HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



381 



NIG 



Niger. Black, or black a little tinged with 

 gray. 



Nigricans. Blackish. 



Niveus. Snow-white; the purest white. 



Nocturnal. Lasting through a night. 



Nodding. Having the top bent downward; 

 drooping. 



Node. That part or point in a stem from 

 which a leaf, whether complete or incom- 

 plete, arises. 



Nodose, Nodulose. Knotted; having many 

 nodes or knots. 



Nodules. Small hard knots. 



Normal. When the ordinary structure pe- 

 culiar to the family or genus of a plant 

 is in nowise departed from. 



ORC 



Nucamentojceous. Having the hardness of a 

 nut. 



Nucleus. The kernel. The term has a va- 

 riety of applications. 



Nudicaulis. When a stem has no leaves. 



Nut. A hard, indehiscent pericarp, usu- 

 ally containing only one seed; the same 

 as Glans and Achene, which see. 



Nvtans, Nutant. Nodding; inclined very 

 much from the perpendicular, so that the 

 apex is directed downward, as the flower 

 of the Snowdrop. 



Nutrition. The vital function by which the 

 development of the various parts of the 

 vegetable structure is effected. 



Nux. The same as nut. 



o. 



x signifying inversion. 

 Thus, obovate means inversely ovate. 

 Oblong. Elliptical or long oval, equally 



blunt or round at each end. 

 Obscure. Of a dark, dingy color. 

 Obtuse. Blunt or rounded. 

 Occidental. Coming from or relating to the 



west, as Platinm Occidentalis. 

 Ocellated. Spotted in a manner somewhat 



resembling the iris of an eye. 

 Ochraceous. Having the color of clay or 



yellow ochre. 



Octandrous. Having eight stamens. 

 Octo. In composition means eight. 

 Octogynous. Having eight styles. 

 Oculus. An eye; that is, a leaf-bud. 

 Oculatus. Marked with concentric spots 



of different colors or tints. 

 Officinalis. Applied to plants which are 



useful in medicine or the arts. 

 Oleaginous. Fleshy in substance, but filled 



with oil. Also, like oil. 



Oleus. Strong smelling, whether agreeable 

 or nauseous. 



Oleraceous. Esculent, eatable. 



Opaque. When the surface is dull, or not 

 at all shining. 



Opercular. Covered with a lid. 



Operculum. The lid of anything, as in the 

 pitcher of Nepenthes. 



Orbicular. Nearly round and flat. 



Orchard Baler. This name is given to an 

 invention that promises to be of great 

 value to the fruit-growing interest of the 

 United States. It is a machine by which 

 the branches of fruit or other trees are 

 tied in a pyramidal form, and in this shape 

 thatched with straw or hay, as a protec- 

 tion in winter against the severe frosts 

 which cause so much injury to the buds 

 of Peaches and other fruit trees. Thus 

 thatched and excluded from the sun, the 

 flower buds of fruit trees will be held 

 back from opening for nearly a week, 



