SAPIUM. 



SARCIKA. 



670 



iu ever' bazaar, as they are everywhere employed as a substitute for 

 soap. The fleshy part of these berries is viscid, and in drying assumes 

 a shining semi-transparent appearance ; when rubbed with water they 

 form a lather like soap. The bark and root have similar properties, 

 and have been employed for the same purpose, as well as medicinally, 

 ill the countries where they are indigenous. The berries, which are 

 about the size of cherries, inclose black shining nuts, which used for- 

 merly to be much imported and employed as buttons for waistcoats, 

 after having been tipped with gold, silver, or other metal. The kernel 

 of these nuts contains an edible oil, which is sometimes employed for 

 burning. The fruits of .S'. t-megalensis and of & esculentus are eaten, 

 and the wood of some species, as of & rubiyinosus, is close-grained and 

 hard, and forms valuable timber. 



SA'PIUM, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Euphor- 

 llaceas. The flowers are monoecious, the calyx bifid and 3-toothed, 

 the style trifid, and the capsule 3-coccous. 



S. aucuparium is a tree 30 feet high, with oblong lanceolate acute 

 serrate leaves, with an intermixture of larger and rounder teeth, coria- 

 ceous, shining, and about 6 inches long ; the spikes are terminal, lax, 

 thick, green, and about 6 inches long ; the male above, the female 

 below ; the calyx of both of a dark purple. It is a native of the woods 

 of Carthagena. 



licum has alternate stalked leaves somewhat pendulous, broad, 

 lanceolate, serrate, smooth, and of a deep shining green, from 2 to 4 

 inches long, and broad in proportion ; the stipules small and deciduous ; 

 the calyx is 3-parted, the divisions somewhat cordate and expanding ; 

 the filaments longer than the calyx, the anthers ovate ; the female 

 flowers at the base of the catkins often solitary; the capsule or nut 

 is globular, of the size of a nutmeg, 3-celled, 6-valved, thick, and 

 exceedingly hard ; the seed is solitary, affixed by the apex, oval, 

 and smooth. The juice of this species, like the former, is highly 

 poisonous. 



(Lindley, Flora Medica ; Burnett, Outtinct of Botany.) 



SAPODILLA. [SAPOTACE.E.] 



SAPOLINE. [BORON.] 



SAPONA'RIA (from the Latin ' sapo,' soap, so called because the 

 bruised leaves are said to produce a lather like soap when agitated in 

 water), a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Caryophyttacece. 

 It has a o-toothed calyx naked at the base, 5 clawed petals, 10 stamens, 

 and 2 styles ; the capsules are 1 -celled, opening at the top with 4 

 valves ; the seeds are globular or reniform. 



>S'. officinalw, Soap- Wort, has fasciculate corymbose flowers, a cylin- 

 drical slightly-downy calyx, retuse crowned petals, elliptic lanceolate- 

 ribbed leaves, and an erect stem. It is a native of many parts of 

 Europe by the road-side, and in Britain in meadows by river-sides and 

 under hedges. The flowers are either single or double, of a rose or 

 piuk colour, seldom white. The double variety of this plant is esteemed 

 as an ornament to the Sower-border, but is found inconvenient, unless 

 planted in pots, from the spreading nature of the roots, which extend 

 under-ground like those of couch. 



N. rttccaria has pauicled flowers, pyramidal smooth fine-angled 

 calyxes; membranaceous acute bracteas; ovate lanceolate sessile 

 leaves. It is a native among corn in many parts of Europe, particu- 

 larly Germany, Switzerland, and the Levant. It derives its specific 

 name from the idea that it increases the lacteal secretion in cows. 



All the species of this genus are very ornamental. <S. ocymoidcs is 

 one of the most elegant plants we have in our gardens, and is well 

 adapted for rock-work. 



(Don, Dichlamydeous Plants ; Babington, Manual of British Botany ; 

 Burnett, Outline! of Botany.) 



SAPONITE, a Mineral consisting of silica, magnesia, alumina, iron, 

 and potash. It is found at Lizard's Point, Cornwall. When first 

 extracted it may be kneaded like dough. It becomes brittle on 

 drying, and is of a white, yellow, blue, or red colour. 



SAPOTA'CE.E, or SAPO'TE^E, Sapotads, a natural order of Plants 

 belonging to the polycarpous group of Monopetalous Exogens. It 

 consists of trees and shrubs, which abound with a milky juice ; the 

 branches are round ; the leaves alternate, simple, entire, coriaceous, 

 destitute of stipules, their under sides being covered by a silky or 

 downy pubescence. The flowers are axillary, regular, and united ; the 

 calyx ia 4-8-cleft, imbricate in aestivation ; the corolla is hypogynous, 

 regular, and cleft ; the lobes are equal in number to the sepals and 

 alternate with them ; the stamens are definite and distinct, some are 

 barren and some fertile, the former being alternate with the sepals, 

 the latter opposite ; the ovary is superior, with several cells, in each 

 of which is one erect ovule ; style simple ; stigma undivided ; seeds 

 nut-like, sometimes cohering into a several-celled putamen ; embryo 

 large, erect, and inclosed in fleshy albumen. 



This family of plants is most nearly allied to that of Ebenacm, with 

 which it agrees in habit, its monopetalous regular hypogynous corolla, 

 the absence of a hypogynous disc, its several-celled ovary, and definite 

 ovules and stamens. It differs however in the possession of milky 

 juice, soft wood, hermaphrodite flowers, undivided stigma, and 1-seeded 

 ovary with erect ovules. The plants of this family are chiefly natives 

 of India, Africa, and America. Some of the species produce fruits 

 which are much prized as articles of diet. Amongst these is the 

 Sapodilla Plum, or Naseberry, which is the produce of AcUrai aapota. 

 The Star-Apple (Chrywfhyllwn), Marmalade (Achrai mammoia), the 



Medlar of Surinam, and other eatable fruits, are derived from plants 

 belonging to this order. Most of the species yield large quantities of 

 a milky juice, which, unlike the secretions of most lactescent families 

 of plants, may be used for alimentary purposes. The fruit and seeds 

 abound in oil, which is solid like butter, and has a mild pleasant 

 flavour. [BASSIA.] The bark of some species of Achras is astrin- 

 gent and tonic, and has been recommended as a substitute for 

 quinine. [AcHRAS.] 



d a c 



Sapodilla Plant (Achras sapota). 



a, branch with axillary flowers ; &, flower, showing the imbricate calyx ; 

 c, pistil, with style and simple stigma ; rf, fruit (sapoililU plum) ; c, seed ; 

 /, embryo. 



SAPPARE, a corruption of Sapphire. [KYANITE.] 



SAPPHIRE. [ADAMANTINE SPAR ; CORUNDUM.] 



SAPWOOD. [ALBURNUM.] 



SAPY'OIDzE, a family of Hymenopterous Insects of the section 

 Fossores, the species of which are chiefly distinguished by the feet in 

 both sexes being slender, and little or not at all spinose ; the antenna; 

 are at least as long as the head and thorax together, and generally 

 increase in thickness towards the extremity. 



In the genus Hapyga the eyes are deeply emarginate ; the antenna: 

 are subclavate, slightly curved outwards at the apex in the males, 

 straight in the females, and inserted in a cavity at the base of the 

 clypeus, with an elevated ridge between them ; the superior wings 

 have one marginal cell, which passes beyond the third submargiual, 

 and is acuminate ; and four submarginal cells, the second the smallest 

 and receiving the first recurrent nervure, the third receiving the second, 

 and the fourth apical. 



The species of this genus are usually of moderate size. The females 

 are said to form holes in the mortar of walls, or in putrescent wood, 

 in which they deposit their eggs with food to supply the larva;. 

 Latrei'lo supposes them to be parasitic upon some of the wild bees ; 

 and Mr. Shuckard observes that he has caught the .1 pimctala (a 

 species found in this country) entering the cells of Oamia bicomis. 

 The species just mentioned is from 4| to 5j lines in length, and of a 

 black colour, excepting the abdomen, which is red, and has a trans- 

 verse white spot on each side of the fourth, fifth, and sixth segments 

 such is the colouring of the female ; the male has the body black, 

 with a white spot on each side of the second, third, fourth, and fifth 

 segments. 



A second species of this genus, the S. clavicornis, is also found in 

 England. Both sexes are black, and havo interrupted yellow banda 

 on the abdomeu. 



The genus Tliynnus, according to Latreille, also belongs to the pre- 

 sent family, and the species are readily distinguished by the antenna; 

 being filiform and the eyes entire, that is, not emarguiate, as ill 

 fiapyga. 



Poloclirum. This genus, like Tliynnus, has tho antenna; filiform, but 

 the eyes are emarginate, as in Sapyya ; the mandibles are tridentate. 



SARCI NA, a genus of Plants belonging to the family of A Igai. This 

 microscopic Alga was first detected by Professor Goocisir of Edinburgh 

 in 1842, in the matter vomited by a patient under his care. It was 

 subsequently observed by Mr. Busk and Mr. Edwin Quekett, and 

 many other observers. It consists of masses of cells which are 

 arranged in a square form. Each of the cells is nucleated, and vary 

 in number from 4 to 64 on each frond. 



The species most commonly found is that discovered by Qoodsir, 



