1003 



SYZYGIUM. 



TAI.c. 



1004 



Ordr 1 Diacia. Flowers on two plants. 

 Order 8. Triatia. Flowers on three plant*. 

 The Cryptogamia were divided into the order* : 



Filial .... Fern*. 



Jfiuci . . . Montt. 



JTtpaliea . . . Liverwort*. 



LidxMl , . . Lichen*. 



Algae .... Sea-Weeds. 



Fungi . . . Mushrooms. 



For the arrangement of the vegetable kingdom, according to the 

 Natural System, aee the articles EXOCEXS: ENDOCEXS; ACIIOUEXS.' 



SYZY'GIUM, a large tropical genus of Plant* belonging to the 

 natural order Myrtacea, to named from irvfuyos, coupled, in conse- 

 quence of the manner in which the branches and leaves are united 

 together in pain. The calyx-tube is obovate, with the limb nearly 

 entire. Petals 4-5, forming a calyptra ; stamens numerous, free ; style 



single; stigma simple; ovary 2-cclled, ovules several in each cell. 

 Berry 1-cellod, 1- or few-seeded. Trees, or shrubs, of a highly orna- 

 mental appearance from their smooth shining leaves, which are 

 opposite and entire. 



Of the species, & Guineenie, a native of the coast of Guinea and 

 Senegal, has been employed as a remedy in rheumatism. S. ponitula- 

 tum, a native of the Isle of Bourbon, is there called Bois a Ecorce 

 Blanche. S. Jambolanun is a native of the East Indies, and tliere 

 most extensively diffused, being planted near villages in clumps of 

 trees, chiefly on account of it* fruit, which is sometimes called Java 

 Plum by Europeans, but Jamoon by the natives. It is of a rich 

 purplish colour, but of a subastringent sweetish taste, which is more 

 agreeable to the native than to the European palate. The fruit is 

 sometimes soaked for an hour in salt and water, when it makes an 

 approach to the flavour of olives. The bark is astringent, and dyes 

 of a brown colour ; the wood ia hard, close-grained, and durable, and 

 therefore much employed. 



'TABERN^EMONTA'NA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural 

 -"- order Apocynacta, found in the West Indies and South America, 

 also in Australia, India, and other tropical parts of Asia. The genus 

 is characterised by having monopetalous inferior flowers; corolla 

 salver-shaped ; stamens 5, included ; anthers sagittate ; ovaries 2 ; 

 style filiform; stigma dilated at base, triad. Seeds in a follicle, 

 immersed in pulp. The flowers of many species are very sweet- 

 scented, and the double-flowered variety of T. eoronaria ia a very 

 ornamental shrub, and one of the most common in Indian gardens. 

 The deep red pulp surrounding the seeds of this species appears 

 capable of yielding a beautiful colour. The cream-like sap of T. vtilii, 

 the Milk-Tree, or Hya Hya of Demerara, ia not only of an innoxious 

 character, but said to be very nourishing. It affords a remarkable 

 example of a tree of this suspected family yielding an article of food. 

 Some of the other species are employed as medicines in the countries 

 where they are indigenous. The sap of T. pcrricariccfolia is considered 

 a poison in Mauritius. The wood is employed in turnery. 



TABULAR SPAR. [WOLLASTOSITB.] 



TACCA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Taceacea, 

 placed near A nidacca and A riitoiockiaca, and resembling Diotcortacea, 

 in having radical tubers which abound in fcecula. The genus is named 

 from the Malay name of one of the species, which are found in the 

 hotter parts of India and in the South Sea Islands. The genus is 

 characterised by having a 6-partite calyx, with a 6-partite corolla, and 

 6 stamens which are inserted in the calyx ; styles 3 ; stigmas stellate. 

 Berry dry, hexangular, many-seeded. The plants have perennial 

 tubers, with a short compressed rhizoma, from which proceed the 

 stalked and the so-called radical leaves and herbaceous scapes. The 

 plants of this family are possessed of some acridity both in their 

 tubers and in their herbaceous parts, but the roots lose some of this 

 quality by culture, at the same time that they become larger. Those 

 of T. pmnalifda, the best-known species, and a native of the Malayan 

 Peninsula, the Moluccas, Madagascar, and Australia, are roundish, red, 

 the size of a man's fist, extremely bitter, and acrid. The tubers of 

 this plant, and also those of T. Jubia and T. montana, are rasped and 

 macerated for four or five days in water ; a white highly nutritious 

 focula like arrow-root is then separated, and, like sago, is employed as 

 an article of diet by the inhabitants of the Malayan Peninsula and 

 the Moluccas. In Tahiti and some of the Society Islands they make 

 cakes of the tubers of T. pinnatiflda, which are the Tacca Youy of 

 some navigators. They form an article of diet in China and Cochin- 

 Cbina, and also in Travancore, in India, where, according to Dr. Ainslic, 

 they attain a large size, and the natives eat them with some acid to 

 subdue their acrimony. (Koyle's ' Illustr.,' p. 378.) The petioles and 

 stalks boiled for some time are aim used as articles of diet in China 

 and Cochin-China, In Tahiti the plant is called Tya : iU fncula is 

 largely prepared, and is sometimes preferred to that of arrow-root by 

 the English, to whom it is sold under that name by the native con- 

 vert* at the missionary station, and exported to London. It is also 

 sometimes called Tahiti Salep. This plant must not be confounded 

 with the Arum mocrorAuum, the tuberous root-stalk of which is also 

 edible, and when prepared is called Taka, which similarity in name 

 and in uses has frequently caused confusion, and the mistaking of 

 one plant for the other. In Singapore T. crutata ia called Water- 

 LUy. 



TACCA 'CK.K, a small natural order of Endogenous Plants belonging 

 to the Epigynone group. There are but two genera belonging to this 

 order, Tacca and Alaecia. The species are large perennial herbaceous 

 planU, with a tuberous root, a short stem bearing scapes, and having 

 cxntipulate radical pedatifid pinnatifid rarely entire leave), with curved 

 parallel veins. The flowers, which are placed on the top of a single 

 scape, are in umbels, and are united ; the tube of the perianth is 

 superior, and united to the germen ; limb petaloid, equal or unequal, 

 persistent ; stamens 6 ; filaments dilated ; ovary composed of 3 con- 

 nected carpels, with 6 parietal pol yspermous placentae j styles 8, con- 



nate. The fruit baccate, with seeds lunate, striated, and the embryo 

 situated on the outside of fleshy albumen. 



The species are found in the hotter parts of India, in the South Sea 

 Islands, also in tropical Africa. [TACCA.] 



TACHYDROMUS. [ZoutiRiD*.] 



TACHYQLOSSUS, Illiger's name for the Echidna. [ECHIDNA.] 



TACHYLITE, a Mineral which resembles Obsidian, and has also 

 been supposed to be similar to Isopyre. It occurs in plates and 

 massive. No cleavage. Fracture small, conchoidal. Hardness 6'5. 

 Translucent, opaque. Lustre vitreous, vitrco-resiuous. Colour 

 brownish and greenish-black. It is found iu small masses at SiiBabiihl, 

 near Go'ttingen, in basalt and wacke. 



TACHY'PETES. [PELECAMDA] 



TACHYPHO'NUS. [FKIMILLIDJE.] 



TACHYTES. [LABIDA] 



TADORNA (Leach), a genus of Birds belonging to the family 

 Anatida, having the bill very much flattened towards the extremity, 

 and elevated into a protuberance or projecting boss at its base. 



[DUCKS.] 



Head and Foot of Tadorna. 



TADPOLE. [AMPHIBIA.] 

 'TADPOLE-FISH. [RAMICEPS.] 



TjENIA. [EmozOA.] 



T-AINIOl'DES, a family of Acanthopterygious Fislios nearly allied 

 to the Mackerels. The species comprising it are all long flattened 

 fishes, with very small scales. The following arc among the principal 

 genera. 



Lepidoput, tenfold fishes with elongated snouts, a wide gape, pro- 

 jecting under jaw, and strong sharp cutting teeth. The ventral fins 

 are reduced to small scaly plates. The tail is well formed. The L. 

 argyreiu or Scabbard-Finn is an example. It is of a bright silver- 

 colour, and attains a length of six feet. It is one of the rarest of 

 British fishes. 



Tnckiunu resemble* the last genus in the character of the head, 

 but has neither ventral nor caudal fins, tho tail being represented by 

 a long slender compressed filament. The T. leplunu of Linmeus, an 

 inhabitant of the Atlantic, attains a length of more than 12 feet, and 

 resembles a beautiful silver riband. 



The genus LophoUi of Gioma has a short head with a bony crest 

 bearing a long and stout spine. The caudal fin is distinct, but very 

 small The Xtytcphortu of Sbaw is allied to Cymnctrut, but has the 

 tail prolonged into a slender filament, exceeding the length of tho 

 body. [GYMNETRUS; CIPOLA.] 



T^EMO'PTEHA. [T^NIOPTEIUNJB.] 



T^ENIOPTERI'N/K, Mr. U. 11. Gray's name for his second family 

 of Mtucicapida;. [MuBCJCAPlD.K] 



T^ENIO'PTERIS, a Fossil Fern from the Oolite. 



TALAUMA. [MAONOLLACE&] 



TALC, a Mineral which occurs crystallised and massive, and it is 

 probable that some distinct species of minerals have boon so called. 

 Primary form of the crystal a rhomboid, but it usually occurs in the 

 secondary form of hexagonal lamintc, and sometimes in long prisms. 



