Nuculanium 



A DICTIONARY 



Oblate 



protoplasm, and of higher re- 

 fractive power than the re- 

 maining cell-contents; (2) the 

 part of the ovule containing 

 the emhryo - sac (nucellus); 

 (3) any organic centre, as the 

 hilum of a starch -grain. 



NU'CLEtJS OF THE EMBRYO- 

 SAC, see Secondary Nucleus. 



NtJCtJLA'NltJM, a term some- 

 times applied to fruits like 

 the medlar which contain 

 several nut-like seeds or car- 

 pels. 



NUCULE, (1) the female organ 

 in Chara; (2) any small nut- 

 like seed or pericarp. 



NUDE, see Naked. 



NUDtCAU'LOUS, having no leaves 

 on the stem. 



NU'MEROUS, too many to be 

 readily couuted; indefinite. 



NURSE (Hort.), a shrub or tree 

 which serves for the temporary 

 protection of a younger tree 

 or plant. 



NUT, the fruit of certain trees 

 and shrubs, consisting of a 

 hard shell enclosing the seed; 

 — also applied to other small 

 nut-like fruits, as those of Ca- 

 rex, Rumex, and Lithosper- 

 mum. These latter are more 

 properly called nutlets. See 

 Glans. 



NU'TANT, see Ceknous. 



NUTA'TION, the motion of a 

 flower, leaf, or growing stem 

 in following the apparent 

 movement of the sun from 

 east to west during the day; 

 simple nutation. Compare 



ClRCUMNUTATION. 



NUT'lfiT, a small nut, or nut- 

 like seed or fruit, as many 

 achenia. 



NUTRITION includes the ab- 

 sorption, elaboration, distri- 

 bution, and fiual assimilation 



of plant - food resulting in 

 growth. 



NUX, see Nut. 



NYCTOTROpIc, applied to the 

 movements of organs which 

 occur at night, or upon the 

 approach of nigh», producing 

 what is called the "sleep" of 

 plants. 



NYCTOT'ROPiSM, the so-called 

 " sleep" of plants. 



0B-, inversely. 



OBCLA'VATE, clavate in shape, 

 but attached by the large end. 



OBCOMPRESSED', flattened in the 

 reverse of the usual direction, 

 as when a legume is flattened 

 so that the dorsal and ventral 

 sutures approach each other. 

 Compare Depressed. 



OBCON'iC, conical, but attached 

 at the apex instead of the base; 

 inversely conical. Also applied 

 improperly in pomology to a 

 fruit which has the form of a 

 very short or flattened cone. 



6BC0N'iCAL, see Obconic. 



OBCOR'DATE, inversely heart- 

 shaped, i.e., with the attach- 

 ment at the small end. 



OBDfPLOSTEM'ONOUS, diplo- 

 stemonous, with the stamens 

 of the outer whorl opposite to 

 the petals. 



6BIM'BRlCATE, (1) having over- 

 lapping scales directed down- 

 ward or backward; (2) having 

 the outer scales in an involucre 

 progressively longer than the 

 interior ones. 



OBLAN'gEOLATE, lanceolate in 

 form, but tapering toward the 

 base instead of toward the 

 apex. 



OBLATE', flattened or depressed 

 at the ends or poles. Compare 

 Prolate. 



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