CEONIj 



Kfyz ErraSurj) ai ftatang. 



804 



its rootstock varying in appearance.accord- i 

 ing to the locality. Thus if in deep or run- 

 ning water the rootstock and stem are long 

 and slender ; in other cases thicker and 

 erect. The leaves are repeatedly pinnate, 

 with very small segments, which when 

 under water become long and hair-like. 

 The umbels are smaller than in the fore- ! 

 going, opposite to the leaves or in the forks j 

 of the branches. The variety that grows 

 in deep running water is by some consider- 

 ed a distinct species under the name CE. j 

 fluviatilis. 



CE. flstulosa has fibrous roots, some of 

 which become swollen and tuberous. The | 

 stem is thick and hollow, slightly branched, j 

 the root-leaves twice pinnate, with small 

 wedge-shaped segments, the stem-leaves 

 with long hollow stalks and a few pinnate 

 linear segments at the top. The umbel ter- 

 minating the main stem has in general 

 three rays, and all the flowers are fertile, 

 while the umbels that occur on the branch- 

 es have more than three rays ; but the 

 flowers are barren. This is perhaps the 

 most common species. (E. pimpineUoi<lrs 

 has tuberous roots, leaves muck more di- 

 vided than in the last, stems nearly solid, 

 all the umbels with many rays, and having 

 fertile and barren flowers intermixed ; the 

 latter are on longer stalks than the former. 

 The shape of the leaves and tubers is sub- 

 ject to much variation. Mr. Bentham com- 

 bines with this species (E. Lachenalii. 



In spite of the dangerous qualities of 

 some of these plants, others are innocuous, I 

 and their tuberous roots are eaten as food. 

 Cultivation, and the locality in which the 

 plants are grown, will go far towards ex- 

 plaining this seeming anomaly. The name, 

 derived from two Greek words signifying 

 wine-flower, is applied in allusion to the 

 vinous odour of the blossoms. [M. T. M.] 



(ENOCARPUS. An exclusively South 

 American genus of Palmaceos, consisting 

 of six or seven species, abounding princi- 

 pally on the banks of the Amazon and Ori- 

 noco and their tributaries, forming lofty 

 trees with smooth straight stems, and 

 bearing a terminal crown of large pinnate 

 leaves, the segments of which are narrow 

 and somewhat crisped. Their broom-like 

 flower-spikes spring from beneath the 

 leaves, and -are enveloped in double woody 

 spathes, the inner of which is entirely 

 closed when young, but ultimately opens 

 and falls off. The flowers, which have no 

 bracts at their base, are of separate sexes 

 on the same spike. The fruits are oval or 

 nearly round, and have a granular fibrous 

 eily flesh, enclosing a single seed of a nut- 

 meg-like appearance inside. 



Several species common on the Amazon, 

 such as the Patawa (E. Batata, the Bacaba 

 CE. Baeaba, as well as (E. distichus, yield 

 colourless sweet-tasted oil, used in Para 

 for adulterating olive-oil, and excellent 

 both for cooking and for lamps. The In- 

 dians also prepare a palatable but slicrhtiy 

 aperient beverage, by triturating the fruits 

 in water and adding sugar and mandiocea- 

 flour. The stiff slender nerves of the de- 



cayed base of the leafstalks of (E. Batava 

 are used by the Indians for making arrows 

 for their blow-pipes. [A. S.] 



OENOTHERA. A genus of onagrads, 

 distinguished by having the border of the 

 calyx four-cleft, reflexed, and fugacious ; 

 and the seeds numerous, without an ap- 

 pendage. The species are chiefly herba- 

 ceous, natives of North and South Ame- 

 rica , their lower leaves with triangular 

 footstalks and usually crowded; and the 

 upper leaves alternate, almost sessile, en- 

 tire or slightly toothed, rarely pinnatifld. 

 The flowers present considerable difference 

 in colour, being in some yellow, in others 

 white or purple, and they usually open at 

 night. Many species of this well-known 

 genus have been long in cultivation, oc- 

 cupying deservedly a very prominent place 

 in collections. They are all handsome bor- 

 der flowers, and have the recommendation 

 of being easily cultivated. CE. biennis, one 

 of the best known, has now become natu- 

 ralised in some parts of England. [G. D.] 



OEONIA. A small genus of epiphytal 

 orchids, with distichous coriaceous leaves, 

 and showy flowers. They are found in 

 Madagascar, Mauritius, and Bourbon ; and 

 are allied to Angrcecum, from which they 

 are distinguished by the three-lobed hood- 

 ed lip, and the pollen-masses having two 

 glands, and no caudicle. [A. S.] 



OERSTEDELLA. Epidendrum centrope- 

 talum, a Central American orchid, was first 

 described under that name by Reichen- 

 bach, who, however, soon afterwards 

 raised it to the rank of a genus called 

 Oerstedella, and split it into two so-called 

 species ; now, however, he reverts to his 

 original view, and combines the two spe- 

 cies under the original name. [A. S.] 

 OFBITEN. Scabiosa succisa. 

 OFFSET. A short lateral shoot,*bearing 

 clustered leaves at its extremity, and pro- 

 pagating a plant ; as in houseleek. 

 OIDES, OIDEUS. See Odes. 

 OIDIUM. A genus of naked-spored 

 moulds, which has obtained considerable 

 notoriety from its connection with the 

 Vine Mildew, which arises from the attacks 

 of 0. Tuckeri. This fungus derived its name 

 from a gardener at Margate, who was one 

 of the first to use sulphur as a remedy. 

 It is now pretty clear that the Oidium of 

 the vine, like some other supposed spe- 

 cies, is but an early stage of some Erysiphe, 

 Though the perfect plant has not yet been 

 found. Another form of fruit, indeed, be- 

 sides the necklace-like spores, has oc- 

 curred, consisting of little cysts filled with 

 minute bodies or stylospores, such as occur 

 in undoubted species of Erysiphe. Though, 

 however, several supposed species of Oi- 

 dium are referable to Erysiphe, there still 

 remain true species. Some, which grow 

 on decayed wood and other substances, are 

 remarkable for their tawny or golden-yel- 

 low spores ; but another species with large 

 pallid spores, 0. fructigenum, deserves no- 

 tice, from its frequently forming patches 



