ENGLISH BOTANY. 219 



NOTE BY THE EDITOR, 



Defining the sense in which certain terms have been employed 

 in the descriptions of plants given in the Third Edition of ' English 

 Botany.' 



Terms applied to General Figures of Planes. 



Oval. — One and a half to twice as long as broad, broadest in the 

 middle ; sides curved. 



Elliptical. — Three to four times as long as broad, broadest in 

 the middle ; sides curved. 



Ovate. — One and a half to twice as long as broad, broadest between 

 the base and the middle ; sides curved. 



Lanceolate. — Three to four times as long as broad, broadest 

 between the base and the middle ; sides curved. 



Obovate. — Once and a half to twice as long as broad, broader 

 between the middle and the apex ; sides curved. 



Oblanceolate. — Three to four times as long as broad, broadest 

 between the middle and the apex ; sides curved. 



Oblong. — Two to three times as long as broad ; sides parallel. 



Strapshaped. — Four to six times as long as broad ; sides sub- 

 parallel. 



Linear. — Eight or more times as long as broad ; sides subparallel. 



Rhombic. — Any figure which is broadest in the middle and with an 

 angle on each side ; the lines running from this angle to the base and 

 apex being nearly equal and nearly straight. 



Deltoid. — An equilateral triangle broadest at the base ; sides nearly 

 straight to the apex. 



Triangular. — Limited to triangular figures of which the sides are 

 conspicuously longer than the base. 



Obdeltoid. — An equilateral triangle with its apex towards the base 

 of the organ described. 



Wedge-shaped. — A triangular figure (in the restricted sense defined 

 above) with its apex towards the base of the organ described. 



In most of these definitions some latitude is allowed in regard to 

 their relative length and breadth, and when it becomes necessary to 



