Ambiguous 



A DICTIONARY 



Amphitropous 



AMBJG'UOUS, indistinct or doubt- 

 ful, so that it cannot well be 

 referred to any definite condi 

 t ion or place in a system of clas- 

 sification , as a bract which has 

 nearly the appearance of an 

 ordinary leaf, or a species 

 which is doubtfully of higher 

 rank than a variety, or one 

 which it is difficult to deter- 

 mine into which of two genera 

 it should be placed. 



AMBIP'AROtJS, producing two 

 kinds, as a bud which pro- 

 duces directly both flowers 

 and leaves. 



AM'ENT. a slender spike of 

 naked and usually separated 

 flowers with imbricated scales 

 or bracts; amentum; julus; 

 catkin. Staminate aments are 

 usually deciduous. 



AMEN'TA, pi . see Amentum 



AMENTA'CEOUS, resembling, 

 consisting of, pertaining to, or 

 bearing aments; as an amenta- 

 ceous inflorescence or plant. 



AMENT'lFdRM, amentaceous; 

 juliform 



AMEN'TTJM (pi. Amen'ta), see 

 Amext. 



AM'iDdPLAST, see Leucoplast. 



Amm6PH'IL0US, growing in 

 sandy places. 



AM'NltiS, the contents of the 

 embryo-sac before the forma- 

 tion of the embryo. Seldom 



used. 



AMCE'BOID, assuming various 

 shapes, like the Amoeba 



AMORPHOUS, without definite 

 form, structure, or position. 



AMPHAN'THiu-M, see Clinan- 



THIIM. 



AM'PHIASTER, a term for the 

 combined nuclear spindle and 

 ( yt asters in karyokinesis when 

 the latter are present, which is 

 rare in plants. The term is 



also applied to the combined 

 cytasters only. 



AMPHIBIOUS, growing readily 

 either in water or upon dry 

 land. 



AMPHlB'RYOUS, growing by ad- 

 ditions over the whole surface. 



AMPHtCAR'PlC, producing two 

 kinds of fruit, either as regards 

 form or period of ripening; 

 amphicarpous. Compare Het- 

 erocarpous. 



AMPHIcAR'POUS, see Amphi- 



CARPIC. 



AmphIgAmoUS, see Agamic. 



AMPHtGAs'TER, used by Bennett 

 and Murray for Amphigas- 

 trium. 



AmPHIGAS'TRIA (sing. Amphi- 

 gastrium), peculiar scale-like 

 leaves accompanying those of 

 ordinary form as a third row 

 upon the under side of the stem 

 in certain Hepatic*. 



AMPHlG'ENOUS, growing on 

 either surface of a leaf. Said 

 chiefly of certain parasitic 

 fungi. 



AMPHtsAR'CA, any indehiscent 

 fruit, hard and dry externally 

 and pulpy within, as a gourd. 

 (Rare.) 



AMPHIspER'MOUS, closely in- 

 vesting the seed so as to have 

 the same form, as the ovary in 

 Gramineoe. 



AMPHiT'RdPAL, see Amphit- 

 ropous. 



AMPHlT'ROPOtJS, having the fu- 

 niculus attached to the ovule 

 or seed for half the distance be- 

 tween the chalaza and micro- 

 pyle; semiauatropous; half- 

 anatropous; half -in verted; 

 hemitropous; heterotropous; 

 transverse; amphitropal. Ap- 

 plied to the embryo it means 

 curved so that both ends are 

 brought close together. 



