270 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



AMA 



Amaranthus afford beautiful border plants, 

 and are well known. 



Amaryttidacece, (Narcissi.) A large Natural 

 Order, consisting for the most part of 

 bulbous plants, but occasionally forming 

 a tall, cylindrical, woody stem, as in the 

 genus Agave. They differ from Irises in 

 having six introrse stamens, and from 

 Liliaceous plants in their ovary being in- 

 ferior. A few species of Narcissus and 

 Oalanthus are found in the north of Eu- 

 rope and the same parallels. As we pro- 

 ceed south they increase. Pancratium 

 appears on the shores of the Mediterra- 

 nean, and on our own Southern coasts; 

 Grinum and Pancratium in the West and 

 East Indies; ffcemanthus is found for the 

 first time, with some of the latter, on the 

 Gold Coast ; Hippeastras show them- 

 selves in countless numbers in Brazil and 

 across the whole continent of South 

 America; and, finally, at the Cape of Good 

 Hope the maximum of the order is be- 

 held in all the beauty of Hcemanthus, Gri- 

 num, Olivia, Cyrlanthus, and Brunsmgia. 

 A few are found in New Holland, the 

 most remarkable of which is Doryanthes. 

 Poisonous properties occur in the viscid 

 juice of the bulbs of Buphane toxicaria 

 and Hippeastra; those of Leucojum ver- 

 num, the Snowdrop, and Daffodil and 

 other kinds of Narcissus, are emetic. 

 Nevertheless, the Agave, or American 

 Aloe, as it is called, has an insipid, 

 sweet juice. Others are detergent, and a 

 few yield a kind of arrow-root. Between 

 300 and 400 species are known. 



Amaryttids. An English form for Amarylli- 

 dacece. This form of words is in quite 

 common use in England, but only to a 

 very limited extent in this country. It 

 is intended thereby to shorten and popu- 

 larize the scientific terms, though they do 



AMP 



not seem to be taken to very kindly, or, 

 rather, they are not understood. We have 

 thought it best to make the reader ac- 

 quainted with some of them, which may 

 best be done by placing before him some 

 familiar examples: Orchids is used for 

 Orchidacece; Lycopods for Lycopodiaceoe ; 

 Oncids for Oncidiums; Bromeliads for 

 Bromeliacece; Fungals for Fungi; Acan- 

 thads for Acanthacece. Bearing these fa- 

 miliar examples in mind, the reader will 

 seldom be at a loss to know what order 

 of plants is referred to. Some of these 

 words have an uncouth sound. 



Ambiparus. Producing two kinds, as 

 where a bud contains both flowers and 

 leaves. 



Amboyna Wood. The beautifully mottled 

 wood of Pterospermum Indicum. 



Amenta. Plural of amentum, which see. 



Amentacece. Under this name were once 

 comprehended all apetalous, unisexual 

 plants, whose flowers grow in catkins or 

 amenta. Modern botanists find it more 

 convenient to distribute them through 

 several different orders, the chief of 

 which are Salicaceoe, CorylacecK, Betula- 

 cece, Casuarinacece, AltingiaceoK, Myrica- 

 cece, which see. 



Amentum. A catkin. A deciduous spike 

 of unisexual, apetalous flowers, such as 

 appear in the spring on the Hazel and 

 Willow. 



Amorphous. Where the form is not well- 

 defined or distinct; having no definite 

 form. 



Amnios. The fluid that is produced with- 

 in the sac which receives the embryo ru- 

 diment and engenders it. 



Amphibious. Growing either in water or 

 on dry land. 



Amphigastria. The so-called stipules of 

 Scale Mosses, or Jungermannice. 



