CHAMPACA CHARADRUS. 



CHAMPACA. The specific, as well as the 

 Malayan name of the Michdia, found at Malacca 

 ;md other places in that part of India. It is a lofty 

 ti in her tree, and highly ornamental from its numerous 

 yellow flowers, with which the spray is covered in 

 autumn. It belongs to Magnoliacece. 



CHARACEAE Chara family. A natural order 

 of acotyledonous or cellular plants, containing one or 

 two genera, and upwards of twenty species. They 

 are aquatic, leafless, submersed plants, consisting of a 

 central axis, from which proceed numerous whorled 

 branches. The axis is composed of parallel tubes, 

 which are either transparent and flexible, or encrusted 

 with calcareous matter, so as to become opaque and 

 fragile. The branches, or leaves, as they used to be 

 called, are smaller tubes of a similar nature. The 

 organs of reproduction in this family of plants are 

 very obscure, but, according to the most recent 

 observations, they appear to be of two kinds. 



1. Globules, of a reddish or orange colour, the 

 coats of which are composed of triangular scales, 

 which are at first nicely fitted to each other, and 

 afterwards separate, when the plant reaches maturity. 

 On the margin these scales consist of numerous 

 parallel, colourless, hollow tubes, containing minute 

 orange-coloured bodies, analogous to the sporules of 

 other cryptogamic plants, which are easily dispersed 

 whenever the globules are in any way injured. It ie 

 to these little bodies that the globules owe their 

 colour. 



2. Minute, sessile, spirally striated, ovate nucules, 

 which are enveloped in a membrane, have frequently 

 five projecting points at the apex, and are filled with 

 minute granular bodies at first distinct, but afterwards 

 coalescing, and giving rise, when they germinate, only 

 to a single plant. 



These two sets of organs, the globules and nucules, 

 which are found either upon the same or different 

 plants, were long looked upon, even by botanists of 

 the first eminence, such as Linnajus, Jussieu, Decan- 

 dolle, and Brown, as being true stamens and pistils. 

 Hence the plants were placed in the phaenogamic or 

 vascular division of vegetables, and were referred to 

 the classes Monandria and Atoncecia. The structure 

 and habits of the characea?, however, seemed to differ 

 so much from those of the true flowering plants, that 

 doubts were for a long time entertained as to the 

 propriety of referring them to that division of the 

 vegetable kingdom ; and a more careful examination 

 has led most botanists to believe that they ought to 

 be considered a distinct order of cellular vegetables. 

 In consequence, however, of the peculiarity of their 

 organisation, it is not easy to trace their affinity to 

 other cryptogamic tribes, and considerable difference 

 of opinion at present exists on the subject. Professor 

 Lindley considers them as allied to Conferva;, but has 

 placed them amongst the Musmidece, or moss-like 

 plants ; while Dr. Hooker, has placed them beside the 

 Alga or sea-weed. 



The chara tribe are remarkable on account, of many 

 of the species emitting a very disagreeable fetid odour, 

 which does not seem to be dependent on the water in 

 which they grow. 



They are generally of a dull greenish colour, and 

 have roots, which are usually attached to the bottom 

 of stagnant pools of fresh or salt water. Their stems 

 are delicate, slender, and sometimes jointed. They 

 are frequently rendered hard and britilc by encrusta- 

 tions of carbonate of lime, which are funned >n tin- 



outside of the central tube, and are covered by a fine 

 transparent membrane. These encrustations are not 

 mere accidental deposits, depending upon the presence 

 of some extraneous matter in the water in which the 

 plants grow, but are formed by the vital energies of 

 the plant, and probably perform an important office 

 in the processes of vegetable life. The particles ot 

 calcareous matter, when carefully examined under a 

 high magnifying power, exhibit various beautiful 

 arrangements, at one time extending in the form of 

 parallel lines along the stem, and at other times 

 forming oval groups, which are attached to each 

 other like the beads of a necklace. While examining 

 these in the Chara vu/garis and hispida, Sir David 

 Brewster found that the plants became phosphorescent 

 when placed on heated iron, so as to display their 

 entire outline in the dark. He also ascertained that 

 each mass of calcareous matter consisted of minute 

 particles, which possessed double refraction, and had 

 regular neutral and depolarising axes. 



An important and highly interesting physiological 

 phenomenon has been noticed in some of the chara 

 family by Professors Amici and Blainville. On 

 examining the steins of some of the species, more 

 especially the Chara vu/garis, they observed two liquid 

 currents, one ascending, the other descending, cir- 

 culating in the same tube, without being separated by 

 any partition which could insulate them. The reality 

 of this phenomenon was completely confirmed, by their 

 observing distinctly that certain molecules of one of 

 the currents, being attracted by the other moving in 

 an opposite directing, were sometimes carried along 

 with it. The rate of motion is stated to be about two 

 lines in a minute. The motion is stopped by pressure, 

 laceration of the tube, or by the application of a drop 

 or two of brandy. 



The characeae are met with in all regions of the 

 globe, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, but they 

 are most abundant in temperate countries. Some of 

 the species found in Iceland are said to grow even in 

 the hot springs of that island. 



Nucules of charas, under the name of Gyrogomits, 



are found in the marl deposits of the Forfarshire 



j lakes, and in the chalk of Montmartre. From these 



i fossil remains, it would appear that the characeae were 



formed more recently than the ferns and palms. 



Trout are said to thrive well in water where charas 

 ' grow, probably on account of these plants attracting 

 a great number of insects. 



The characea3 do not possess any particular known 

 properties which would render them useful either in 

 a medical or economical point of view. 



The only genera of the order are Chara and 

 Nitclla. The latter genus is said to differ from chara 

 in being always transparent, and free from calcareous 

 matter, in having a single-jointed stem, and the 

 globules and nucules on separate plants. These 

 characters are, however, by most botanists not con- 

 sidered sufficiently constant, and the two genera are 

 therefore generally described under the common 

 name of chara. There are eight species natives of 

 Britain, and of these Chara transluccns is the largest 

 and brightest coloured. Chara vulgaris, from its 

 roughness, is used, like some species of equisetum, 

 for scouring or polishing. 



CHARADR1US Plover. A very interesting 

 genus of birds, belonging to the order GralMae, of 

 which the details will be found under the article 

 PLOVEK. 



