126 



A GLOSSARY OF TERMS 



arranged around a filiform simple 

 axis, each particular flower being 

 stalked. 



RA'CEMOSE Flowering in racemes. 



RA'CHIS. fr. gr. rachis, the spine. A 

 branch, which proceeds in nearly 

 a straight line from the base to 

 the apex of the inflorescence of a 

 plant. 



RA'DIAL. Belonging or relating to 

 the radius. 



RADIA'TA. fr. lat. radius, a spoke. 

 The name given to the fourth 

 BRANCH of the animal kingdom, 

 on account of their configuration. 



RA'DIATE. - fr. lat. radius, a ray. 

 Furnished with rays. Radiate an- 

 imals are those of the lowest de- 

 gree of organization in the animal 

 kingdom. A flower is said to be 

 radiate or radiant, when, in a clus- 

 ter or head of florets ; those of 

 the circumference or ray are long 

 and spreading, and unlike those 

 of the disk. 



RADIA'TION. The emission of rays 

 of light, or of heat, from a lumi- 

 nous or a heated body. 



RA'DICAL. Proceed ing from the root. 



RA'DICAXT. In botany, producing 

 roots from the stem. 



RA'DICATED. In conchology, applied 

 to a shell when fixed by its base 

 to another body. 



RA'DICLE. A little root ; a rootlet. 



RA'DICULE. That end of the em- 

 bryo which is opposite to the co- 

 tyledons. 



RA'DIOLITES. A genus of fossil 

 shells, the inferior valve of which 

 is in the shape of a reversed cone, 

 the superior valve convex, (p. 69, 

 Book viii). 



RA'UICS. Lat. A spoke. One of 

 the bones of the fore-arm, so called 

 from its shape. In botany, the 

 ray of a compound flower. 



RA'DIX. Lat. A root. The lower 

 part of a plant, which performs 

 the office of attracting moisture 

 from the soil, and communicating 

 :t to the other parts of the plant. 



RAFT. Trunks of trees and othe 

 vegetable debris matted togethei, 

 by natural causes, and sunk in a 

 river or stream. 



RAO. Coarse, shelly limestone, (p 

 59, Book viii). 



RAIA. Lat. A ray-fish. 



RAINET'TE Fr. A tree-frog. 



RALLUS. Lat. Generic name of the 

 rails. 



RAME'NTA Lat. Filings. In bota- 

 ny, the thin, brown, foliaceous 

 scales, which appear on the back 

 of the fronds of ferns, &c, 



RAMENTA'CEOUS. Covered with ra- 

 menta. 



RAMI'FEROUS. Producing branches. 



RAMIFICA'TION. Branching ; a 



branch. A subdivision of roots 

 or branches. 



RA'MIFIED. fr. lat. ramus, a branch. 

 Branched. 



RAMO'SE. fr. lat. ramosus, branched. 

 Applied to those spines upon 

 shells which send out others in 

 a lateral direction. In botany, 

 branchy. 



RAMPHA'STOS. fr. gr. ramphos, a 

 beak. Generic name of the tou- 

 cans. 



RAMULI. Twigs or small branches. 



RA'MUS. Lat. A branch. 



RAM'USCUI.E. fr. lat. remits, a branch. 

 A diminutive branch. 



RANA. Lat. A frog. A genus of 

 reptiles. 



RAPA'CES. fr. lat. rapax, ravenous, 

 devouring. Systematic name of 

 the order of birds of prey. 



RA'PHE. In botany, the channel of 

 vessels which connects the cha- 

 laza with the hilum in seeds; in 

 umbelliferous plants it is the line 

 of junction of the two halves of 

 which their fruit is composed. 



RA'PHIDES. fr. gr.raphis, a needle. 

 Small acicular crystals, found 

 within the cells of the parenchy- 

 ma of certain plants. 



RAPI'LLI. Small volcanic cinders. 



S.-fr. lat. raptor, a snatcher. 

 Birds of prey. 



