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OPHIOXYLON SERPENTINUM.—A native of the East Indies, where the 
roots are used in medicine as a febrifuge and alexipharmic. 
OpuNTIA TuNA.—This plant is a native of Mexico and South America 
generally. It reaches a height of 15 to 20 feet, and bears reddish-col- 
ored flowers, followed by pear-shaped fleshy fruits two'or three inches 
long, and of a rich carmine color when ripe. . It is cultivated for rearing 
the cochineal insect. The fruits are sweet and juicy; sugar has been 
made from them. The juice is used as a water-color and for coloring 
confectionery. 
OPUNTIA COCHINELLIFERA.—A native of Mexico, where it is largely 
cultivated in what are called the Nopal Plantations, for the breeding of 
the cochineal insect. This plant and others are also grown for a similar 
purpose in the Canary Islands and Madeira. Some of these plantations 
contain 50,000 plants. Cochineal forms the finest carmine scarlet dye, 
and at least there are 2,000 tons of it produced yearly, in value worth 
$2,000 per ton. 
OREODAPHNE CALIFORNICA.—The Mountain Laurel, or Spice Bush of 
California. When bruised it emits a strong spicy odor, and the Spanish 
Americans use the leaves as a condiment. 
OREODOXA OLERACEA.—The West Indian Cabbage palm; sometimes 
attains the height of 170 feet, with a straight cylindrical trunk. The 
semi-cylindrical portions of the leaf-stalk are formed into cradles for 
children, or made into splints for fractures. Their inside skin, peeled 
off while green, and dried, looks like vellum, and can be written upon. 
The heart of young leaves, or cabbage, is boiled as a vegetable or 
pickled, and the pith affords sago. Oil is obtained from the fruit. 
ORMOSIA DASYCARPA.—This is the West Indian Bead Tree, or Neck- 
lace tree, the seeds of which are roundish, beautifully polished, and of a 
bright scarlet color, with a black spot at one end resembling beads, for 
which they are substituted, being made into necklaces, bracelets, or 
mounted in silver for studs and buttons. It is a leguminose plant. 
OSMANTHUS FRAGRANS.—This plant has long been cultivated as Olea 
Fragrans. Tie flowers have a fine fragrance, and are used by the 
Chinese to perfume tea. It appears that they consider the leaves also 
valuable, for they are frequently found in what is expected to be genu- 
ine tea. 
OUVIRANDRA FENESTRALIS.—The Lattice-Leaf plant of the rivers 
of Madagascar. The leaves are wholly destitute of cellular tissue, with 
which the spaces between the nerves in ordinary leaves are closed up, 
so that they resemble open lattice-work, or apparently consisting of only 
a Skeleton of nerves, such as are produced artificially by the bleaching 
process known as skeletonizing leaves. The fieshy farinaceous roots 
are collected for food, and are called Water-Yams by the natives of Mad- 
agascar. 
P2DERIA FETIDA.—This weedy-looking plant is a native of the 
East Indies and China. All parts of the plant give off an offensive 
odor when bruised. In Assam the plant is called Bedolee Sutta, and 
has lately been brought into notice as a fiber-vielding plant, its flexible 
stems yielding a tough, fine fiber, fit for spinning purposes. The Hin- 
doos use the roots asanemetice. The chopped shoots are known in China 
as Jung-gala, and are used to destroy aphides on cabbages. 
PANDANUS UTILIS.—The Screw-Pine of the Mauritius, where it is 
largely cultivated for its leaves, which are manufactured into bags or 
sacks for the exportation of sugar. They are also used for making other 
domestic vessels and for tying purposes. 
PAPPEA CAPENSIS.—Is a smali tree of the Soap-Berry or sapindaceous 
