pistil. Defective in some essential part. seed. Not becoming perfect through want of the fertilizing influence of the pollen. Abrupt' leaf. A pinnate leaf with an odd or terminal leafet. Acalyces. (From a, signifying without, and calyx, a flower cup.) A class in an ancient method of arrangement, consisting of plants without a calyx. Acaules. (From a, wanting, and caulis, a stem.) The 20th class in Magnolius' method, including plants without stems. Acero'se leaf. Linear and permanent, as in the pine. Acic'ular. Needle shaped. A'cinus. A small berry which, with many A Acu'minate. Abruptly sharp pointed, Ad'versifolia. (From adversus, opposite, summer. A'fora. (From a, without, and fores, a door.) Having no doors or valves. The name of a class in Camerius' method, consisting of plants whose pericarp or seed vessel is not furnished with internal valves. Aga'mous. (From a, without, and gamos, marriage.) A term derived from the indelicate notions of the botanists of the last century, respecting the sexual distinctions of plants; and which, whatever analogies may actually exist between the vegetable and animal kingdoms, should as far as possible be excluded from the science. Were it to be otherwise, the study of botany ought to be limited to the medical profession. Of all studies, that of botany should be unaccompanied by aught that might pain or disgust a delicate mind. Plants without any visible stamens or pistils are by French botanists called agamous. A'ges of plants. Ephemeral are such as spring up, blossom and ripen their seed in a few hours or days; annual live a few months or one summer. biennial, spring up one summer and die the following. perennial, live an indefinite period. hav-Ag'gregate. (From aggregare, to assemble.) Many springing from the same point; this term was at first applied to compound flowers, but there is at present a sevenfold division of aggregate flowers; the aggregate, properly so called; compound, umbellate, cymose, amentaceous, glumose, spadiceous. Adelphous (From the Greek adelphos, a brother or an equal.) Applied to plants whose stamens are united by their filaments, whether in one or two sets. Adnate. Growing together. *The author, in preparing the following vocabulary, consulted Milne, Thornton, Mirbel and Eaton. Aggregate flower is erected on peduncles Angiosper'mal. (From angio, a vessel, or footstalks, which all have one com- and sperma, seed.) Plants whose seeds mon receptacle on the stem; they some- are inclosed or covered. times have one common calyx, and are Angular. sometimes separately furnished with a calyx. Aigrette. See egret. Forming angles; when the stems, calyxes, capsules, &c. have ridges running lengthwise. Angustifolius. Narrow-leaved. Annual. A plant which lives but one year. The herbage is often annual, while the root is perennial; in this case the plant is said to be perennial. Annula'ted. Having a ring round the capsules; as in ferns; or in mushrooms having a ringed stipe. A'la. A Latin word signifying a wing. Albu' men. The farinaceous, fleshy or Anomalous. (From a, without, and nomos, law.) Irregular, or whatever forms an exception to a general rule. The 11th class in Tournefort's method is called anomala, including plants whose corollas are composed of irregular and dissimilar parts; as the columbine, monk's hood, violet, larkspur, &c. Anther. (From anthos, a flower, so called as indicating its importance.) That part of the stamen which contains the pollen; it is of various forms, as linear, awlshaped, heart-shaped, round, &c.; it is one celled, two celled, &c.; the anther of the Tritilaria (crown imperial) has four cells. Alburnum. (From albus, white.) The soft white substance, which in trees is found between the liber, or inner bark and the wood, and becoming solid, in progress of time is converted into wood. From its colour and comparative softness, it has been styled the fat of trees. It is called the sap wood, and is formed by a deposite of the cambium or descending sap; in one year it becomes wood; and a new layer of alburnum is again Antherid'ium. A mass of pollen. formed by the descent of the cambium. Antherif'erous. Flowers bearing anthers Al'ge. Flags; these by Linnæus com- without filaments. prise the plants of the order Hepatico Anthus. and Lichenes. A (From the Greek anthos.) flower generally referring to the petals only. Antiscorbutics. Substances which eure eruptions. Alpine. Growing naturally on high mountains. Alter'nate. Branches, leaves, flowers, &c. are alternate, when beginning at differ-Apet'alous. (From a, without, and petaent distances on the stem; opposite, is] when they commence at the same distan ces, and base stands against base. Alternately pinnate leaf; when the leafets are arranged alternately on each side of the common footstalk or petiole. Alve'olate. Having cells which resemble a honey-comb. lum, a petal.) ilaving no petals or corollas; such flowers are termed incom plete; such as are destitute of either stamens or pistils are called imperfect. Apet' alæ. A class formed by some of the ancient botanists, including plants destitute of corollas. A'pex. The top or summit. Ambitus. The outer rim of a frond, re- Aphyl'lous. (From a, without, and phylceptacle, &c. lon, a leaf.) Destitute of leaves. Aphylla is the name given by an ancient botanist to a class of plants without leaves, comprising garlic, rush, mushrooms, &c. Appen'daged. A'ment. Flowers collected on chaffy Having bracts, thorns, tillate flowers on distinct roots. Flowers Appres'sed. Closely pressed; as leaves supported by an ament are generally des- against the stem, &c. titute of a corolla. Amplexicaulis. Clasping the base of the stems. Analysis. To analyze a plant botanically, An'dria. Signifies stamen. minate and pistillate flowers on the same root; as the oak and indian corn; such plants belong to the class Monacia. Angiocar'pus. Fungi bearing seeds internally. Approximate. Growing near each other. plants; their stems are called endoge- Barb. A straight process, armed with nous, that is, growing internally and teeth pointing backwards. pressing upon the outer coats, which be- Barba'tus. Bearded. come hard and compact. The ancient Bark. The covering of vegetables, conbotanists divided plants into trees and herbs; but this distinction is too vague to form the basis of classification. Arboreus. Like a tree. Arbusti'vus. (From arbustum, a shrub.)| An ancient class of plants containing shrubs, as the myrtle, mock-orange (philadelphus), &c. Arch'ed. Curving above, vaulted. Ar'cuate. (From arcus, a bow.) like a bow. Arena'rius. Growing in sand. Arid. Dry. Bent sisting of several parts; as cuticle, celiular integument, &c. The bark consists of as many layers as the tree on which it grows has years: a new layer being formed from the cambium every year. The newest layer of bark is called liber. Bar'ren. Producing no fruit; containing stamens only. Beak'ed. Terminating by a process shaped A'ril (arillus). The external coat or co- Bi'dens. Having two teeth. vering of seeds which, drying, falls off Bien'nial. Living two years, in the second spontaneously. of which the flower and fruit is produ Aris'tate. (From areo, to be dried). Awned, ending in a bristle. ced; as in wheat. Bifid. Two parted. Aro'ides. So called from arum, and form- Bila'biate. Corolla with two lips. ing a natural family of plants. Arms (arma). Offensive weapons. Plants Biter'nate. Twice ternate. The petiole are said to be armed, when they are furnished with prickles, thorns, &c. Aromatic. Sweet scented. supporting three ternate leaves. Bi'valve. Two valved. Blas'teme. From the Greek blastema, a Aromaticæ. The name of a class of Di- bud. oscorides, Clusius, Bauhin, and some Bor'der. The brim or spreading part of a other botanists who arranged plants ac- corolla. cording to their virtues and sensible Bot'rus. A cluster, like grapes. Arrow-form. Shaped like an arrow head, Arundinaceous. (From arundo, a reed.) Arven'sis. Growing in cultivated fields. Brach'iate. Branches opposite, and each Branch'let. Subdivision of a branch, a Asperifolius. Rough leaved. Attenuated. Gradually diminished or ta- Auriculate. Having appendages resem- Awol-form. Sharp at the point, and curved A short stiff bristle. Ax'illary. Growing out of the axils: leaves are said to be axillary when they proceed from the angle formed by the stem and branch. B. Bac'ca. A berry. It is a pulpy pericarp, Bre'vis. Short. Bruma'les. (From bruma, winter.) Plants Bulbs. Called roots; sometimes found C. enclosing seeds without capsules. A Cadu'cous. (From cado, to fall.) Falling berry is said to be proper, when it is early; as the calyx of the poppy. formed of the pericarp or seed vessel; Caes'pitose. Forming turfs, several roots improper or singular when it is formed growing together. of any other parts. In the mulberry and Cal' amus. Reed like. rose, a large, fleshy and succulent calyx Calca'reous. Containing lime; applied to becomes a berry. In the strawberry, a shells of oysters, &c. berry is formed of the common recepta- Calyb'ion. (From kalubion, a little cabin.) cle; in the raspberry of a seed. Bacciferus. Bearing berries, Ban'ner. The upper petal in a papilionaceous flower. A genus in Mirbel's second class of fruits. Calyc'ulated. Having an additional calyx. Calyp'tra. The cap or hood of pistillate mosses, resembling an extinguisher set on a candle. Although called a calyx, it, Cine'reous. Ash coloured. is in reality the corolla of the moss Cin'gens. Surrounding, girding around. closed. Cir'rose. Bearing a tendril. From Cir'a tendril or climber. Calyx. From the Greek, signifying a rus, flower cup; in most plants it incloses, Clasp'ing. Surrounding the stem with and supports the bottom of the corolla. the base of the leaf. It is defined by Linnæus to be the ter- Class. The highest division of plants in mination of the outer bark. Cam'bium. The descending sap, which Campestris. Growing in uncultivated fields. Cap'itate. Growing in heads. the system of Botany. Linnæus divided all plants into 24 classes; 3 of these are now rejected, and the plants which they included placed in the remaining 21 classes. The ancient botanists knew neither methods, systems, or classes; they described under chapters, or sections, those plants which appeared to them to resemble each other in the greatest number of relations. Cla'vate. Club-shaped, larger at the top than the bottom. Clau'sus. Closed, shut up. Cap'sule. A little chest; that kind of hol- Claw. The narrow part by which a petal low seed vessel which becomes dry and is inserted. opens when ripe; a capsule that never Cleft. Split or divided less than half way. opens is called a samara. Climb'ing. Ascending by means of tenCarcer'ular. (From carcer, prison.) A drils, as grapes; by leaf stalks, as the seed contained in a covering, whose Clematis; by cauline radicles or little sides are compressed. One of Mirbel's fibrous roots, as the creeping American genera of fruits, in the order Carceru- ivy. lares. Carina. The keel or lower folded petal Gau'dex. The main body of a tree, or root. Cau'line. Growing on the main stem. Cellular. Made up of little cells or cavi- Club-shaped. See clavate. tate. Coad'nate. United at the base. Coc'cum. A grain or seed; tricoccous, Caru'leus. Blue. Coleop'tile. From koleos, an envelope, and ptilon a bud. Co'leorrhize. From koleos, an envelope, Colli'nus. Growing on hills. (BLACK, Brown, cinereus. niger. fuscus. (YELLOW, luteus. RED, PURPLE, rubex. incarnatus. coccineus. Violet-colour, cæruleo-purpureus. BLUE, purpureus. cæruleus. viridis. White is most common in roots, sweet berries and the petals of spring flowers. and tego, to cover.) The rind or coarse Columel'la. That which connects the Co'ma. A tuft of bracts on the top of a Com'mon. Any part is common, which includes or sustains several parts similar among themselves. Com'pound. Made up of similar simple parts. -flowers. Such as are in the class Syngenesia, having florets with united anthers. -leaf. When several leafets grow on one petiole. -raceme. When several racemes] grow along the side of a peduncle. -umbel. Having the peduncles subdivided into peduncles of lesser umbels. stalk. -petiole. A divided leaf stalk. Compres'sed. Flattened. Con cave. Hollowed on one side. Co'rymb. Inflorescence, in which the flower stalks spring from different heights on the common stem, forming a flat top. Costate. Ribbed. (From kotule, a cavity.) Seed lobes. The fleshy part of seeds which in most plants rises out of the ground and forms the first leaves, called seminal or seed leaves. These lobes in the greatest proportion of plants, are two in number; they are very conspicuous in the leguminous seeds; as beans, peas, &c. The cotyledons are externally convex, internally flat, and inclose the embryo or principle of life, which it is their office to protect and nourish. Cre'mocarpe. (From kremab, to suspend, and karpos, fruit.) A name given by Mirbel to a genus of fruits. Creeping. Running horizontally; stems Crowded. Clustered together. Conchology. The science which treats of Crini'tus. Long haired. Conglomerate. Crowded together. Cruciform. (From crux, crucis, a cross.) Cryptoga'mia. Stamens and pistils con- Cu'bit. A measure from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. Con'nate. Opposite, with the bases united or growing into one, forming the appearance of one leaf. Anthers are some-Cucul late. Hooded or cowled, rolled or times connate. Conni'vent. Converging, the ends inclining Con'vex. Swelling out in a roundish form. Cor'culum, or Corcle. The embryo or miniature of the future plant, which is found in seeds often between the cotyle-] dons. folded in, as in the spatha of the Arum or wild turnip. Cucurbita'ceous. Resembling gourds or melons. Culinary. Suitable for preparations of food. Culm or straw. (From the Greek kalama, stubble or straw; in Latin culmus.) The stem of grasses, Indian corn, sugar cane, &c. Culmiferous. Having culms; as wheat, Cune'iform. Wedge-form, with the stalk Cor'date. Heart-shaped, side lobes round-Curv'ed. Bent inwards. See incurved. ed. Coria'ceous. Resembling leather; thick stamens. Corona'tus. Crowned; as the thistle seed is crowned with down. Cor'tex. (From corium, leather, or hide, Cus'pidate. Having a sharp straight point. Cy'athiform. Shaped like a common wine Cylindrical. A circular shaft of nearly equal dimensions throughout its extent. |