HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



313 



CHA 



sepals, petals, and stamens, regularly al- 

 ternating with each other; but these 

 numbers are, in one genus, (Tapura,) 

 irregularly reduced. The ovary is supe- 

 rior, with two or three cells, and two 

 pendulous ovules in each cell; the style 

 is simple; the fruit a rather dry drupe 

 with one to two seeds. There are nearly 

 twenty species, natives of tropical regions, 

 and dispersed over both continents. 

 Chailletia, Moacarra, and Tapura are ex- 

 amples of the order. 



Chalaza, (adj. Chalazinus.) A spot on the 

 seed, indicating where the vessels of 

 the raphe (which see) terminate. That 

 part of the seed where the nucleus joins 

 the integuments; it represents the base 

 of the nucleus, and is invariably opposite 

 the end of the cotyledons. 

 Channeled. Hollowed out, so as to resem- 

 ble a gutter; as in the leaves of Trades- 

 cantia Virginica. 



Channel-leaved. Folded together so as to 

 resemble a channel for conducting water. 

 Characece. A small natural order of Aero- 

 gens, consisting of two, or at most three 

 genera. The species are all aquatic, and 

 are found in almost all parts of the world, 

 but are most common in temperate 

 countries. The species are either monoe- 

 cious or dioecious, the two kinds of fruit 

 being often seated close to each other. 

 The genera Nitella and Chara are exam- 

 ples of the order. 



Character. A short phrase expressing the 

 essential marks by which a given plant 

 or group of plants is distinguished from 

 others. A specific character distin- 

 guishes one species from other species, 

 and so on. 



Chartaceous. Thin, flexible, and membra- 

 neous, resembling paper or parchment, as 

 the pericarp of Anagallis arvensis. 



CHL 



Chenopodiacece, (Chenopods, the Goose-foot 

 family.) A natural order of Monochla- 

 mydeous Dicotyledons, characterizing 

 Lindley's Chenopodal Alliance. Herbs 

 or undershrubs, with alternate, some- 

 times opposite leaves, without stipules, 

 and small flowers, which are sometimes 

 unisexual, that is, have stamens and pis- 

 tils in separate flowers. They are incon- 

 spicuous plants, found in waste places in 

 all parts of the world, but abounding in 

 extra-tropical regions. Some of them 

 are used as pot-herbs, as, for instance, 

 Spinach, (Spinacia oleracea,} Orach, (Atri- 

 plex hortensis,) Beet, (Beta vulgaris,) and 

 others. The Mangel-wurzel is a variety 

 of Beet used for the food of cattle. The 

 Beet is cultivated in France and the Unit- 

 ed .States for the manufacture of sugar. 

 Some of the plants of this order yield so- 

 da, and others supply essential oils. The 

 seeds of Chenopodium Quinoa are used 

 as food in Peru. They abound in starch, 

 but have a bitterish taste. The seeds of 

 Chenopodium Bonus Henricus are used 

 in the manufacture of shagreen. There 

 are seventy-four known genera and 533 

 species. Salicornia, Spinacia, Beta, Che- 

 nopodium, and Atriplex are examples of 

 this order. 



Chenopods. The English term for Cheno- 

 podiacece. 



Chermesine. A kind of crimson. 



ChkenaceoB. A small family consisting of 

 only four genera of one or two species 

 each, all from the island of Madagascar, 

 and as yet but very imperfectly known. 



Chloranthacece. A small family of Dicotyle- 

 dons, with flowers of a very simple struc- 

 ture, allied to those of Piperacece and 

 SaururacecK. They are trees, shrubs, or 

 rarely herbs, with opposite leaves, con- 

 nected by sheathing stipules. The mi- 



