white ; yellowish-white. 



OCHROSIA. A genus of dogbanes, hav- 

 ing the corolla funnel-shaped, with the 

 tube swollen in the middle ; five stamens 

 inserted in the throat of the corolla; and 

 a single style, ending in two points. The 

 species are shrubs, natives of Mauritius 

 and 2sew Caledonia, having three or four 

 leaves in a whorl, the flowers in terminal 

 or lateral corymbs. [G. D.] 



OCIMXM. An extensive genus of La- 

 Matce characterised by the large roundish 

 upper tooth of the calyx having winged 

 decurrent margins, the whole calyx being 

 bent downwards after flowering : by the 

 short corolla having the lower lip flat, with 

 the four fertile stamens bent down and ly- 

 ing upon it ; and by the style being divided 

 at the apex into two short-pointed or flat- 

 tish lobes. It is widely dispersed through- 

 out the tropical and subtropical countries 

 of Asia, Africa, and America, and consists 

 of strong-scented annual or perennial 

 herbs or small shrubby plants, with flowers 

 disposed in whorls forming terminal in- 

 terrupted racemes. 



0. sanctum, a common Indian and Ceylon 



species, is frequently planted about Hindoo 



temples, whence the specific name. It is 



a hairy-stemmed plant, about a foot high, 



; with small, long-stalked, oval, blunt, 



downy leaves, toothed along the edges, 



• and small pale purplish flowers; the whole 



'■ plant, indeed, generally having a purplish 



tinge. It is much used in medicine by the 



Cingalese. The leaves of O. viride, which 



is a native of Western Africa, possess fe- 



; brifugal properties ; and at Sierra Leone, 



where it bears the name of Fever-plant, 



a decoction of them, drank as tea, is used 



as a remedy for the fevers so prevalent at 



that place. It is a shrubby plant, with 



■ hairy somewhat four-sided branching 



; stems, having oblong egg-shaped pointed 



i leaves tapering to the base, and with 



round-toothed margins, smooth or with 



j down on the ribs, and glandular dotted 



underneath. The leaves of 0. canum and 



grati.ssimum in India, and of O. crispum 



I in Japan, all very aromatic, are prescribed 



as a remedy for colds. O. tenuiflorum is 



regarded as an aromatiestimulant in Java ; 



and 0. guineev.se is much employed by the 



nesroes as a medicine in cases of bilious 



fever. [A. S.] 



These plants are in all cases destitute of 

 any deleterious secretions : for the most 

 part they are fragrant and aromatic, and 

 hence they have not only been used as 

 tonics, but are also valuable as kitchen 

 herbs. The most important of them is 

 0. basil'icum, the Sweet or Common Basil, 



a tender annual, native of India ; which, 

 as a culinary aromatic herb, has been cele- 

 brated from a very early period. This 

 plant, which was well known to the ancient 

 Greeks and Romans, though it does not 

 appear to have been cultivated in this 

 country until 1548, is of erect growth, 

 about a foot high, much-branched, and 

 furnished with small oval lanceolate deep- 

 green leaves, and very small flowers ar- 

 ranged in clustered whorls at the extremity 

 of the branches. It is chiefly valued for 

 the leaves and leafy tops, which are the 

 parts that are used, and have a flavour 

 somewhat resembling that of cloves. On 

 this account they are much employed for 

 seasoning soups, stews, sauces, and various 

 other dishes. Under the name of 0. hirsu- 

 tum, the seeds of this plant, which form a 

 mucilaginous infusion, are used by the 

 women of India to relieve after-pains. 



O. minimum, the Bush or Lesser Basil, is 

 a tender annual, and like O. basilicum a 

 native of India, from whence it was intro- 

 duced in 1573. It is much-branched, sel- 

 dom exceeding nine inches in height, the 

 leaves small, oval, deep-green, and the 

 flowers white. The leaves have a strong 

 aromatic smell, and are employed for sea- 

 soning dishes in the same way as those of 

 O. basilicum. To preserve the Basils, or 

 indeed any other sweet herbs, the plants 

 should be cut off close to the ground when 

 the flowers are about to open, and hung up 

 in a warm place, shaded from the sun, un- 

 til they are perfectly dry. Each sort should 

 then be put into a small box eight or ten 

 inches long, five or six inches broad, and 

 seven or eight inches deep ; a board the 

 size of the box inside is to be placed over 

 the herbs, which by means of a screw- 

 press are to be pressed into cakes. These 

 are afterwards to be wrapt in clean paper 

 until required for use ; and if kept in a 

 dry place, they will retain their aroma for 

 two or three years, as perfect nearly as 

 when they were first gathered. [W. B. B.] 



OCTARILLTJM. A genus of sandal- 

 worts, distinguished by having stamens 

 and pistils in the same flower; the calyx 

 with four sharp divisions ; the stamens 

 four ; and the style top-shaped, longer 

 than the stamens, and ending in a thick 

 point. The only species known is a shrub 

 found in Cochin China, having alternate 

 entire lanceolate leaves, solitary flowers, 

 and red berries. [G. D.] 



OCTO. Eight. 



OCTOBLEPHARUM. A genus of acro- 

 carpous mosses forming the small natural 

 order Octoblepharei, remarkable for the 

 leaves being of a pale colour, with the chlo- 

 rophyll cells situated beneath those on the 

 surface, which have the contiguous walls 

 perforated, but do not contain a spiral 

 thread as in Sphagnum. It is further re- 

 markable for having aperistome with eight 

 undivided teeth. O. albidum is one of the 

 commonesttropical mosses,and if imported 

 in a Ward's- case bears cultivation in the 

 stove, where it makes a prettycontrast with 

 Hymenophylla of a dark-green. [M. J. B.] 



