160 
O X Y 
OX'TER, f [oxtun, Sax. probably from the Lat. axilla.") 
The arm-pit. Common in the Norik of England. 
OX'US. See Jihon, vol. x. 
OX'WICH, a feaport and parifli in the hundred of 
Swar.fea, and county of Glamorgan, South Wales, is 
fituated on a fmall promontory, to which it gives name, 
on the north coaft of the Briftol Channel, at the diitance 
of thirteen miles from Swanfea. A confiderable trade in 
limeftone is carried on here, and gives employment to a 
number of people in the vicinity. The fea has made 
great encroachments on this parifli; and is even fuppofed 
to have inundated the whole of the original village, as 
the old church and parfonage-houfe (land clofe to the 
fhore, and the prefent village is built at fome diitance in¬ 
land. Here are the remains of a large manfion, called 
Oxwich-caltle, which was erefted by fir Rice Manfel, 
about the reign of Henry VIII. This edifice never ap¬ 
pears to have been intended for the purpofes of defence, 
but it may not unlikely have been built on the fite of an 
ancient fortrefs, as, only a few yards from it, there are ftill 
to be feen the remains of a watch-tower of much older 
and ftronger conftruftion. Part of this caitle was con¬ 
verted, many years ago, into afarm-houfe. Lobfters and 
crabs are caught in great plenty along the whole coaft of 
this parifli, which, according to the parliamentary returns 
of 1811, contains 50 houfes, and 236 inhabitants. 
Penrice-caftle ftands about three miles from Oxwich. 
It derived its name from the family of the Penrices, who 
fettled here in the reign of Edward I. but is now the pro¬ 
perty of the Talbots. This demefne has lately been 
amazingly improved, and exhibits'a diverlity and rich- 
nefs of Tcenery altogether unexpected from the dreary ap¬ 
pearance of the furrounding country. In the avenue to 
the gardens is a fine tomb of one of the emperors, which 
was brought from Italy. The village of Penrice has a 
good harbour for (hipping. North from this place, upon 
a mountain called Com-Bryn, is a table-like monument, 
or cromlech, called Arthur's Stone. It confifts of fix or 
feven ftones, about five feet in height, fupporting a large 
flat (tone, fuppofed to weigh nearly twenty tons. A 
fpring ifiues from beneath, which ebbs and flows with the 
tide, and is celebrated as Ffynnon Vair, or my Lady’s 
Well. 
OX'WICH POI'NT, a cape on the fouth coaft of Wales, 
in the Briftol Channel. It forms the eaftern boundary of 
a bay called Oxwich Hay. Lat. 51. 27. N. Ion. 4. 6. W. 
OXYACANTHA, f. in botany. See Bereeris, 
Crattegus, and Mespilus. 
OXYBA'PHUS,^ [from the Gr. ofe?, acid, and @u,<piv%, 
a dyer, or a colour ufed in dyeing.] Umbrella- 
wort; in botany, a genus of the clafs triandria, order 
monogynia, natural order ny&agines, Juff. Generic cha¬ 
racters—Calyx: perianthium inferior, of one leaf, bell- 
fhaped, with five folds, and five broad, equal, (hallow, 
fegments, permanent, fometimes three-flowered. Corolla : 
of one petal, funnel-fliaped ; tube about the length of 
the calyx; limb fpreading, in five equal notched lobes ; 
neCtary fle(hy, furrounding the bafe of the germen. Sta¬ 
mina : filaments three, inferted into the neCtary, thread- 
fliaped, declining, rather unequal, various in length; 
antherae roundifli, afcending. Piftillum : germen fome- 
what (talked, fuperior, roundifli, furrowed ; llyle thread- 
fhaped, the length and pofition of the ftamens; ftigma 
globofe, afcending. Pericarpium : none, except the per¬ 
manent hardened bafe of the corolla. Seed : folitary, 
ovate, with five angles, (landing upon the dilated, fpread¬ 
ing, permanent, calyx.— EfJ'ential Character. Calyx five- 
cleft, bell-lhaped; corolla funnel-fliaped; feed folitary, 
coated, (landing on the fpreading permanent calyx. 
There are fix fpecies in this genus, which has been fepa- 
rated from Mirabilis, on account of its fliort tube, lobed 
limb, three inllead of five ftamens, and calyx much di¬ 
lated after flowering, 
1. Oxybaphus vifcofus, or vifcid umbrella-wort: downy 
and vifcid; leaves heart-(haped ; panicle racemofe ; (la- 
mens longer than the corolla. Native of Peru, from 
O X Y 
whence it was fent, about twenty-five years ago, to the 
royal garden at Madrid, and thence communicated to va¬ 
rious other collections. Root perennial, but ulually 
treated as annual: the whole plant covered with jointed 
glandular vifcid hairs. Stem two feet, or much more, in 
height, ereCt, with oppoiite fpreading branches. Leaves 
wavy, bluntly-pointed, thickifti, but foft and pliant, like 
thole of Mirabilis longiflora. Panicle branched, vifcid, 
many-flowered, its branches befet with whorls and fliort 
chillers of fmall purplifti flowers, the lobes of whofe co¬ 
rolla are inverfely heart-fhaped, and much (liorter than 
the ftamens and ftyle. Calyx of the fruit pendulous, 
membranous, pallid, reticulated with veins. Seed lefs 
than a grain of wheat, with five tuberculated angles, 
dropping out of the calyx when ripe. 
2. Oxybaphus glabrifolius, or fmooth-leaved umbrella- 
wort: leaves heart-fhaped, glaucous, fmooth; panicle 
corymbofe. Flowers in terminal tufts ; ftamens (horter 
than the corolla. Native of Peru and New Spain. Cul¬ 
tivated at Madrid. Ortega defcribes this as a glaucous 
plant, with the acrid flavour of a Sedum; glandular and 
villous when young, but nearly fmooth when full-grown. 
Leaves acute, entire, rough, with reverfed hairs at the 
edges. Flowers fmall, purple, in tufts at the top of each 
branch of the panicle; calyx tipped with red. 
3. Oxybaphus ovatus, or ovate umbrella-wort: hairy 
and vifcid ; leaves ovate ; flower-ftalks terminal, forked; 
ftamens nearly as long as the corolla; ftem ereCl. Native 
of elevated (pots in Peru. Stem three feet high, clothed 
with jointed, glandular, vifcid, hairs. Corolla red, twice 
as large as the calyx, till the latter becomes dilated and 
membranous as the fruit advances. This and the two 
next are known only from the Flora Peruviana, where the 
genus is called Calyxhymenia. 
4. Oxybaphus proftratus, or proftrate umbrella-wort: 
leaves ovate or heart-fhaped, downy ; flowers axillary and 
terminal, fomewhat corymbofe; ftem proftrate. Native of 
hills in Peru. Stem three feet long, ftriated, (lightly 
downy; branches alternate, forked in the upper part. 
Flower-ftalks from the forks of the branches, bearing from 
three to eight flowers on little partial (talks; corolla purple. 
5. Oxybaphus expanfus, or fpreading umbrella-wort: 
leaves ovate, fmooth ; flower-ftalks terminal, forked; fta¬ 
mens the length of the corolla; ftem ereCt. Found oil 
very dry hills in Lima. Stem fix feet high, ftriated. 
Flower-ftalks terminal, forked in a corymbofe manner, 
bearing from fix to eleven flowers, on unequal partial 
(talks, which are but (lightly vifcid; calyx downy and 
glutinous; corolla purple, fomewhat bell-(haped. 
6. Oxybaphus aggregatus, or three-flowered umbrella- 
wort : leaves lanceolate ; flower-ftalks axillary, folitary ; 
calyx with about three flowers. Native of New Spain : 
it flowered in 1798 at Madrid. Stem a foot high or more, 
branched from the very bafe, ftriated, leafy. Leaves 
nearly feflile, about two inches long, oppofite, lanceolate, 
thickilh, wavy, fmooth, rough-edged. Flower-ftalks ax¬ 
illary, fometimes from the forks of the branches, folitary, 
fliort, drooping when in fruit; calyx bell-fliaped, with 
unequal ovate fegments, containing ufually three flowers, 
rarely two or four, which are feflile, without any other 
perianthium ; corolla reddifh. 
OXYCA'NI, in ancient geography, a people of India, 
who occupied the territory now called Hajykan, a circar 
or divifion of Sindy. 
OXYCE'DRUS, f. in botany. See Juniferus. 
OXYCOC'CUS. See Vaccinium. 
OX'YCRATE, f. [formed of the Gr. ofv?, (harp, four, 
and xEpcawvy.i, I mix.] A mixture of water and vinegar. 
The ufual proportion is one fpoonful of vinegar to five or 
fix of water.— Oxycrate is proper to afluage, cool, and re- 
frefli. They make fomentations of oxycrate, clyfters of 
oxycrate. See. Chambers. —Apply a mixture of the fame 
powder, with a comprefs preit out of oxycrate, and a fuit- 
able bandage. Wifeman. 
OXYCRO'CEUM, J". [from the Gr. ofu?, (harp, four, 
and Kpxof, faftron.] A preparation ufed in plafters, for 
fractures. 
