HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



359 



GEN 



Gentianacece, (Gentianwortx.) A natural or- 

 der of corollifloral Dicotyledons belong- 

 ing to Lindley's Gentianal Alliance of 

 perigynous Exogens. They are herbs, 

 rarely shrubs, with opposite, entire, exstip- 

 ulate, usually ribbed leaves, and showy 

 flowers. They are found in almost all 

 parts of the world, some at high eleva- 

 tions, and others in hot tropical plains. 

 They are generally bitter ; some are 

 narcotic. There are about seventy known 

 genera and upward of 590 species. Gen- 

 tiana, Lisianthus, Menyanthex, Villarsia, 

 Swertia, and Chlora are examples of the 

 order. 



Genus. A family of plants agreeing in their 

 flower and. fruit; an assemblage of spe- 

 cies possessing certain characters in com- 

 mon, by which they are distinguished 

 from all others. 



Geraniacece, (Cranesbills.)' A natural order 

 of thalamifloral Dicotyledons, character- 

 izing Lindley's Geranial Alliance of hy- 

 pogynous Exogens. They are herbs or 

 shrubs with swollen joints, and opposite 

 or alternate leaves, which are usually pal- 

 mately veined and lobed, often stipulate. 

 The plants are distributed over various 

 parts of the world. The species of Pe- 

 largonium are abundant at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. It is this genus that has 

 furnished the beautiful varieties that or- 

 nament the green-house in winter and the 

 garden in summer, one class of which are 

 commonly known as Scarlet Geraniums. 

 The species of Geranium and Erodium 

 : are mostly natives of Europe, North 

 America, and Northern Asia. There are 

 .about 540 species. Geranium, Pelargo- 

 nium, Erodium, and Monsonia are exam- 

 ples of the order. 



Germination. The first act of vegetation in 

 a peed, commonly called " sprouting." 



GLA 



Gesneracece, ( Cyrlandraceoe, Didymocar- 

 pece, Gesnerworts.) A natural order of 

 corollifloral Dicotyledons belonging to 

 Lindley's Bignonial Alliance of perigy- 

 nous Exogens. They are herbs or shrubs, 

 often growing from scaly tubers, with 

 wrinkled, usually opposite leaves and 

 showy flowers. They are natives of va- 

 rious parts of the world, but chiefly the 

 warmer regions of America. The succu- 

 lent roots are occasionally edible, and 

 some of the species yield a dye. The 

 leaves of some of them produce buds 

 when laid on the soil, similar to Begonias 

 of the Hex type. There are upward of 

 eighty genera and nearly 300 species. 

 Gesnera, Gloxinia, Achimenes, Streptocar- 

 pus, and Cyrtandra are examples. 



Gesnerworts. A name proposed by Lindley 

 for the Gesneracece. 



Gibber. A pouch-like enlargement of the 

 base of a calyx, corolla, etc. 



Gibberose, Gibbous, Gibbose. More convex 

 or swollen in one place than another. 



Gills. The lamellae or plates growing per- 

 pendicularly from the cap or pileus of an 

 Agaric or Mushroom. 



Gilvus. Dull yellow, with a mixture of 

 gray and red. 



Githagineus. Greenish-red. 



Glabrous. Without hair or other covering, 

 as the Camellia leaf. 



Gladate. Sword-shaped, as the leaves of an 

 Iris. 



Qlans. An inferior fruit, one-celled by 

 abortion, not dehiscing, (which see,) con- 

 taining one or two seeds, and seated in a 

 cupule, as in the acorn. 



Glands, Glandules. Wart -like swellings 

 found on the surface of plants, or at one 

 end of their hairs, serving the purpose 

 of secreting organs. They are extremely 

 various in form. 



