O' S T 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fe&iori 
of Linnaeus’s fixth clafs, which contains thofe plants 
whofe flowers have fix ftamina and two ftyles. 
We have but one Species of this plant, viz. 
Qryza ( Sativa .) Matth. 403. Rice. ^ 
This grain is greatly cultivated in mod of the eaftern 
countries, where it is the chief fupport of the inhabi- 
tants •, and great quantities of it are brought into 
England and other European countries every year, 
where it is in great efteem for puddings, &c. it being 
; too tender to be produced in thefe northern countries, 
without the afiiftance of artificial heat ; but from fome 
feeds which were formerly fent to South Carolina, 
there have been great quantities produced ; and it is 
found to fucceed as well there as in its native country, 
which is a very great improvement to our American 
fettlements. 
This plant grows upon moift foils, where the ground 
can be flowed over with water after it is come up * fo 
that whoever v/ould cultivate it in England for cu- 
riofity, fhould fow the feeds upon a hot-bed * and 
when the plants are come up, they fhould be tranf- 
planted into pots filled with rich light earth, and 
placed into pans of water, which fhould be plunged in- 
to a hot-bed •, and as the water waftes, fo it muft, from 
time to time, be renewed again, ftill preferving the 
water in the pans, otherwife they will not thrive, and 
keeping them in aftove all the fummer ; and toward 
the latter end of Auguft, they will produce their 
grain, which wifi ripen tolerably well, provided the 
autumn proves favourable. 
OSIER. See Salix. 
OSMUND A, the Ofmund Royal, or flowering Fern. 
This is one of the kinds of Fern which is diftin- 
guifhed from the other forts, by its producing flow- 
ers on the top of the leaves whereas the others, for the 
moft part, produce them on the back of their leaves. 
There is but one kind of this plant, which grows wild 
in England, but there are feveral forts of them which 
grow in America ; but as they are feldom kept in 
gardens, I fhall not enumerate their fpecies. 
The common fort grows on bogs in feveral parts of 
England, therefore whoever hath an inclination to 
tranfplant it into gardens, fhould place it in a moift 
fhady fltuation, otherwife it will not thrive. 
OSTEOSPERMUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 887. 
Monilifera. Vaill. Aft. Par. 1720. Chryfanthemoi- 
des. Tourn. Aft. Par. 1705. Hard-feeded Chryfan- 
themum. 
The Characters are. 
The flower hath an hemifpherical empalement , which is 
Jingle , and cut into many fegments. The flower is com- 
posed of feveral hermaphrodite florets in the dijk , which are 
tubulous , and cut at the brim into five parts. Thefe are 
furrounded by feveral female florets , which are radiated , 
each having a long narrow tongue , which is cut into three 
parts at the top. The hermaphrodite florets have each five 
fender jhort ftamina , terminated by cylindrical fummits , 
with a fmall germen fupporting a fender ftyle , crowned by 
an obfolete ftigma *, thefe are barren. The female florets 
have each a globular germen fupporting a fender ftyle , 
crowned by an indented ftigma ; the germen afterward be- 
comes one fingle hard feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fourth feftion 
of Linnaeus’s nineteenth clafs, intitled Syngenefia 
Polygamia Necefifaria, the flowers being compofed 
of hermaphrodite florets in the difk, which are bar- 
ren, and female florets which are fruitful. 
The Species are, 
Osteospermum ( Moniliferum ) foliis ovalibus ferra- 
tis petiolatis fubdecurrentibus. Lin. Hort. Cliff. 424. 
Hard-feeded Chryfanthemum , with oval fawed leaves on 
running foot-ftalks. Chryfanthemoides Afrum populi 
albse foliis. Hort. Ekh. 80. tab. 68. Hard-feeded Afri- 
can Chryfanthemum , with leaves like thofe of the white 
Poplar, 
2. Osteospermum ( Piflferum ) foliis lanceolatis acute 
dentatis, caule fruticofo. Tab. 194. fig. 1. Hard- 
feeded Chryfanthemum , with fpcar-fhaped leaves which 
are acutely indented , and a Jhrubby ftalk. 
GST 
3. Osteospermum ( Spinoftm ) fpinis ramofiri Lin. Hort 
Cliff. 424. Hard-feeded Chryfanthemum , with branching 
fpines. Chryfanthemoides Ofteofpermum Africanum 
odoratum, fpinofum & vifeofum. Hort. Amft. 2. p, 
8 5. Hard-feeded Chryfanthemum of Africa , which is 
prickly , vifeous , andfweet. 
4. Osteospermum ( Polygaloides ) foliis lanceolatis im- 
bricatis fefiilibus. Flor. Leyd. Prod* 179. Hard-feed - 
ed Chryfanthemum , with fpear-Jhaped leaves fitting clofe 
to the ftalks , and lying over each other like the f coles of a 
fife. Monilifera poligoni foliis. Vaill. Aft. Par. 1720, 
Monilifera with Knot Grafs leaves. 
The firft fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, but has been feveral years an inhabitant in the 
Englifh gardens. This rifes with a fhrubby ftalk fe- 
ven or eight feet high, covered with a frnooth gray 
bark, and divides into feveral branches* garriifhed 
with oval leaves, which are unequally indented on 
their edges ; they are placed alternately, and are of a 
thick confidence, covered with a hoary down, which 
goes off from the older leaves. The flowers are pro- 
duced in clufters at the end of the branches, fix or 
eight coming out together, upon foot-ftalks an inch 
and a half long * thefe are yellow, and fhaped like 
thofe of Ragwort. The border or rays are com- 
pofed of about ten half florets., which fpread open ; 
the difk or middle is compofed of tubulous florets, 
which are cut into five parts at the brim ; thefe are 
barren, but the half florets round the border, have 
one hard feed fucceeding each of them. This plant 
flowers but feldom here •, the time of its flowering is! 
in July or Auguft. 
The fecond fort grows like the firft, but the leaves 
are more pointed, of a green colour, and acutely 
fawed on the edges •, the foot-ftalks of the leaves are 
bordered, and the leaves are deeply veined. This 
produces tufts of yellow flowers at the extremity of 
the {hoots from fpring to autumn, and frequently ri- 
pens feeds. 
The third fort is a low fhrubby plant, which feldom 
rifes above three feet high, and divides into many 
branches ; the ends of the (hoots are befet with green 
branching fpines j. the leaves are very clammy, efpe- 
cially in warm weather ; thefe are long and narrow, 
and let on without any order. The flowers are pro- 
duced fingly at the ends of the (hoots, which are 
yellow, and appear in July and Auguft. 
Thefe three forts are too tender to live in the open 
air in England, fo are placed in the green-houfe in 
Obtober, and may be treated in the fame manner as 
Myrtles, and other hardy green-houfe plants, which 
require a large (hare of air in mild weather ; and in 
the beginning of May the plants may be removed into 
the open air, and placed in a fheltered fltuation dur- 
ing the fummer feafon. The fecond and third forts 
muft have plenty of water, being very thirfty plan ts. 
Thefe plants are propagated by cuttings, which may 
be planted in any of the fummer months, upon a bed- 
of light earth, and fhould be watered and (haded un- 
til they have taken root, which they will be in five or 
fix weeks, when they muft be taken up and planted 
in pots ; for if they are fuffered to (land long, they 
will make ftrong vigorous (boots, and will be difficult 
to tranfplant afterward, efpecially the firft and fecond 
forts •, but there is not fo much danger of the third, 
which is not fo vigorous, nor (b eafy in taking root 
as the other. During the fummer feafon the pots 
flmild be frequently removed, to prevent the plants 
from rooting through the holes in the bottom of the 
pots into the ground, which they are very apt to do 
when they continue long undifturbed, and then they 
(boot very luxuriantly * and, on their being removed, 
thefe (hoots, and fometimes the whole plants, will 
decay. 
The fourth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope ; this hath a fhrubby ftalk about four feet high, 
which divides into many fmall branches, garnifned 
with fmall oblong leaves which fit clofe to them, and 
in fome of the upper branches they lie over each. 
Qther like the feales of fifh. The flowers come put 
9 R at 
44T 
