S33 



Z\)t Crras'urji of botany. 



TpACH 



leguminous plants, closely allied to Astra- 

 galus, from which it is mainly distin- 

 guished by having the lower petals of the 

 corolla or keel obtuse, and the lower su- 

 ture of the legume inflexed. All the spe- 

 cies have pinnate leaves, and bear their 

 flowers, which are purplish cream-coloured 

 or white, in spikes or clusters. The ma- 

 jority being alpine plants are of humble 

 I growth, and produce comparatively large 

 flowers. Two species are indigenous to 

 I Scotland : 0. uralensis, a stemless plant, 

 I the leaves of which are plentifully clothed 

 j with silky hairs, and the flowers bright 

 I purple, collected into heads, and which 

 I grows in dry pastures chiefly near the sea ; 

 I and O. campestris, which has very short 

 i stems, yellowish capitate flowers, and in- 

 i flated pubescent rods. The latter is a 

 very rare native plant, being found only on 

 the Clova Mountains. The species are 

 principally employed for ornamenting 

 rock-work. [C. A. J.] 



OYSTER-GREEN. A name commonly 

 given to Ulva Lactuca from its bright-green 

 tint, and its being frequently attached to 

 the common oyster. It is also called Green 

 Sloke. Other species, and one or two spe- 

 cies of Enter omorpha, are probably included 

 under the name. [M. J. B.] 



OYSTER PLANT. Steenhammaria mari- 

 time. 



OZOTHAMNUS. A genus of Composites 

 of the tribe Gnaphaliece, only differing 

 from Cassinia in the want of chaffy scales 

 on the receptacle, and in the inner scales 

 or bracts of the involucre being white 

 coloured or scarious, and usually spreading 

 in a ray. There are about thirty species 

 known, of which three inhabit New Zea- 

 land, and the rest are Aiistralian. They are 

 all shrubby, with small scattered leaves, 

 usually entire with the edges rolled back, 

 and numerous small flower-heads in ter- 

 minal corymbs or panicles. 



PABS. In Scotland, the refuse of flax. 



PACAXE, or PACANIER. (Fr.) Carya 

 olivceformis. 



PACHAXA. A bitter tonic infusion pre- 

 pared in India from Tinospora cordifolia. 



PACHIRA. A genus of tropical Ame- 

 rican trees belonging to the Sterculiacece, 

 and differing from Adansonia, the baobab 

 tree, in the calyx being cup-shaped and 

 entire, not five-toothed. From the other 

 genera of the family the disposition of the 

 stamens is sufficient to distinguish it. The 

 name Pachira was given to the plants of 

 this genus in 1775, by Aublet, and about 

 six years later the younger Linnasus gave 

 them that of Carolinea without knowledge 

 of the one already published. The former 

 name, therefore, has precedence, but the 

 plants are best known under the latter. 

 They are either small or large trees, with 

 digitate leaves somewhat like those of the 

 horse-chestnut, but with the leaflets more 

 leatherj in texture. The large handsome 

 flowers arise singly from the axils of the 



upper leaves, and are generally white but 

 sometimes deep rose or scarlet. The calyx 

 is cup-shaped entire ; the petals five, strap- 

 shaped, varying from three inches to a 

 foot in length, and often covered inter- 

 nally with soft white down: and the sta- 

 mens very numerous, with their filaments 

 united into a ring at the base, but divided 

 upwards into many branching bundles ; 

 thesebeing generally of a bright-red colour, 

 add greatly to the beauty of the flowers, 

 especially when the petals are white. The 

 fruit is an oval woody one-celled capsule, 

 which opens by a number of divisions, and 

 contains numerous seeds. 



One of the best-known species is P. alba, 

 commonly called Carolinea alba, a native of 

 many parts of South America. This is a 

 tree growing twenty feet high, with flowers 

 about six inches long. The petals are cloth- 

 ed with an olive-coloured down onthe back, 

 and covered internally wi th soft white silky 

 hairs. According to Mr. Purdie, this is one 

 of the most useful trees in New Grenada, 

 the inner bark furnishing the entire coun- 

 try with cordage which is strong and dura- 

 ble. 



The wool of the seeds of the Barrigon 

 (P. Barrigon), is used in Panama to stuff 

 pillows, cushions, &c, and the bark affords 

 a useful fibre. Among the trees of that 

 country which yield a useful timber, the 

 CedroEspinoso (P. Fendleri) is enumerated 

 by Dr. Seemann. The largest-flowered spe- 

 cies, P. macrantha, is found in Brazil; this , 

 tree attains a height of one hundred feet, ' 

 and has flowers fifteen inches in length, 

 the petals olive-green white within, and 

 the stamens blood-red with yellow anthers. 

 The name commemorates the Princess So- 

 phia Caroline of Baden. [A. A. B.] 



PACHIRA DE CAYENNE. (Fr.) Pa- 

 chira aquatica. — DU MARONI. Pachira 

 insignis. 



PACHYDENDRON. A section of the 

 liliaceous genus Aloe, distinguished by the 

 tubular slightly incurved perianth with an 

 ascending bent limb, and by the stamens 

 adhering to the base of the perianth. They 

 are arborescent plants from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, with crowded leaves at the 

 top of the caudex, and nodding flowers in 

 a terminal spike. [J. T. SJ 



PACHYLOBUS. An imperfectly known 

 genus of trees, of the family Amyridacece. 

 Don describes them as having compound 

 leaves, and oval black bitter astringent 

 fruits. These fruits are sold in the island 

 of St. Thomas, Gulf of Guinea, under the 

 names of Saf u and Pasco. [M. T. M.] 



PACHYMA. A spurious genus of Fvngi 

 consisting of one or two doubtful produc- 

 tions. The most important of these will 

 be briefly noticed under its native name, 

 Tuckahoo. [M. J. B.] 



PACHYNEMA. A genus of Dilleniacece, 

 consisting of three leafless herbs or uuder- 

 shrubs from tropical Australia, with rush- 

 like or flattened stems, and small yellow 

 flowers on short lateral recurved branches, 



