606 



SANTOLINA S ARC C EPH A LUS. 



single, and stigma often lobed. The fruit is hard 

 and dry, sometimes slightly succulent, and one- 

 seeded. The genera included in this order are San- 

 talum, Fusanns, Leptomeria, Thcsium, Comandra, 

 Hamiltonia, and Nyssa. The Santala, or sandal-wood, 

 especially the S. album, or true sandal, are fragrant. 

 Hence the timber is much valued. It is made 

 into musical instruments, cabinets, and curious 

 boxes ; no insect can exist it is said within its influ- 

 ence. Sandal-wood is extensively employed at the 

 funerals of the Hindoos, and the nearer it is got from 

 the root, and the deeper its colour, the greater is the 

 fragrance. 



SANTOLINA (Linnaeus). A genus of evergreen 

 European shrubs, commonly called lavender-cotton. 

 They belong to composite. The hardy sorts thrive 

 in the flower border, and are propagated by division 

 or cuttings. 



SAPERDA (Fabricius). A very extensive genus 

 of coleopterous insects, belonging to the family Ceram- 

 lycidaB, having the body of a cylindrical elongated 

 form, with the thorax not spined at the sides. The 

 species are in general very beautiful in their colours 

 and forms, and are found upon flowers and the trunks 

 of trees, within which the larvae reside. 



The tropical species are exceedingly numerous ; 

 there are six or eight British species, all of which are 

 far from abundant ; the type being the Cerambyx cy~ 

 lindricus of Linnaeus, which is black with pale femora. 



SAPINDACEvE. An important natural order, 

 comprising nineteen genera, and above eighty-eight 

 species. The order is divided into three tribes, viz. 

 PauHiniccc, Sapindcce, and Dodoruzacca:. Nearly all 

 the species have compound leaves and bunches of 

 white flowers. The calyx consists of from four to 

 five sepals, either discrete, or slightly adherent at the 

 base. The petals are usually the same in number as 

 the sepals, but sometimes one is abortive, and occa- 

 sionally, as in Dodon&a, Stadmannia, and Amirola, 

 they are altogether wanting. The stamens are defi- 

 nite, usually twice the number of the sepals. The 

 germen is free, roundish, and formed of two or three 

 carpels more or less distinct. The fruit is drupaceous 

 or capsular, three-celled, or by abortion one-celled. 

 The Litchi and Longan are common and favourite 

 fruits in China, and are species of Euphoria or 

 NcphcKinn. These fruits are sweet, with a sub-acid 

 flavour, even when dried and brought to this coun- 

 try, but when fresh are delicious. Other species 

 of Ncphelium bear excellent fruits, but they are less 

 agreeable than the preceding. Mclicoca bijuga, tri- 

 juga, and olivcrformis, are the honey-berries of the 

 East and West Indies. Several other genera bear 

 eatable fruits, but none are very superior, besides 

 those mentioned. 



SAPIUM (Linnaeus). A genus of tropical trees 

 bearing monoecious flowers, and belonging to Eu- 

 phorbiacccB. The S. aucuparium succeeds in the stove 

 if potted in light soil, and may be increased by cut- 

 tings. 



SAPONARIA (Linnaeus). A genus of annual 

 and perennial herbs, mostly natives of Europe. The 

 flowers are decandrous, a'nd the genus belongs to 

 CaryopliyllecE. The species thrive in the common 

 soil, and some of them, as the S. calabrica and S. 

 ocymoides, are suitable plants for rock-work. 



SAPOTACE^E. A natural order containing 

 eleven genera, and forty-four species, already de- 

 scribed. They are trees or shrubs with a soft wood, 



and lactescent juices. The leaves alternate, simple, 

 entire, coriaceous, and petiolate, but destitute of 

 stipules. The inflorescence is axillary, and the flow- 

 ers regular and united : the calyx is free, and four 

 to eight-cleft : the corolla is hypogynous in its exser- 

 tion, regular, and cleft : the stamens are definite and 

 distinct; some being barren and some fertile; the 

 anthers are usually extorse ; the germen is superior ; 

 the style one, and the stigma simple. The Sapo- 

 tacecc are remarkable among lactescent plants for being 

 in general innocuous. They yield great quantities of 

 milky sap, which is used for alimentary purposes. 

 Their fruit and seeds also abound in oil, which is 

 solid like butter, arid of a mild, pleasant flavour. 

 Much of the palm oil of commerce is believed to be 

 yielded by the Bassiac or other sapotacece. The 

 flowers of B. longifolia, latifolia, and butyraccce, are all 

 fragrant ; a pleasant drink is made by infusing them 

 in water, and this infusion, when fermented, becomes 

 an intoxicating liquor, whence spirit is procured. The 

 fruits of the several species of Achras, Crysophyllum, 

 Mimusaps, and Inocarpus, are eatable, and more or 

 less prized in different countries. The other genera 

 not already mentioned are Bumdla, Scrsafisia, Scde- 

 roxylon, Nycterisition, Ochras, and Luciano. 



SAPYGA (LatreiUe). A genus of fossorial hy- 

 menopterous insects, belonging to and being the 

 typical genus of the family Sapygidee 'of Leach, 

 which family is distinguished by having the body of 

 an elongated form, the collar of the thorax large and 

 transverse-quadrate ; the legs short and slender, not 

 ciliated nor spined, and the antennae as long as the 

 head and thorax. This family comprises the genera 

 Sapyga, Thynnus, Polochntm, and Scotacna ; the first 

 of which has the antennae elbowed, thickened at the 

 tips ; the body long, cylindrical, and the eyes deeply 

 notched in front. Entomologists appear to be at 

 variance as to the habits of the species of this genus. 

 St. Fargeau expressly states that they burrow in the 

 mortar of walls or in wood (although not having spiny 

 legs), for the purpose of constructing their nests, 

 which they provision with other insects, and that he 

 had himself observed Sapyga 6 punctata, carrying 

 an insect which it let fall on being alarmed. Robineau 

 Desvoidy, however, has more recently published 

 some observations snowing that it is parasitical, and 

 Mr. Curtis in the British Entomology for the present 

 month, has also made the same remark. The writer 

 hereof has watched these insects on many occasions, 

 and their motions certainly appeared to him to bo 

 those of parasitic, and not of working insects. There 

 are two British species, the type being the Sapyga 

 prisma of Latreille. 



SARCANTHUS (Lindley). A'genus of elegant 

 flowering herbs, natives of China and India, belong- 

 ing to Orchidaccce. These fine ornamental plants 

 should be enveloped in damp' moss fastened to a 

 stump of wood, or enclosed in the outer fibrous co- 

 verings of cocoa-nuts, and placed in the air of a damp 

 stove, kept at a high temperature. 



SARCOCAULON (Decandolle). A genus of 

 irregular-stemmed under-shrubs, natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, and belonging to the natural order 

 GeraniacccE. They thrive in light sandy moor-earth, 

 and are readily increased by cuttings. 



SARCOCEPHALUS (Afzelius). A fruit-bear- 

 ing shrub indigenous to Sierra Leone, and there 

 called the guinea peach. The flowers are pentan- 

 drous, and the plant belongs to RuMacca. It is 



