HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



349 



are arranged in a flower bud. See ^Esti- 

 vation. 



Etcerio, Etairium. Such a kind of aggregate 

 fruit as that of the Strawberry or the 

 Ranunculus. 



Etiolated. Deprived of color by being kept 

 in the dark; blanched. 



Euphorbiacece, ( Pseudanthece, Trewiacece, 

 Spurgeworts.) A natural order of mono- 

 chlamydeous Dicotyledons, typical of 

 Lindley's Euphorbial Alliance of dicli- 

 nous Exogens. They are trees, shrubs, or 

 herbs, with opposite or alternate, often 

 stipulate leaves, and involucrate, incom- 

 plete, sometimes achlamydeous flowers. 

 The plants abound in South America, 

 and are also found in North America, 

 Africa, India, and Europe. They are gen- 

 erally acrid and poisonous, and contain 

 much milky juice. Some yield starch, 

 and others oils and Caoutchouc. Castor 

 Oil is obtained from the seeds of Ricinus ' 

 communis and Croton Oil from Croton \ 

 Tiglium. The seeds of Jatropha Curcas, j 

 the Physic Nut, are purgative. Stillingia , 

 sebifera is the Tallow Tree of China, the j 

 fatty matter being procured from the ! 

 fruit. Dyes are supplied by Crozophora 

 tinctoria and Rottlera tinctoria. African Oak 

 or Teak is yielded by Oldfieldia Africana; 

 Caoutchouc by Siphonia elastica, S. lutea, 

 S. brevifolia, S. Braziliensis, and S. 

 Spruceana ; and the poisonous Manchi- 

 neel by Hippomane MancineUa. Janipha 

 Manihot or Manihot utilissima furnishes 

 Cassava and Tapioca, which consist of 

 starchy matter from its root. Colliguaja 

 odorifera has peculiar jumping seeds, ow- 

 ing to their becoming the habitation of 

 the larva of an insect. Box-wood is the 

 product of Buxiis wmpcrvirens. There 

 are other useful and curious species, 

 some of which are cultivated for their 



EXC 



beautiful flowers. There are 230 known 

 genera and about 2,600 species. Euphor 

 bia, Phyllanthus, Croton, Jatropha, Siphonia, 

 JRicinus, Hura, Andrachne, and Poinsettia 

 (which see) are examples of the order. 



Emnescenti-venose. When lateral veins dis- 

 appear within the margin. 



Evittate. Not striped; destitute of vittse. 



Evolutio. The act of development. 



Evolved. Unfolded. 



Ex. See E. But exo signifies outward or 

 external, as in Exogens and exintine, quasi 

 exointine. 



Exalbuminose. Having no albumen. 



Exanthemata. Skin diseases, blotches of 

 leaves, etc. 



Exareolate. Not spaced out. 



Exarillate. Without arils. 



Exaristate. Destitute of an arista, awn, or 

 beard. 



Excentrical. Out of the center; flying off 

 from the center, as in Agaricus. 



Exasperate. Covered with hard, short, stiff 

 points. 



Excipide. That part of the thallus of a 

 Lichen which forms a rim and base to 

 the shield. Also a similar part in certain 

 Fungi. 



Excisa. Bluntly cut off. 



Excitability. That faculty by which living 

 beings take cognizance of external stim- 

 uli, and obey their influence. This is 

 considered by some vegetable physiolo- 

 gists to be the sole vital property distin- 

 guishable in plants. 



Excoriate, Excoriated. Stripped of the bark 

 or skin. 



Excretion. Any superfluous matter thrown 

 off" by the living plant externally; the ac- 

 tion by which a superabundance of se- 

 creted matter is rejected from a secreting 

 vessel. Also the matter itself thus ex- 

 creted; gum, resin, etc., are examples. 



