661 



LYCOPODIACE/E. 



LYMPH. 



562 



of any of the Lycoperdons, except in the case of L. giganteum, a very 

 large indehiscent epecies, often many feet in circumference, and filled 

 with a loathsome pulpy mass, which has been employed as a styptic, 

 aud for tinder. 



LYCOPODIACE^E, Clul-Momes, a natural order of Vascular 

 Acrogens, consisting of plants with creeping stems or conns, which 

 produce- leafy branches somewhat resembling Mosses. The leaves are 

 small, sessile, and imbricated or verticillate ; the fructification occurs 

 in the axil of leaves and often in a spike-like form, and consists of 

 kidney-shaped 2-valved cases, which contain antheridian or sperma- 

 tozoidal cells, and roundish or 4-sided bodies called oophoridiae, 

 opening by two valves, and containing four large spores. In the 

 interior of the latter a pro-embryo is developed, in which archegonia 

 are produced, and thereafter impregnation gives rise to the germinat- 

 ing body. The species are natives both of cold and warm climates, 

 and are abundant in the tropics, especially in insular situations. There 

 are about 200 of them. Some have emetic and purgative properties. 

 The powdery matter contained in their fructification is inflammable. 

 This family has an especial interest from its resemblance to an extinct 

 race of gigantic plants found in the coal beds, and called Lepidodendron. 



Evidence is daily increasing which renders it probable that a large 

 proportion of the coal in this and other countries has been deposited 

 through the agency of plants belonging to this natural order, or closely 

 allied to it (See British Association ' Report,' 1854.) [CoAL PLANTS ; 

 LEI'IDODEXDRON ; LEPIDOSTROBL] 



(Balfour, Claubook of Botany.) 



LYCOPODITES. The affinity of many fossil plants to some of 

 the various genera composing the Lycopodiacea is very distinctly 

 pointed out by M. Brongniart, both in the ' Prodrome' (1828) and in 

 the ' Histoire des Vegdtaux Fossiles." Such of these as agree in the 

 following characters are ranked under the title of Lycopodites. 



Branches pinnate ; leaves inserted all round the stem, or in two 

 opposite rows, not leaving distinct and circumscribed cicatrices. 

 Several species are described from the coal deposits and oolitic for- 

 mations. We give below a drawing of part of Lycopodites falcalus 

 (Phillips' s ' Geology of Yorkshire ') from the Oolitic shales of Gris- 

 thorpe near Scarborough. [COAL PLANTS.] 



a, leaf magnified, to show the direction of the ncrvurcs. 



LYCOPODIUM, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Lycopodiacea. It has Vcelled 2-valved capsules, containing powder, 

 or 3-valved, containing 1 to 4 granules. 



L. claralum, Common Club-Moss, has scattered leaves, incurved, with 

 a filamentous point; spikes stalked, 2 or 3 together, cylindrical; scales 

 ovate, triangular, membranous, finely incised, serrated. The stem is 

 prostrate and long ; branches short and ascending ; spikes on long 

 stalks, pale-yellow ; scales on the stalks irregularly disposed in whorls. 

 The powder contained in the spore-cases is highly inflammable : 

 shaken out and collected it is employed under the name of Lycopode, 

 or Vegetable Brimstone, on the Continent, in the manufacture of fire- 

 works, and in pharmacy to roll up pills, which when coated may be 

 put in water without being moistened. The plant has long been used 

 ax an emetic ; a decoction of it is said to be serviceable in removing 

 Plica Polonica. 



L. annotinum has scattered lanceolate leaves; spikes sessile, solitary, 

 terminal ; scales roundish, with an alternated point, membranous, and 

 jagged. The branches are rather long and erect, each year's growth 

 is marked by a spot where the leaves are adpressed. The spikes are 

 cylindrical, greenish-yellow, not persistent. It is found on stony 

 mountains in Cumberland and Caernarvonshire, and is common in the 

 Highlands of Scotland. 



L. alpinum, Savin-Leaved Club-Mosa, has leaves in four rows, imbri- 

 cated, acute, keeled, entire ; spikes sessile, solitary, terminal ; scales 

 ovate-lanceolate, flat ; branches erect, clustered, forked, level-topped. 

 The stem is prostrate and long. Fertile branches' usually twice 

 dichotomous, each division ending in a short cylindrical yellowish- 

 green apike, rather thicker than the branch. It is found on elevated 

 mountains in Great Britain. 



L. Selayo, Fir Club-Moss, has leaves in eight rows, crowded, uniform, 

 linear-lanceolate, acuminate ; capsules not spiked, but in the axils 

 of the common leavea; stem erect, forked, level-topped. The stem 

 is short, erect, or slightly decumbent, densely leafy. Occasionally in 

 sheltered positions the stem becomes elongated. In the Highlands of 

 Scotland it is made into an irritating ointment, which is applied with 

 advantage to the neighbourhood of the eyes as a counter-irritant. 

 Internally administered it acts as an emetic and cathartic. Linmous 

 nays the Swedes find the decoction serviceable as a detergent lotion, 

 and in destroying the vermin that infest cattle. 



L. inundatum and L. eelayinoides are the other British species, both 

 found in boggy places. The most remarkable species is the L. rubrvm 

 of Chamisso, Yatum cmdenado, Great Devil. Sir William Hooker, 



HAT. BMT. DIV. VOL. III. 



who calls it L. catharticum, states that it acts most violently as a 

 purgative, and has been administered successfully in Spanish America 

 in cases of elephantiasis. According to Vastring, Club-Mosses are 

 likely to become of importance in dyeing : he asserts that woollen 

 cloths boiled with, Lyeopodiums, especially with L. clavatum, acquire 

 the property of becoming blue when passed through a bath of Brazil- 

 Wood. L. phlegmaria is reputed an aphrodisiac. L. aquamatum is 

 remarkable for its hygrometrical properties, rolling up into a ball 

 when dry and expanding when moisture is applied. 



(Balfour, Classbook of Botany; Babington, Manual of British 

 Botany ; Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom.) 



LYCOPSIS, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Boraginacece and the tribe Anchusece, which have their 4 nuts placed on 

 a hypogynous disc, with an excavated space surmounted by a tumid 

 ring at their base. 



Lycopais has the calyx in 5 deep segments ; the tube of the corolla 

 curved ; the limb oblique. The species closely resemble those of 

 Anchwa, except in the above characters. 



L. arvensis, the Bugloss, has lanceolate erose-dentate very hispid 

 leaves ; the calyx of the fruit is bell-shaped, erect. The flowers are 

 small and blue. The whole plant is very hispid, with strong hairs, 

 each rising from a scaly tubercle. It is common in the fields and 

 hedges of Great Britain and Europe. 



LYCOPUS, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Labiahc. It has a 4-fid corolla, scarcely longer than the equal 

 5-toothed calyx; stamens 2; anther-cells parallel or ultimately 

 divergent; 2 upper stamens wanting, or rudimentary, or rarely 

 perfect. 



L. Europ&ui inhabits wet ditches and sides of ponds, and is known 

 popularly under the name of Gipsey-Wort, because gipsies are said to 

 stain their skins with its juice. It has stalked ovate-oblong leaves, 

 glabrous or pubescent, opposite. Flowers small, in dense whorls. It 

 is found on banks of streams and ditches in Great Britain. 



LYCO'RIS, Siwigny's name for a genus of Doraibrauchiate Annelida 

 (Nereids, properly so called) of Cuvier. 



LYCUS. [LAMPYRID.E.] 



LYDIAN STONE. [FLINTY SLATE.] 



LYGODYSODEA'CE^E, a natural order of Plants closely allied to 

 Cincltonacece. It differs from thia order in poasessing an ovary com- 

 posed of two confluent carpels, 1-celled, with two ovules, and a single 

 style ; the pericarp, brittle, bursts in four directions from the base, not 

 adhering to the seeds, 1-celled ; two free placentae rising up between 

 the pericarp and the back of the seeds ; two seeds pendulous from 

 the apex of the placentae, with the embryo straight, foliaceous, com- 

 pressed ; the radicle short, inferior. The apecies are twining shrubs, 

 and have single stipules between the petioles. 



This little order was constituted by Bartling, but was afterwards 

 examined by De Candolle, who thought there was no reason for sepa- 

 rating it from Cinchonacece, " According to De Candolle, what 

 Bartling calls pericarp is calyx, and hia seeds are carpels, and conse- 

 quently all the most remarkable features of the order disappear, with 

 the exception of the absence of the albumen." (Lindley.) This is a 

 subject that merits further investigation. The only geuus of this 

 order is Lyyodysodea, of which two species, L. fcetida and L. cilir.ta 

 have been described. They are both natives of Peru and Mexico. 



LYME-GKASS. [ELYMUS.] 



LYMNEA. [LINNEAM:.] 



LYMNO'REA, a genus of Fossil Zoopliyta, proposed by Lamouroux 

 (' Expos.,' p. 79). Also the name of a genus of recent Medusa'. (De 

 Blainville, Actinologie, p. 290.) 



LYMPH, the fluid found in that part of the absorbent system of 

 the higher animals called Lymphatics. [ABSORBENT SYSTEM.] The 

 lymph, with the chyle [DIGESTION], is carried into the thoracic duct 

 before being poured into the circulating fluid. When taken from the 

 lymphatics it forms a colourless or yellow fluid, which is only red 

 when blood-globulea are accidentally mixed with it. Its reaction is 

 usually alkaline ; it coagulates from 4 to 20 minutes after its discharge. 

 Floating about in it can be seen fat-globules and small granular bodies, 

 such as are seen in chyle, and also the true lymph-corpuscle. 



Lymph is very difficult to procure in its pure condition hence the 

 variety of descriptions which have been given of its character and 

 contents. The chemical constituents of the lymph in general are very 

 similar to those of the blood without its red corpuscles. The sub- 

 stance which spontaneously coagulates in it is perfectly identical with 

 the fibriue of the blood. The albumen of the lymph has the same 

 ' general properties as that of the blood. According to Geiger the 

 lymph contains a large quantity of the strongly basic albuminate of 

 soda, which, in the absence of other alkaline salts, communicates no 

 alkaline reaction to the solution, and even when coagulated retains 

 much alkali. The fat of the lymph is in small quantities, and that 

 for the most part in a saponified form ; chloride of sodium is the prepon- 

 derating mineral ingredient. Lymph contains a larger amount of 

 water than blood. In humau lymph Marchand found 96'926 and 

 L'Heritier 92'436 of water : in the lymph of horses the quantity has 

 been found to vary from 92 to 98 parts in 100. 



The elementary granules found free in the chyle and lymph are 

 immeasurably minute. They are said by H. Miiller to consist of fat 

 and a protein envelope. They are very much more abundant in chyle 



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