1061 



THROSCUS. 



THYMUS. 



1062 



THROSCUS. [ELATERIM.] 



THROSTLE. [MERULID^.] 



THRUSH. [MERCLHM:.] 



THRUSH-FUNGUS. [OIDIUM.] 



THRUSHES. [MERCLIDJJ.] 



THUJA, or THUYA, a genua of Plants belonging to the natural 

 order Conifers. This name is derived from fliiio, as, on account of the 

 pleasant odour given out by the wood in burning, it was used in 

 ancient sacrifices. The species of this genus are more commonly 

 known by the name of Arbor Yitce. It belongs to the section of 

 Conifem called Capreisinte by Richard, in which Cupreasus, Cattitrii, 

 Taxodium, and Juniperut are also included. The pistils and stamens 

 are in separate flowers on the same tree. The male catkins are termi- 

 nal and solitary ; the pollen of each flower is included in four cases 

 that are attached to the inner face of the scale towards its base. The 

 female catkin is terminal ; the ovary is united to the bractea, forming 

 together a kind of receptacle ; each receptacle has two ovules; the 

 receptacles are semipcltate, imbricated, and smooth, or, in some cases, 

 have a recurved beak near the tip ; the seeds in some are slightly 

 winged. The leaves are scale-like, closely imbricated or compressed. 

 The species are evergreen, either trees or shrubs, and are inhabitants 

 of Asia, Africa, and North America. 



T. occidentalit, Western or American Arbor Vita), has the branchlets 

 2-edged ; the leaves imbricated in 4 rows, ovato-rhomboid, adpressed, 

 and tuberculated ; the cones are obovate, with the interior scales trun- 

 cate and gibbous beneath the apex. This plant is a large shrub or 

 small tree, and is a native of North America, from Canada to the 

 mountains of Virginia and the Carolinas. It is not so frequent in the 

 southern states, and is found there on the steep banks of mountain- 

 torrents. In the northern states of America it is sometimes called 

 the White Cedar, but more commonly Arbor Vita:. It grows best in 

 cool moist places, on the borders of rivers and lakes, and in swamps, 

 Borne of which it covers to the extent of 50 to 100 acres. The stem of 

 this tree seldom rises straight from the ground, but makes a short 

 bend before it becomes straight. 



T. orientalii, Oriental or Chinese Arbor Vita:, has 2-edged branch- 

 lets; imbricated ovato-rhomboid adpressed leaves, furrowed in the 

 middle and in 4 rows ; the cones are elliptic, with the interior scales 

 blunt, and mucronate beneath the apex. It is a native of rocky 

 situations in Siberia and China, and on the mountains of Japan. 



T. pendula, Pendulous or Weeping Arbor Vitas, has opposite decus- 

 sating spreading lanceolate mucronate keeled somewhat distant leaves; 

 globose cones ; convex smooth scales; filiform pendulous branches. It 

 is a native of Tartary, and is an elegant shrub. 



T. articitlata of Desfontaines is now called Callitris quadrivalvii, 

 Four-Valved Callitris. The genus Callitrii differs from Thuja in 

 having the scales of the female catkins, from 4 to 6 in number, 

 opening like the valves of a regular pericarp, and the seeds at the 

 base of these scales winged on the margin. The Four-Valved Callitris 

 has flattened articulated leaves ; the female catkin with 4 oval pointed 

 valves, 2 of which have seeds. It is a native of Barbary, and attains 

 a height of from 15 to 20 feet. It was first discovered by Desfontaines 

 on Mount Atlas in 1796. [CALLITRIS.] 



THULITK [EPIDOTE.] 



THUMERSTONE, or THUMITE. [Axnrrrc.] 



THUNBERQIA (in honour of Thunberg the botanist), a genus of 

 Plants belonging to the natural order Acanthaceie. It has a double 

 calyx, the outer one 2-leaved, the inner about 12-toothed. The corolla 

 is campanulate ; the capsule beaked and 2-celled. The species are 

 handsome climbing plants with a fragrant odour. 



T. fragrant has a climbing stem, with cordate acuminate leaves 

 somewhat angular at the base. 



T. gromdijtora has large flowers with no inner calyx ; the leaves are 

 angular cordate ; the anthers bearded and spurred. This and the 

 former species are natives of the East Indies. 



THUREA. [BOSWELLIA.] 



THURINGITE. [IRON.] 



THUY'TES, a genus of Fossil Plants. 



THYLA'CINUS. [MAHSUFIATA.] 



THYLACOTHERIUM. [MARSUFIATA.] 



THYMALLUS. [SALMONID.K.] 



THYME. [THTMUS.] 



THYMELA'CE^E, Dapknadi, a natural order of Plants belonging 

 to the tubiferous group of Incomplete Exogens. The name of this 

 order is derived from Thymdam, a plant spoken of by the ancients, 

 and which some have supposed to be the Daphne Gnidium, a plant 

 belonging to the present order. This order consists of shrubs or small 

 trees, very rarely herbaceous, with non-articulate sometimes spiny 

 branches having a very tenacious bark. The leaves are entire, simple, 

 without stipules, and alternate or opposite. The flowers are capitate 

 or spiked, terminal or axillary, occasionally solitary ; the calyx is 

 tubular, coloured, 4-cleft, with an imbricate aestivation ; the stamens 

 are 2, 4, or 8 in number, inserted into the tube with 2-celled anthers, 

 dehiscing lengthwise in the middle ; the ovary is solitary, with a soli- 

 tary pendulous ovule. The fruit is hard and dry, or drupaceous. The 

 seed has little or no albumen, a straight embryo, with a short radicle 

 and entire cotyledons. This order is related to Santalaceec, from 

 which it differs in its inferior calyx. It is also allied to Elceagnacm 



and Proteaceft, from both of which it is distinguished by its pendulous 

 ovules. Lindley refers to this order 5$n.Mm<*'a Anthobolea, on account 

 of their superior fruit. The species are found in Europe, but are 

 not common ; they occur hi greatest abundance in the cooler parts 

 of India and South America, at the Cape of Good Hope, and in 

 Australia. 



The most prominent property of this order is their causticity, which 

 resides in their bark. When applied to the skin it produces vesication, 

 and pain in the mouth when chewed. The bark of several of the 

 species is very tough, and may be manufactured into cordage. Passe- 

 rina tinctoria yields a yellow dye, which is used in the south of Europe 

 to colour wool The various species of Daphne possess active proper- 

 ties ; some are used for dyeing, some are poisonous, and the Daphne 

 Lagetta is the Lace-Bark-Tree of Jamaica, [DAPHNE.] 



Daphne Mezereum. 



1, cutting with flowers; 2, ditto with fruit; 3, single flower; 4, calyx 

 opened, showing the insertion of the stamens ; 5, section of ovary, showing the 

 single pendulous seed. 



THYMUS (Sfyos), the name of a genus of Plants belonging to the 

 natural order Lamiacece or Ldbiatce. It has an ovate bilabiate calyx 

 with 13 ribs ; the upper lip is trifid, the lower lip is bifid with ciliated 

 subulate segments, and throat villous inside; the corolla with the 

 upper lip erect, nearly plane, notched, lower patent and trifid; stamens 

 straight, exserted; anthers 2-celled; styles bifid at apex. All the 

 species are small under-shrubs with usually purplish flowers. Between 

 20 and 30 species have been described by botanists, most of them 

 inhabitants of Europe, especially the region of the Mediterranean i 

 one only is a native of the British Islea. 



T. vulgaris, Common or Garden Thyme, is an erect plant, or some- 

 times procumbent at the base, or clothed with a hoary pubescence ; 

 the leaves are sessile, linear, or ovato-lanceolate, acute, with revolute 

 edges, fascicled in the axils ; the teeth of the upper lip of the calyx 

 are lanceolate, but the segments of the lower lip are subulate and 

 ciliated. This plant is a native of the south-west parts of Europe, in 

 dry plains and on hills, and uncultivated places free from woods. It 

 is very much branched, and has purplish flowers. This species is cul- 

 tivated for culinary purposes, and many varieties of it are met with iu 

 gardens. It has a pungent aromatic odour and taste. 



T. Chanusdrys, Wild Thyme, or Mother-of-Thyme, is a suffruticose 

 plant, with whorled or capitate flowers, branched decumbent stems, 

 with plain ovate obtuse entire petiolate leaves, more or less ciliated at 

 the base ; upper lip of the corolla ovate, 4-angular ; upper lip of the 

 calyx with short ovato-laneeolate leaves, with subulate ciliated teeth. 

 It is a native of Great Britain, on hills and in dry pastures, and 

 throughout Europe and the north of Asia. This plant has the same 

 sensible properties as the last. One of the varieties is known by the 

 name of Lemon-Thyme, on account of its scent resembling the 

 lemon. 



T. Serpyttum, Linnams, appears to be different from the above, 

 having uniformly hairy prostrate creeping stems, distinct from tho 

 ascending capitate flower-stems. It is not a native of Great Britain. 



T. mattichina, Maatich-Thyme, or Kerb-Mastich, has ovate or oblong 

 obtuse petiolate leaves, narrowed at the base and not ciliated ; the 

 calyx is villous, with feathery subulate teeth, which are longer than 

 the tube. It is a native of dry sandy uncultivated places in Spain, 

 Portugal, and Barbary. It exhales a scent resembling mastich. It is 



