HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



ALK 



have a fleshy rhizome, which is eatable; a 

 species of the latter genus, S. Sinensif, is 

 cultivated for food in China, although its 

 herbage is acrid. Various Brazilian Sa- 

 gittarias are very astringent; and their ex- 

 pressed juice is even employed in the 

 preparation of ink. The whole number 

 of species does not exceed fifty, divided 

 among the genera Alisma, Sagittaria, and 

 Damasonium, which see. 



Atkal< ' scent. Having the properties or ef- 

 fects of an alkali. 



Alkali. Any substance which, mingled 

 with acid, produces fermentation. 



Alliaceous. Having the smell of Garlic or 

 Oniona 



Alpine. Strictly speaking, this term refers 

 to the higher part of the Alps, in contra- 

 distinction to " mountainous," which 

 designates the middle portion of the 

 higher Alps, or tops of inferior mount- 

 ains. Plants found in very high eleva- 

 tions are called Alpine Plants. 



Alsinaceous. Applied to a petal having a 

 short but distinct claw, like those of Al- 

 sine. 



Alternating. Alternate with anything men- 

 tioned. 



Alternative. A term applied to aestivation 

 (which see) when of the pieces of a flower 

 being in two rows, the inner is so covered 

 by the outer that each exterior piece 

 overlaps half of two of the interior row. 



Alternate. Placed on opposite sides of an 

 axis, on a different level, as in alternate 

 leaves. Placed between other bodies on 

 the same or different whorls, as in an um- 

 belliferous plant, where the stamens are 

 alternate with, that is between, the pet- 

 als. 



AUernately-pinnate. When the leaflets of a 

 pinnate leaf are not exactly opposite 

 each other. 



AMA 



Altingiacece, (Liquidambars, Balsamaceae, 

 Balsamifluae.) A solitary genus, Liquid- 

 ambar, represents this Natural Order, of 

 which three species only are known, all 

 trees of some magnitude, producing a 

 fragrant resin called Storax, or resem- 

 bling that substance. They are nearly 

 related to Plane Trees and Willows, from 

 which they differ in having seed vessels 

 with two distinct cells instead of one, 

 and seeds with broad membranous wings. 



Alveolate. Socketed,honey-combed,aswhen 

 a flat surface is excavated into conspicu- 

 ous cavities resembling a honey-comb, as 

 in the receptacles of many Composites. 



Amaranihacece, (Amaranthi, Polycnerneae.) 

 Under this name are included about 

 500 species of weeds, or, occasionally, 

 showy annual plants, (very seldom under- 

 shrubs,) with inconspicuous apetalous 

 flowers, in almost all cases of a scarious 

 or shriveled texture, and most commonly 

 with a white color, now and then pink, 

 orange, or crimson. They are very near- 

 ly the same as Chenopods, (see Cheno- 

 pods,) and belong to Lindley's Chenopo-* 

 dal Alliance. They occupy dry, stony, 

 barren situations, or thickets upon the 

 borders of woods, or even salt marshes; 

 are much more frequent within the trop- 

 ics than beyond them, and are unknown 

 in the coldest regions of the world. 

 Many of the species are used, with the 

 addition of Lemon juice, as pot-herbs, on 

 account of the wholesome, mucilaginous 

 .qualities of the leaves. Gomphrena offi- 

 cinalis and G. macrocephala in Brazil, 

 where they are called Para toda, Perpetua, 

 and Kaiz do Padre Salemia, are esteemed 

 useful in all kinds of diseases, especially 

 in cases of intermittent fever, colic, and 

 diarrhoea, and against the bite of ser- 

 pents. The species of Gomphrena and 



