UTS 



DBsna 



URTICACE/E. 



lire 



nem of iu limlw, it* partially plantigrade walk, the structuru of its 

 tnuulr, and even iu the form of the teeth themselves, u to induce us 

 to p*u-<- Ixf.irc we determine to reject the popular testimony as 

 unworthy of credit, although we must regard it as doubtful on some 

 particular points, and insufficient and imperfect on the whole." 



It inhabit* the Cape of Good Hope. 



Mela (Briston), the Badger, has the following 



-1 



Dental Formula : Incisors, ? ; Conine*, - 



6* '11 



Molars, *= 86. 

 6 



Teeth of Badger. 



IP.F.AH; BADGER; PANDA; ICTIDES; GULO; VIVKBBID&] 



rit-SUS. [Br-Aii; UKSID.E.] 



URTI'CA (from 'uro '), a genus of Plants known under the common 

 name of Nettle. Nettle is the same word as the Anglo-Saxon ' netel,' 

 or ' ntedl,' a needle, which is applied to these plants on account of 

 their Downing small bristles or prickles which have a stinging pro- 

 perty. This genus U the type of the natural order Urticacea. The 

 flowers are ither monoecious or dioecious. The staminiferous flowers 

 hare a tingle perianth of 4 leaves, containing the rudiment of a 

 pistiL The pistilliferous flowers have a single perianth of 2 leaves ; a 

 sessile stigma, and a dry fruit containing a single seed. Most of the 

 p-cie* are herbaceous plants or under shrubs, and are found iu Europe, 

 Asia, and America. Three of the species, of which there are about 40, 

 are Ilritiili. 



{'. filuifera, the Roman Nettle, has opposite ovate serrated 

 leave*, with transverse nerves, and the pistilliferous flowers pedun- 

 culated, and arranged in globose spikes. This plant is found in 

 England, under walls and amongst rubbish, principally near the sea, 

 in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. It has also been found in the 

 south of Ireland. This is the most virulent of our native nettle*. 



/'. c/ioico. the Great Nettle, has ovate-acuminate leaves, cordate at 

 the base : the flowers are dicociout in clusters, much branched, and 

 the clusters in pairs. This is a very common plant throughout 

 Europe, in waste places, under walls and hedge-banks. The tops of 

 this plant, when young in spring, are sometimes eaten as a potherb, 

 especially among the humbler classes in Scotland. 



I', vrcnt. Small or Garden-Nettle, has opposite elliptical leaves with 

 about S nearly parallel ribs, with nearly simple clusters of flowers. 



I', trnaciuima, like some of the other nettles, as well as the hop and 

 the hemp, belonging to the same natural family, abounds in ligneous 

 fibre, which may be converted into very strong cordage. This is the 

 Caloee of Harsden, Kami of the Malays, a native of Sumatra, also of 

 Kungpore, where it is called Kunkamis, and which Dr. Roxburgh 

 found one of the strongest of all the vegetable fibres which he sub- 

 jected to experiment. 



The woody fibre* of other species of f'rtica arc employed in making 

 linen. The /'. (Bothmtria) nirea yields a remarkably fine fibre, with 

 which delicate fabrics are made iu India. 



URTICA'CE^E, Nettle*, or Ifettlevortt, a natural order of Plants. 

 The planti belonging to this order ore trees, shrubs, and herbs, 

 fielding in some instance) a milky juice. The leaves are alternate, 



and usually covered with aiiperitirs or with hairs furnishr 1 with a 

 stinging secretion ; the stipules are meuibrauaceona, and are deciduous 

 or convolute in vernation. The flowers are monoecious or dioecious, 

 either scattered or collected together in catkins or in close heads. The 

 calyx is membranous, lobed, or persistent. The stamens are definite 

 in number, not united, and inserted into the calyx opposite it* lobea ; 

 the anthers during activation are curved inwards, but are turned back- 

 wards with elasticity after bursting. The ovary is superior, containing 

 a solitary erect or suspended ovule with a simple stigma. The fruit 

 is either a simple indehiscent nut, surrounded by a membranous or 

 fleshy calyx, as in Soehmeria (fig. 1) ; or it is a fleshy receptacle, either 



rig. i. 



Soelimeria tordatn. 



a, branch, with flowers ; , (ingle flower ; c, collection of fruits ; rf, Motion 

 of fruit, lying In which Is seen the eed anil embryo. 



covered by numerous nuts lying among the persistent fleshy calyxes, 

 as in Jtoritdna, or the nuts are inclosed in the cavity of the receptacle, 

 as in the Common Fig (liy. 2) ; or it may consist of a single nut covered 



Fig. 2. 



Common Fig (Fietu Cnrirn.) 



a, branch, with leaves and flgi ; b, lection of a flg, thawing Hie flowers 

 inclosed within the fleshy receptacle ; c, male flowers lepirated ; rf, recliun of 

 ovary ; e, section of seed, (bowing curved embryo. 



