1177 



URUS. 



VALERIANA. 



lira 



by a succulent involucre. The embryo ia straight, curved, or spiral, 

 sometimes without albumen j the cotyledons are flat, and the radicle 

 points to the hilum. 



The order, as thus defined, includes several groups of plants which 

 are frequently separated, as the Artocarpeie of Robert Brown, the , 

 Batide<x of Martius, and the Morecs of Endlicher. 



This order brings together plants growing all over the world, posses- 

 sing very different properties, and yielding very various and useful 

 products. The Stinging Nettles [URTICA] form the type of the order. 

 To it belongs also the deadly Upas. [AnTlARis.] The wholesome 

 Fig, the celebrated Banyan, and species yielding deadly poisons belong 

 to the genus Ficut. [Ficus.] The Bitter Hop [HOMULUs], the Acid 

 Mulberry [MoBUs], and the Narcotic Hemp [CAXNABIS], and famous 

 Cow-Tree [Cow-TREE], all belong here. The sap of many of the I 

 species, especially those belonging to the division Artocarpece is milky. | 

 [ARTOCARPACE.E ; MOHACE.E ; AHTOCARPUS ; BCEHMERIA ; DORSTENIA.] 



URUS. [Bison; BOVIDA] 



U'SNEA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order of 

 Lichens. The Umea plicata, in common with the Roccella tinctoria 

 and other Lichens, is used as a dye. 



UTRICULA'RIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Lentibvlariacta. It has the calyx with two equal leaves, a personate 



spurred corolla, a 2-lipped stigma, a globose capsule of one cell, and 

 several seeds fixed to a central receptacle. There are only three 

 species, U. intermedia, U. vidgaris, and U. minor. They are all 

 inhabitants of Great Britain. The metamorphosed leaves attached 

 to the roots of all the species are furnished with little bladders, which, 

 when the plant is growing at the bottom of a ditch or pond, are filled 

 with water. 



UTRI'CULUS, in Botany, a form of Fruit. [FRUIT.] 

 UTROPHUS. [IGUANID.E.] 

 U'VULA. [PALATE.] 



UWARO'vVITE, Chromium Garnet, a Mineral occurring crystallised 

 in Rhombic Dodecahedrons. Colour emerald green. Hardness 7'5. 

 Lustre vitreous. Nearly transparent. Specific gravity 3'41. It is found 

 at Bessersk, in the Ural Mountains. Its analysis by Komonen gives 



Silica 37-11 



Alumina 5'88 



Oxide of Chromium 22-54 



Protoxide of Iron 2-44 



Lime 30'34 



Magnesia 1-10 



Water 1-01 



100-42 



, Cranberries, a natural order of Exogenous Plants. 

 The species of this order are shrubby plants, with round irregu- 

 larly angled stems and branches ; simple entire alternate coriaceous 

 leaves, with a solitary or racemose inflorescence. The calyx is superior 

 and entire, or with 4, 5, or 6 lobes, sometimes deciduous. The corolla is 

 monopetalous, and its lobes correspond to those of the calyx, and are 

 alternate with them. The stamens are free, and are generally double 

 the number of the lobes of the calyx, and are inserted into an epigy- 

 nous disc ; the anthers are terminal, 2-celled, bursting by pores, and 

 furnished with two horns. The ovary is inferior, surmounted by the 

 epigyuous disc, 4-5-celled, with one or many seeds in each cell; the 

 style and stigma are both simple. The seeds are very small, with a 

 straight embryo in the midst of a fleshy albumen ; the cotyledons are 

 very short, and the radicle is long. This order is made by many 

 botanists a section of Ericaceif. It differs from Ericacece in possessing 

 an inferior ovary and a succulent fruit. It was placed by Richard in 

 Etcalloniacecr, but it differs from this order in being monopetalous, 

 and its anthers bursting by pores. 



4 



Common Bilberry (Vacciniam Jlyrtillat). 



1, branch, with fiuit; 2, stamen, showing horned and porous anthers; 3, 

 stamens Mated on disc ; 4, section of fruit ; 5, seed with embryo. 



The plants of this order are not common in Europe, but they are 

 abundant in North America, extending to very high northern lati- 

 tudes, and ore not uncommon on high land in the Sandwich Islands. 

 |KunM F K; VACVINII-M.] 



VACCI'NIUM, a genus of Plants, the type of the natural order 



Vacchiacea. This genus consists of shrubby plants with alternate 

 membraneous leaves, often beset with resinous dots, and are either 

 permanent or deciduous. The flowers are seated on pedicels, and are 

 either solitary or arranged in simple racemes, generally drooping, 

 without any odour, and tinted with various shades of red or pink. 

 The calyx is 4-5-toothed ; the corolla urceolate or campanulate, more 

 or less deeply 4-5-cleft, with the limb reflexed ; the stamens are 8 or 

 10, not attached to the corolla, with 2-horned anthers dehiscing at the 

 summits, and sometimes furnished at the back with two spreading 

 spurs or bristles ; the style is longer than the stamens, and the stigma 

 obtuse ; the fruit is a berry, globose, depressed at the top, 4- or 

 5-celled, many-seeded, of a black purple, bluish, or red colour, generally 

 eatable, though not always pleasant or wholesome in an uncooked 

 state. The genus consists of about 50 species, which are known by the 

 common names of Bilberries, Whortleberries, Bleaberries, &c. 



V. Myrtillua, the Common Bilberry or Bleaberry, has solitary 

 pedicels, 1-flowered, the leaves are serrated, ovate, smooth, the stem 

 is acutely angular, and the calyx hardly divided. It is a small shrub 

 about a foot high, and is a native of heaths, stony moors, and moun- 

 tain-woods throughout Europe. It is abundant iu Great Britain. In 

 the north of England and Scotland the berries are gathered and used 

 for making tarts ; in Devonshire and ia Poland they are eaten with 

 clotted cream. 



V. uliginosutn, Great Bilberry, or Bog Whortleberry, has 1-flowered 

 peduncles, with obovate, entire, veined, and deciduous leaves, with 

 rounded stems. Like the last it is a small shrub, and attains a height 

 of two feet. It is a native of Great Britain, and is found in mountainous 

 bogs in Cumberland and Westmorland, but is more frequent in the 

 Highlands of Scotland, being found nearly on the summits of the 

 highest mountains. Its berries are very similar to those of the common 

 wortleberry, but their flavour is not so agreeable. 



V. Vitis-idcea, Red Whortleberry, or Cowberry, has terminal racemes 

 of drooping campauulate flowers, with evergreen obovate leaves, dotted 

 beneath, and their margins slightly revolute, and nearly entire. It is 

 a low straggling shrub, with leaves resembling those of the Box, and 

 pale flesh-coloured flowers. It is a native of dry places on heaths, 

 mountains, and in woods, throughout Europe. It is plentiful in the 

 north of England, Westmorland, Derbyshire, and Wales. This plant 

 is the badge of the clan Maoleod. The berries have a red colour, and 

 possess acid and astringent properties. They are hardly eatable raw. 



V. itamineum, the Green-Wooded American Whortleberry; V. corym- 

 bosum, the Naked Flowering Whortleberry ; and V. frondoium, the 

 Blunt-Leaved Whortleberry, or Blue Tangles, are American species. 



V. Arctostaphylos, Oriental Bearberry, or Bear's-Grape Whortle- 

 berry, is a native of the coast of the Black Sea, where it was 

 originally gathered by Tournefort, who was of opinion that it was the 

 'ApKTotTT<iit>v\os, or Bear's-Grape of Galen. 



VACHELLIA, a gerus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Leguminoste. 



V. Famesiana, a native of the East and West Indies, exudes from 

 its bark a considerable quantity of gum. The flowers when distilled 

 yield a delicious perfume. 



VAGI'NULUS. [LIMAX.] 

 VALERIAN. [VALERIANA.] 



VALERIAN, GREEK. [POLEMONIUM.] 



VALERIA'NA, a genus of Plants, the type of the natural order 

 Valerianacece. The species of this genus are herbs or undershrubs, 

 with very variable leaves, and mostly reddish-whits corymbose flowers. 

 The limb of the calyx is involute during flowering, but it at last 



