S CL 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



S C L 



547 



at great length ; sqnames acute, aristated ; culm trique- 

 trous, leafy. In salt marshes, and on the banks of rivers, 

 common. 



15. Scirpus Americanus. Spikelets sessile, conglomerate, 

 oblong-ovate, shorter than the spine; culm acutely trique- 

 trous, naked. In salt marshes, frequent. 



16. Scirpus Exaltatus. Spikes short-ovate, heaped together : 

 corymb compound ; squames rhomboideous, carinated, mucro- 

 nated, coloured ; culm leafy, obtusely three-cornered. In 

 shady woods, from New York to Carolina. There is a variety 

 named Scirpus Viviparus, with a very tall subscandent culm, 

 and viviparous corymbs, bearing flowers at the base of the 

 branchlets. It grows in deep shady swamps, and frequently 

 acquires the height of ten feet or more. 



17. Scirpus Nitens. Spikes ovate, pedicellate; corymbs 

 subcompound, axillary, terminal; culm round. In Virginia 

 and Carolina. 



18. Scirpus Lineatus. Spikes oblong-ovate, pedicellate; 

 corymbs axillary, terminal, supradecompound ; peduncles 

 elongate; culm three-cornered. In sandy wet woods, from 

 New Jersey to Carolina. 



19. Scirpus Polyphyllus. Spikes and heads subglobose, 

 glomerate; corymb terminal; culm leafy. In the shady 

 woods of Virginia and Carolina. 



20. Scirpus Capillaris. Spikes ovate ; umbel biradiate ; 

 culm capillary. In Virginia. 



21. Scirpus Autumnalis. Spikes oblong, acute; involucre 

 diphyllous, shorter than the compound umbel ; culm two- 

 edged ; leaves linear. In sandy wet fields, from New Jersey 

 to Carolina. 



Sciuris; a genus of the class Diandria, order Monogynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one-leafed, 

 -five-toothed, short, acute. Corolla: one-petalled, tubular, 

 curved in, two-lipped ; upper lip trifid, with the middle seg- 

 ment a little longer ; lower a little shorter, bifid. Stamina : 

 fiiamenta two, short, inserted into the upper lip, fenced by 

 two scalelets at the base ; there are three longer, inserted 

 into the lower lip, hairy at the base, barren; antherse oblong, 

 bifid at the base. Pistil: germen five-cornered, sorrounded 

 'by a gland ; style length of the corolla, curved in ; stigma 

 ilattish, three-lobed. Pericarp : capsules five, united, out- 

 wardly rounded, depressed, one-celled, two-valved, opening 

 inwardly. Seeds : solitary, oblong. ESSENTIAL CHARAC- 

 TER. Calix: five-cleft, short. Corolla: unequal, with the 

 \ipper lip trifid, the lower bifid and shorter. Stamina : five, 

 but three barren. Capsules: five, united, one-celled, one- 

 seeded.- The only known species is, 



1. Sciuris Aromatica. Leaves opposite, petioled, ternate ; 

 leaflets oblong, acuminate, quite entire, with pellucid dots 

 scattered over them; spikes axillary, nodding, many-flowered. 

 This is a shrub, two feet in height, with opposite divaricate 

 brandies. Each flower has a little bracte. Native of Guiana, 

 in woods. 



Sclernnthus; a genus of the class Decandria, order Dijry- 

 nia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, 

 tubular, half five-cleft, acute, permanent, contracted at the 

 eck. Corolla: none. Stamina : fiiamenta ten, awl-shaped, 

 rect, very small, placed on the calix ; antherw roundish. 

 Distil: germen roundish; styles two, erect, capillary, length 

 if the stamina ; stigmas simple. Pericarp : none. Seed: 

 single, or two, -ovate, enclosed in the cartilaginous tube of 

 the calix. ESSKNTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: one-leafed, 

 inferior. Corolla : none. Serds : two, enclosed in the calix. 

 The species are, 



I. Seleranthus Annuus ; Annual Knawel. Calicesofthe 

 it patulous, acute ; stems spreading. Root annual, fibrous, 



VOL. II. 111. 



small, but striking deep, little or not at all branched ; stems 

 numerous, round, leafy, branched at the upper part, of a 

 brownish or reddish colour; leaves opposite, united and 

 fringed at the base, linear, acute, of a grassy-green colour ; 

 flowers sessile in terminal, leafy clusters. The Swedes and 

 Germans receive the vapour arising from a decoction of this 

 plant into their mouths, in order to cure the tooth-ache. 

 Hardly any plant is more common than this on a sandy soil, 

 especially in fallow fields. It flowers about the middle of 

 summer, and sows its seed very abundantly in autumn, 

 which produces a crop of young plants that generally survive 

 the winter, or, if destroyed, are replaced by another crop, 

 arising from those seeds which happen not to vegetate till 

 spring. Native of Europe and Siberia. 



2. Scleranlhus Perennis ; Perennial Knawel. Calices of 

 the fruk closed, obtuse ; stems procumbent ; root fibrous, 

 perennial. It has the habit of the preceding. The Coccus 

 Polonicits is found upon the roots of this plant in the summer 

 months. This species is much more rare in England than 

 the annual : it has been observed on the dryest barren sandy 

 heaths in Norfolk and Suffolk : also at Elden, and between 

 Newmarket and Thetford, and near Bury and Snettisbam. 

 It flowers in November. Native of Europe and Siberia. 



3. Scleranthus Polycarpus; Many-fruited Knawel. Calices 

 of the fruit spreading very much, and spiny; stem subvillose; 

 root annual. Native of France and Italy. 



Scleria; a genus of the class Monoscia, order Triandria. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Male Flowers, in the same spike- 

 let or panicle, mixed with the females. Male Spikelets : 

 solitary or androgynous. Calix : glume from two to six 

 valved, many-flowered ; valves ovate, acute, keeled, concave, 

 awnless, permanent. Corolla : glumes very many, oblong, 

 awnless, longer and more slender than those of the calix, 

 separating the stamina. Stamina: fiiamenta solitary, or thr.ee 

 within each corolline glume ; antherae linear. Female spike- 

 lets: solitary, axillary, terminating, or inserted between the 

 male calicine glumes. Calix: glume two to four valved. one- 

 flowered ; valves ovate, acute, awnless, keeled, concave, per- 

 manent. Corolla: none. Pistil: germen roundish, attenuated 

 at the base; style filiform, length of the glumes, undivided 

 or trifid; stigmas capillary, reflexed. Pericarp: none. Seed: 

 nut subglobular or oblong, coloured; kernel roundish, veined. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. Calix: glume from two 

 to six valvl, many-flowered, awnless. Corolla: glumes awn- 

 le-ss. Fiiamenta: one to three. Female. Calix : from two to 

 six valved, one-flowered, awnless. Stigmas : one to three. 



Seed: nut subglobular, somewhat bony, coloured. Of this 



genus Willdenow enumerates twenty-three species ; to which 

 Mr. Brown adds five more, natives of New Holland. The 

 following are given as a specimen : 



1. Scleria Flagellum. Culm three-sided, scandent, very 

 rugged; leaves prickly, backward three wa\s ; flowers pani- 

 cled ; rachis villose. Sloane says, this runs fifteen feet high 

 among bushes, by which it is supported; and that there is a 

 hollow between the angles of the culm as in a sword-blade ; 

 that the culm and leaves are of a dark green ; and that the 

 seed which comes out between two black glumes, is roundish, 

 large, and whitish, like that of Gromwell or Pearl Barley. 

 Native of Jamaica, Surinam, and Africa. 



2. Scleria Mitis. Culm three-sided, scandent, even; leaves 

 even; flowers panicled; rachis rough. Native of Jamaica and 

 Surinam. 



3. Scleria Lithosperma. Culm three-sided, somewhat rug- 

 ged, erect ; leaves strict, linear, rugged at the edge ; flowers 

 panicled; rachis rough. Native of the East Indies, Africa 

 and the Isle of Tanna in the Pacific Ocean. 



6Z 



