Ml 



ZINKEMTE. 



ZOANTHARIA. 



the former. Thi body i> called Vitellns by Brown, and is the remain* 

 of the innermost integument of the ovule, which i unabaorbed during 

 the proRreH of the wed to maturity. A second peculiarity consist* 

 in the 2-celled aothen ; and witli this structure in combined decidedly 

 aromatic properties. But the distinction between Marantacta and 

 Zimgibtncta depends, as pointed out by Lindley, on more important 

 couMilerations than these. " In true /inyibrraccat," he aayt, " a> 

 Brown hat observed, the stamen is always placed opposite the label- 

 luin, or anterior division of the inner series of the corolla, and proceeds 

 from the base of the posterior outer division ; while the sterile stamens, 

 when they exist, are stationed right and left of the labellum. But in 

 tlaraxtacm the fertile stamen is on one side of the labellum, occupy- 

 ing the place of one of the lateral sterile stamens of Zinyiberacea. 

 This peculiarity of arrangement indicates a higher degree of irre- 

 gularity in Maranlaceir than in Zinffiberaetir, which also extends to 

 the other parts of the flower." It contains 29 genera and 247 specie*. 



Nearly all the species are tropical plant-, and by far the greater 

 numb* r inhabit various parts of the East Indies ; they are also found 

 in Africa and America. 



The plants belonging to this order possess grent beauty, on account 

 of the development of their floral envelopes and the rich colours of 

 their bract*. They are also employed to a considerable extent in 

 medicine and as condiment*, on account of their aromatic stimulating 

 properties. [CURCUMA; AJIOMUM ; ALIMMA.] 



Zingiber is known from the other genera by the inner limbs of the 

 corolla having but one lip, and the anther having a simple recurved 

 horn at the end. 



/. officinalii, the Narrow-Leaved, or Common Ginger, 1ms subsessile, 

 linear-lanceolate, smooth leaves, elevated oblong spike*, acute bracts, 

 and a 3-lobed lip. The root-stock of this plant is the ginger of com- 

 merce. It is imported into England from various quarters of the 

 world, but more especially the East and West Indies. This plant is 

 now grown in almost all parts of the globe in tropical climates, but 

 it teems to hare been originally indigenous in the East Indies. 

 in ARTS AHD Sc. Div.] 



I, plant, (bowing the rbiicoma mil Inflorncence ; J, (tower Kptrated, show. 

 lag tpdhicroiu bncti ; 3, the perfect 2-ctlled anther with tyle. 



Oing*r ii one of the most agreeable of the hot aromatics, and is 

 consequently much used as a condiment. It also enteni into the 

 composition of many medicine*, where it nets as a carminative 



7.. y.mmbrt, the Broad-Leaved Ginger, is a native of the Eatt 

 Indies, and ha* delicate stems ; bif.rious, senile, lanceolate leaves; 

 broad obovate bract*, and a 3-bbed lip. This plant is much used in 

 the eat for cataplasms, and fomentations, but is not taken internallr 



ZINKEN'ITK. [AXTIMOST.] 



ZINNIA, a genu* of Plants belonging to the natural order Com- 

 potita, named after Or. John Godfrey Zinn. It has a chaffy receptacle 

 the seed-down consists of two erect unequal awns, the calyx imbri- 

 cated, somewhat ovate, the floret* of the radius 5-10, permanent and 

 undivided. All the species are natives of South and North America- 

 they are annuals, and form handsome border-plants in garden*. They 

 memUe Kudbtckia. 



ZITHir.S. ICir.v.KA.l 



ZIRCON Hyacinth ; /orjpxm-a Mineral occurring in attached, im- 



dded, and loose crystals, Primary form a square pristn. Cleavage 

 parallel to the lateral plane*, indistinct. Fracture conchoidal, undu- 

 lating, brilliant Hardness, scratche* quartz. Brittle. Colour white, 



gray, red, reddish-brown, brownish-orange, yellow, pale-green ; streak 

 white. Lustre adamantine. Doubly refractive in a very high decree. 

 Transparent ; translucent ; opaque. Specific gravity 4-605. Before 

 the blow-pipe infusible, but loses its colour; with borax fuses into a 

 transparent glass. It is found at Expaillr. in France ; Ceylon ; at 

 Fried richsuarn, Norway; Greenland, the" United States, 4c. Ii 

 contains 



Silica 33-3 



Zirconia 087 



[TITANIUM.] 100 



ZIKCO'NIA. [ZIRCONIUM.] 



ZIRCO'NIUM, a peculiar Metal obtained from the earth or metallic 

 oxide liroonia. [Zilu-uX.] 



ZIZA'NIA, the Greek name of Lolinm temulenttun, the modern 

 Daniel. This plant has always been troublesome amongst wheat, and 

 is mentioned in the New Testament, and in the English version Zisa- 

 nium is translated 'Tares.' The name has now been adopted by 

 Gronovius and Linnaeus for a very different genus of (iraminaceir. It is 

 monoecious ; the male flowers have no calyx, and their corolla is a 

 2-valved blunt glume, which are mixed with the female flowers ; the 

 female flowers have no calyx, and their corolla is a 2-valved glume, 

 cucullate, and awued; the style is 2-parted; the seed tingle, cnvelopt d 

 in the plaited corolla. 



Z. aqualica is the Canadian Wild-Rice. It has a pyramidal com- 

 pound panicle, with numerous male flowers in the lower part ; spiked 

 and female above. This plant is common in :i!l the waters of Ninth 

 America from Canada to Florida. It flowers in July aud August, and 

 is known by the name of Tiucarora, or Wild Rice. It was intro- 

 duced into this country by Sir Joseph Banks, in 1793, who cultivated 

 it for ninny years in the ponds of his villa at Spring Grove. The 

 seeds of this plant afford a nutritious article of diet, and are oaten 

 by the wandering tribes of North- West America. The water-fowl of 

 North America also feed on the grains of this plant 



ZI'ZVPHUS, Zlfixpov, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural 

 order Rhamnaceir. It has a 5 cleft spreading calyx ; 6 obovate ungui- 

 culate convolute petals; a pentagonal flat disc, expanded and adhering 

 to the tube of the calyx ; a 2-3-celled ovary immersed in the disc ; 

 the styles 2-3 ; the fruit fleshy, containing a 1-2 celled nut ; the seeds 

 sessile, compressed, aud very smooth. The species of this genus are 

 shrubs, with alternate 3-uerved leaves, spiny stipules, and mucilaginous 

 fruit, which is eatable. 



Z. vulgarit, the Common Jujube, has ovatc-retuce toothed smooth 

 leaves ; prickles absent or twin ; aud an ovate-oblong drupe. This 

 plant is a native of Syria, whence it has been introduced into 

 Europe. It is now cultivated in many parts of the south of Europe, 

 where its fruit is known by the name of Jujube, It has yellow- 

 greenish flowers, two or three of which grow together. The fruit is 

 of a blood-red or saffron colour, and has a sweet granular pulp, hi 

 Italy and Spain it is eaten as a dessert when fresh, and in the winter 

 season as a dry sweetmeat. It is also sold in great quantities in thu 

 market* of Constantinople. The Jujube is commonly planted by the 

 Turks of Constantinople before their coffee-houses for the sake of its 

 shad* 



Z. fpina-Ckritti, Christ's Thorn, has ovate-toothed smooth leaves, 

 pubescent beneath ; prickles twin, one straight, the other incurved ; 

 the peduncle* corymbose ; the drupe ovate-globose. This plant is 

 about eight feet high, and is a native of the north of Africa of Pales- 

 tine, Ethiopia, and Egypt. The flowers are yellowish-green. The 

 fruit is oblong, about the size of a sloe, and much eaten in Kgypt and 

 Arabia. This plant has pliant branches, and is covered with thorns ; 

 and being not uncommon in Palestine, has been supposed by Hassel- 



3uist to have afforded materials for the crown of thorns with which 

 eu Christ was crowned. The Paliunu acvleatut however is the 

 more common thorny plant in that country. ( X AI.I.K. j 



About 40 other species of Zizyphut have been described ; amongst 

 them the Z. lotia, which is the Lotus of the ancients. [Lotus.] 

 Many of them are natives of the Himalayas. Wherever they grow, 

 they produce a fruit which may be eaten with impunity, although it 

 vanes much in its grateful and nutritious properties. /. ffapeta 

 grows in Ceylon ; Z. xylophoitu, in Coromandel ; and Z. Jujulta in 

 China, yield- edible fruits. 



Z< lANTHA'KIA (' Animal Flowers,' from the Greek (Am and Srfloi), 

 the third class of true Zoophytes, in the arrangement of De Blainville, 

 and defined by him thus : "Body regular, flower-shaped, more or legs 

 elongated, free or fixed, very contractile, furnished with an intestinal 

 canal, without distinct walls, having a single large terminal opening 

 surrounded by variously-shaped tentacula, which arc always tubular 

 and in communication with the musculo-cavernous parenchyma 

 of the skin." The terms of this definition are in part incorrect, 

 there being no intestinal canal properly so called, but a large bag- 

 shaped stomach having distinct walls, for a representation of which 

 see ACTINIA. 



The Znantliaria correspond to the Zoophyta Jldianlhotda of Dr. 

 Johnston, and includes the sea-ancmonc8 and the greater number of 

 the coral animals. The anatomical structure of the Litter is essen- 

 tially the same with that of the former, however different the aspect 

 of the gorgeous madrepores of the Tropical seas may be from that of 

 the oft and fleeting tea flowers of the north. The beauty of the 



