Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/599

 (ENOTHERA common evening primrose ((E. liennis} is found almost all over North America, and being so widely distributed presents a number of well marked varieties ; it is a biennial with a strong fleshy root and stems 3 to 5 ft. high ; leaves OERSTED 585 Lamarck's Evening Primrose (CEnothera biennis, var. La- marckiana). ovate-lanceolate, often obscurely toothed and hairy or nearly smooth ; the flowers are in a terminal leafy spike, large, yellow, and fragrant. In this as in others of the genus, the flowers open only at twilight, and fade the next morn- ing; the opening takes place suddenly. Several varieties of this are in cultivation. The largest and finest, called (E. Lamarckiana, branches abundantly at the base, and forms a fine pyra- midal plant with very numerous flowers 3 or 4 in. in diameter; the sudden opening of these at nightfall is strikingly beautiful. The corn- Missouri Evening Primrose (CEnothera macrocarpa). mon form is cultivated in Europe, especially in Germany, for its roots, and known as Ger- man rampion ; the root is 10 to 12 in. long, sometimes with lateral fibres and very white within ; its cultivation is like that of the par- snip and similar vegetables. The roots, which have a nutty flavor, are boiled and dressed as salad, or served with white sauce like salsify, and are regarded as more easily digestible by weak stomachs than most other vegetables. In this country it is hardly known in cultivation. The Missouri evening primrose ((E. Missouri- ensis) has a large fleshy perennial root, from which proceed numerous prostrate spreading stems, bearing ashy-green leaves and bright yellow flowers 4 to 6 in. across; this (some- times called (E. macrocarpa) is the largest- flowered of all the species. There is a group of white-flowered cenotheras which turn rose- colored in fading ; some prostrate species of this group are very abundant on the western plains ; during the day their dull leaves are not noticeable, but as night approaches the travel- ler is surprised to see the sterile soil suddenly bloom out with a profusion of these flowers. Another group consists of yellow-flowered species which open in bright sunshine, and are called sun-drops ; (E. fruticosa and (E. linearis, both common wild species, and occasionally cultivated, are examples of these. There is a very distinct set of species on the Pacific coast, which from some differences in the structure have been placed in a different genus, Godetia, a name by which they are retained in floricul- tural works and seed catalogues, though bota- nists regard them as a section of cznothera. These have white, rose-colored, or purple pe- tals, which are often fringed on the margin. Not only are the original species cultivated, but several well marked varieties have been obtained by cultivation. The (E. grandiflora, which has recently been introduced into culti- vation under the name of Godetia Whitneyi, is a native species having bluish flowers with a dark crimson spot in the centre, and is "quite as showy as any of the florists' varieties ; the godetias are all annuals. OERSTED, Anders Sandoe, a Danish statesman, born at Rudkjoping, in the island of Langeland, Dec. 21, 1778, died in Copenhagen, May 1, 1860. He was educated at the university of Copen- hagen, where he became intimate with Oeh- lenschlager, whose sister he married. He at- tained eminence as a jurist, held various public offices, and in 1825 became attorney general. He was a member of the cabinet from 1841 to 1848, and in 1853 became prime minister. On the question of the king's right to grant new constitutions to Holstein and Schleswig without consulting the diet, the ministry was over- thrown in December, 1854. Articles of im- peachment were then preferred against Oersted and his colleagues, but they were acquitted. He wrote Eunomia (4 vols., 1815-'22) ; Haand- log over den danslce og norslce LovJcyndigTied (6 vols., 1822-'35) ; an autobiography (4 vols., 1851-'7) ; and several works on philosophy. OERSTED, Hans Christian, a Danish natural philosopher, brother of the preceding, born at Rudkjoping, Aug. 14, 1777, died in Copen-