TULIP TREE UNA U. 



817 



general character of Tuttpacece is stated thus : 

 " Specious hexapetaloid hexandrous endogenae, with 

 introrse anthers, superior germen, connate styles, 

 three-celled capsular fruit, with many albuminous 

 seeds, having spongy testae." 



TULIP TREE "is the Liriodendron tiilipifera of 

 Linnaeus ornamental trees, natives of North Ame- 

 rica, and long introduced into our ornamental planta- 

 tions. They are raised from seeds imported from 

 America. The seeds are generally two years in the 

 ground before the seedlings appear. 



TURNERIACEvE. A natural order, comprising 

 only one genus, unless Piriqueta be considered a dis- 

 tinct genus, which is doubtful. The species have 

 alternate leaves, and yellow axillary flowers, resem- 

 bling those of Helianthemum, The Turnerias are 

 chiefly interesting for their relations to collateral 

 groups. 



TURNSTONE. See STUEPSILAS. 



TURR.-EA (Linnaeus). A genus of trees, found 

 in India, having decandrous flowers, and belonging to 

 the order Mc/iaccce. These timber-trees submit to 

 be cramped in pots of light loamy earth, thrive in the 

 stove, arid may be propagated by cuttings. 



TURTLE. See CHELONIA and REPTILE. 



TURTLE-DOVE. See PIGEON. 



TUSSILAGO (Linnaeus). A genus of broad- 

 leaved herbaceous plants, mostly natives of northern 

 Europe. Four of the species are British, and known 

 by the name of colt's-foot. The flowers are compo- 

 site, appearing before the leaves. Their properties, 

 particularly T. faifara, are medicinal, but less in 

 repute now than formerly. The same plant is a 

 plague to farmers on clayey soils. 



TYCHUS (Leach). A genus of coleopterous 

 insects, belonging to the 7 family Psclaphidee, distin- 

 guished by having the firth joint of the antennae 

 large and knot-like, especially in the males. Type, 

 Tychus nigcr, Leach, an insect of minute size, found 

 in damp moss in the winter. 



TYLOPHORA (Dr. R. Brown). A genus of 

 climbers from New Holland and India. They be- 

 long to the fifth class of Liunsean botany, and natural 

 order Asclepiadeas, The species are easily grown 

 and propagated. 



TYPHOUS (Leach). A genus of coleopterous 

 insects, belonging to the family Gcotrupida;, and 

 chiefly distinguished by the males being furnished 

 with horns upon the head and thorax. The only 

 British species is the Typlucus vulgaris (Scaralxzus 

 typhceus, Linnaeus), a very abundant species, found 

 in and about the excrement of horses and cows in 

 sandy places. It is known to collectors under the 

 name of the bull-comber. 



^ TYROPHAGA (Kirby). The cheese-maggot. 

 See PIOPHILA and CHEESE-HOPPER. 



TYPHINE^E. A natural order of aquatic plants, 

 containing only two genera, namely, Typha and 

 Sparganium, both natives of European ponds, slug- 

 gish rivers, and ditches. The Typhas are conspicu- 

 ous seed-like plants, and called in English cat's-tail. 



ULEX (Linnaeus). A genus, of four species, of 

 one of our commonest plants on English wastes. 

 Furze, though a wild vagrant, is not without beauty ; 

 its numerous flowers, appearing more or less at all 

 seasons, compensate for the rigid character of the 

 shrub itself. Nor is it wanting in usefulness. It is 

 a wholesome fodder for cattle when duly prepared ; 



NAT. HIST. VOL, III. 



and, as jfuel for the brick-maker, rural brewers, and 

 bakers, it is an excellent substitute for more costly 

 fuel. In some countries furze is extensively culti- 

 vated, and yields as great a profit in a given term of 

 years as if the land were cultivated for the growth of 

 corn. Hedges are formed of it, and it is, moreover, 

 an excellent cover for game. The flowers are mona- 

 delphous, and, as its fruit is a pod, it belongs to the 

 order LcgiimmoscB. The Irish and double-blossomed 

 furze are now admitted into the flower-garden. 



ULMACE^E. A natural order, containing three 

 genera, namely, Planera, Ulmus, and Celtis. Of these 

 there are nearly forty species described, most of 

 which are also in cultivation. The common elm is 

 the type of the order, and which, with its congeners, 

 have the following generic character : They are 

 trees or shrubs, with knotless or jointless branches, 

 alternate, simple, petiolate, scabrous, serrate leaves, 

 the stipules free and often deciduous ; the flowers are 

 united, being collected into sub-amentiform clusters ; 

 the calyx is free, campanulate, and cleft at the edge, 

 with an imbricate aestivation ; the stamens are five 

 in number, all fertile, and exserted from the base of 

 the calyx ; the anthers are free and two-celled ; 

 the ovary free, and also two-celled ; stigmata two 

 and distinct ; the fruit is two-celled, membranous, or 

 drupaceous ; the seed solitary, pendulous, and with- 

 out albumen. 



The elms, it is well known, are large handsome 

 trees, but their timber is of far less value than either 

 oak, chestnut, or pine. Though tough and strong, 

 it is too liable to warp and shrink. It is mostly used 

 by wheelwrights and coffin-makers. Elm leaves 

 formed a large proportion of the " British leaf," or 

 " herb," intended to be sold as Chinese tea, but 

 seized and burnt by the officers of excise. 



The Celtis, or nettle-trees, though exotics, arrive 

 at considerable bulk in our plantations, and may now 

 be considered naturalised foresters. 



The Planeras are North American deciduous 

 shrubs, discovered and named by Michaux. They 

 thrive in onr shrubberies, and are propagated by 

 layers. 



UMBELLIFER^E. One of the most important 

 and most extensive natural orders ; important, as 

 embracing the carrot, parsnep, and celery, as dietetic 

 plants in Europe ; and the arracacha in South Ame- 

 rica ; and containing, as useful medicinal plants, the 

 galbanum, opopanax, and assafcetidae. The order 

 is divided by botanists into three sub-orders, namely, 

 Orthospermce, which is separated into eleven tribes ; 

 CampylospcrmfE, containing three tribes ; and Coilos- 

 pcrin<E, comprising one tribe. The generic charac- 

 ter is expressed thus : apopetalous, angiospermous, 

 dichlamydeous dicotyledons, the petals narrow at 

 the base, and involute ; the stamens five, exserted 

 from an epigynous disk ; the carpels didymous and 

 inferior, each one-celled ; the ovules solitary, and the 

 seeds albuminous ; the leaves alternate, and the in- 

 florescence umbellate. There are one hundred and 

 one genera in this order, and above five hundred and 

 seventy species already described ; many of the spe- 

 cies are inconspicuous worthless weeds, and often 

 found in watery places. 



UNAU Two-toed Sloth (Bradypiis didactyhts). 

 The general characters and habits of the sloths have 

 been so fully noticed in the article Ai and the artjcle 

 BRADYPUS, that it will be unnecessary to do any 

 thing further here than simply to point "out the cha- 

 FFF 



