260 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



ACA 



orders of the Bignonial Alliance consists 

 in the singular structure of their placen- 

 ta, which expands into hard processes, 

 which are most commonly hooked. In 

 the form of their embryo they agree with 

 Bignoniacece. They are of little import- 

 ance to man. The greater part are mere 

 weeds, but some are plants of great beau- 

 ty, especially the species of Justicia, Aphe- 

 landra, and Emilia. For the most part 

 they are mucilaginous and slightly bitter; 

 occasionally the bitterness increases, and 

 they become pectoral medicines; and 

 some are dyers' plants. The genuine 

 Acanths, or plants belonging to genus 

 Acanthus, are emollients, as also is Ani- 

 sote* trisulcus, an Egyptian plant. About 

 1,500 species are mentioned in books. 



Acaulis. Having a very short stem; lit- 

 erally, stemless ; but a plant without a 

 stem cannot exist, unless it is a mere 

 vesicle. 



Accessory. Something added to the usual 

 number of organs, or their parts. 



Acclimatize. To accustom a plant to live in 

 the open air without protection, in a 

 country where it is not indigenous. We 

 give the meaning attached to the term, 

 though we question the popular belief. 

 Plants may become acclimatized in the 

 course of ages, but not perceptibly in any 

 one generation. It is true we can tem- 

 porarily and gradually harden off a plant 

 so that it will stand a great degree of 

 cold, but the product of that plant, whether 

 from cuttings or seeds, will not be hard- 

 ier than the original individual. 



Accrescent. Growing larger after flower- 

 ing. The calyx of Melanorrhcea, which is 

 small and green when in flower, becomes 

 large and leafy when the fruit is ripe, 

 and is, therefore, accrescent. 



Accrete. Grown together. 



ACH 



Accretion. The growing of one thing to 

 another. 



Accumbent. Lying against anything ; used 

 in opposition to incumbent, or lying 

 upon something. This term is employed 

 in describing the embryo of Crucifers. 



Aceracece, (Acera, Acerinece, the order of 

 Maples.) A natural order of trees and 

 shrubs inhabiting Europe, the temperate 

 parts of Asia, the north of India, and 

 North America. The order is unknown 

 in Africa and the southern hemisphere. 

 The most important product is the sweet 

 sap of some species, (the Maples,) from 

 which sugar is extracted. They yield a 

 light, useful timber. In the United States 

 large quantities of excellent sugar and 

 syrup are made from the sap of the Ma- 

 ple. The bark of some is astringent, 

 and yields reddish brown and yellow col- 

 ors. The order only contains three gen- 

 era, and rather more than fifty species. 



Acerose. Needle-shaped, fine and slender ; 

 applied especially to the leaves of the 

 Fir tribe. In the Southern States the 

 leaves of the Pine are known as " Pine 

 Needles." 



Acescent. Sour, tart, acid. 



Acelabuliformis. Saucer shaped. 



Acetabulum. The receptacle of certain Fun- 

 gals or Fungi. 



Acetarious. Anything belonging to the 

 salad tribe of plants, as Lettuce, etc. 



Acetose. Sour, tart, acid; or something that 

 produces acidity. 



Achegones. Urn-like organs produced on 

 some Acrogens. See Acrogens. 



Achene. The same as Achenium, which see. 



Achenium. This term is applied, by differ- 

 ent authors, to two distinct kinds of fruit: 

 1. Where the fruit is superior, and, con- 

 sequently, the pericarp is not invested 

 by the calyx. It is dry, hard, single- 



