490 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Staphylea continued. 



flavoured, in a bladdery capsule. I. pinnate, of five to seven 

 oblons, glabrous, serrated leaflets. h. 6ft. to 12ft. South 

 Kurope. (Sy. En. B. 322.) 



8. trifolia (three-leaved). Jl., petals obovate spathulate, ciliated 

 at base. May and June. >., nuts globose. I trifoholate ; leaf- 

 lets ovate, acuminate, regularly serrated, pubescent when young. 

 /.. 6ft to 12ft. North America, 1640. 



FIG. 523. FLOWERING BRANCH OF STAPHYLEA COLCHICA. 



STAPHYLEJE. A tribe of Sapindacece. 



STAPHYLINIDJE. A family of the large group 

 of Brachelytra, the " Kove " or "Cocktail" Beetles. The 

 species of this group agree in having the wing-cases, 



Kio. 524. DEVIL'S COACH HORSE (GOERIUS or OCYPUS OLEXS). 



or elytra, very short (see Fig. 524), as indicated by the 

 scientific name, which is derived from brachys, short, 

 and elytra, the wing-cases. Their wings are, neverthe- 

 less, large, and have, accordingly, to be folded up, and 

 packed away below the elytra. The hinder end of the 

 bare abdomen is employed to help in this, being turned 

 np to posh the wings under their covers ; hence, they 

 are often called Cocktail Beetles. The name Rove 



Staphylinidae continued. 



Beetles refers to their active roving habits. There are 

 many genera in the family Stapliylinidce, but they 

 mostly differ too little to be distinguished by anyone 

 save a practised entomologist. Few of them are over 

 iin. in length, though one or two exceed lin. ; many are 

 microscopic in size. They are very often black, but fre- 

 quently this is varied with yellow, reddish-brown, 

 or rusty-red. These beetles vary greatly in habits. 

 They are very abundant, and are, accordingly, to be 

 met with everywhere. Towards the end of summer, 

 they may be found crawling on the ground or on 

 walls and palings, or on the wing ; and the small 

 species are but too familiar from their liability to 

 fly into one's eyes or mouth. Over 200 species are 

 known to occur in Britain. They may often be 

 found in the utmost profusion in the dead bodies of 

 animals, or in decaying remains of plants, both as 

 larvae and in the perfect state. Some of them are 

 among the most efficient allies of gardeners, be- 

 cause of their influence in destroying noxious insects. 

 None of them are injurious to healthy garden pro- 

 duce. The two species figured, viz., Goerius olens, 

 or the " Devil's Coach Horse," and Stapliylinus 



FIG. 525. STAPIIVLINUS ERYTHROPTERUS (slightly 

 magnified). 



The Line shows the actual length of the Insect. 



erythropterus (see Figs. 524 and 525) give a fair 

 idea of the appearance of the family. The former 

 preys on insects. 



STAR, APPLE. See Chrysophyllum. 

 STARCH. The greater part of the food material 

 stored up by green plants for future use in their 

 nourishment, and in the formation of new tissues, 

 is formed of Starch. In those parts of plants in 

 which food is stored, e.g., in the tubers of Pota- 

 toes, in the pith of many plants, and in the albu- 

 men (or perisperm) in seeds of Cereals, Peas, and 

 many other plants, Starch is very abundant, packed 

 away in the cells in the form of small grains. These 

 grains are frequently rounded, but may assume pecu- 

 liar forms characteristic of certain plants. When 

 very numerous, they become polygonal by mutual pres- 

 sure. Under the microscope, each granule is seen to 

 have a dark point, called the hilum, at one place ; and 

 around this are light and dark layers alternately. This 

 appearance of layers, it is believed, is due to their con- 

 taining a varying amount of water, as it is not apparent 

 when the grains are either saturated or thoroughly dried. 

 Often two or more grannies are more or less completely 

 united, forming " compound " granules. Though always 

 small, they vary greatly in size in different plants. 

 They are most readily recognised by running a solution 

 of Iodine and Potassic Iodide under the cover gla?s, when 

 the granules become some shade of indigo-blue, varying 

 with the strength of the solution. Starch consists of 

 Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, in the proportions indi- 

 cated by its chemical formula, C H 10 O 5 . This compo- 

 sition is the same as that of cellulose, the substance of 

 which cell-walls are composed ; and it is very nearly the 

 same as that of several of the sugars, into which Starch 

 is converted by a kind of slight fermentation. Starch 

 is produced in the presence of light in the chlorophyl- 

 bodiea, and, therefore, only in the green parts of plants. 



