ASCIAN 



33 



ASPHALT 



Membraneous sacs, containing the sporulea 

 of lichens, fungi, &c. 



Ascian, (a'si-an). [Gk. a, not; sktit, shadow.] 

 Used of people living near the equator, who 

 have sometimes the sun right overhead. 



Ascidia, (as-sid'i-a). [Gk. oskidion, a little 

 wallet.] l=Simple Ascidians: leathery mol- 

 luscous animals, having no head or shell, 

 found on rocks, Ac., forming a division of 

 Tunicata, and being probably the ancestors 

 of vertebrate animals, since the embryo has 

 a rudimentary chorda dorsalis. 2=Pitchers: 

 bottle-shaped leaves found on some plants, 

 as the Nepenthes. 



Ascidians, (as-sid'i-anz). [Ascidia, q.v.] In- 

 vertebrate, hermaphrodite, marine animals, 

 permanently fixed to a support: the larvas 

 can swim freely, like tadpoles. Compound A. 

 =Botryllaria, q.v. Simple A. =Ascidia, q.v. 



Ascidioida, (as-sid-i-oi'da). ( Ascidia, q.v.; Gk. 

 eidos, form.]=Tunicata: a division of Mollus- 

 coida, consisting of Ascidians and animals 

 resembling them. 



Ascidium, ( as-sid'i-um ). [Gk. askidion, a 

 little bag.]=Pitcher leaf. v. Ascidia. 



Asclepiadac eae, (as-klS-pi-a-da'se-e). [ Asclepias, 

 5.r.]=Asclepiads: milky shrubs: often twin- 

 ing, with flowers in which the anthers and 

 stigmas are consolidated, belonging to Solan- 

 ales. , 



Asclepias, (as-kle'pi-as). [Gk. AsHepios, the 

 god of medicine.] A genus of plants, includ- 

 ing the swallow-wort, much used medicinally, 

 belonging to Asclepiadaoea. 



Asclepion, (as-kle'pi-on). [Asclepias, q.v.]= 

 C-ioHaaOs: a neutral principle found in the 

 sap of Asclepias. 



Ascomycetes, (as-ko-mi-s$'tSz). [Gk. atlcos, 

 bag; mi/Ices, mushroom. ]=Morels: a division 

 of Fungales, q.v. 



Ascus, (asTcus). Singular of Asci, q.v. 



Aseptic, (a-sep'tik). [Gk. a, not; tepo, I 

 putrefy.] Not putrefying. 



Asexual, (a-seks'u-al). [Gk. a, without; Sex, 

 .v.]=Agamic : without the distinction of 

 sex. A. reproduction=A.gamogen0sia. 



Ash, (ash). \2E*c, the A.-S. name.]=Fraxinus: 

 a large tree, with tough elastic timber, be- 

 longing to Oleacete. Common .4.=Fraxinus 

 excelsior. Flowering .4.=Ornus (from re- 

 semblance in foi ra of leaves). Mountain A . = 

 Rowan-tree=Pyrus aucuparia. A. key 8= 

 Seeds of ash-tree. 



Ashantees, (a-shan'tez). An African race. 



Ashburnham beds. A sub-division of Ilast- 

 ings-sands: in Wealden formation. 



Ashdown sand, A sub-division of Hastings- 

 sands: in Wealden formation. 



Ashlar, (ashlar). [It. asciare, to square.] 1. 

 Bough-hewn stones. 2=Ashler: stones used 

 to face brick walls. 



Ashlering, (ash'ler-ing). [ Ashlar, q.v.] 1. Using 

 ashlar or hewn stone. 2. An upright beam 

 in the roof of a house, which helps to form 

 the wall of the garret by cutting off the angle 

 of roof and floor. 



Asia, (a'shi-a). OneoftheAsteroids,5.v.,No.67. 



Asilidae, (a-sll'i-dg). [Asilus, q.v.] A family 

 of Lnsecta, of which the hornet-fly is the type. 



Asilus, (a-si'lus). [L. astlus, gad-fly.]=Hor 



net-fly: an insect belonging to Diptera. 

 Asiphonate, (a-sifo-nat). [Gk. a, without; 



siphon, tube.] Having no siphon or respira- 



tory tube; used of a division of Lamelli- 



branchiata. 



Asira, (a-si'ra). An African race. 

 Asmamte, (as-mault) = A mineral, chiefly 



meteoric silica. 

 Asp, (asp), [aspis, the Greek name.]=Vipera 



aspis: a venomous serpent. 



The name is also used gene- 



rally for several poisonous 



serpents. 

 Asparagine, ( as-par'a-jin X 



[Asparagus, 9. v]=C 4 U 8 NoC^: 



an amide of malic acid: a 



crystallisable monobasic 



compound found in many/ 



vegetables, and especially Asp. 



in asparagus: also called Althein and Aspar- 



ainide. 

 AaparaginaB, ( as-pa-raj'i-ne ). [Asparagus, 



Asparagolite, (as-pa-rag'o-lit). [Asparagus, 



q. v.]= Asparagus-stone, q.v. 

 Asparagus, (as-par'a-gus). [The Greek name.] 



= Asphodelus officinalis : a plant, belonging 



to Liuacese, the young shoots of which are 



edible. A. 6ee(/c=Crioceris asparagi: an in- 



sect, belonging to Eupoda, which feeds on 



asparagus. A. on= Asparagolite: a variety 



of apatite, named from its greenish colour. 

 Asparamic acid, (as-par'a-mlk). [Asparagus, 



g.v.J=Aspartic acid, q.v. 

 Asparamiae, (as-par'a-mid). [^s^aragua and 



a7nid#.]=Asparagine, q.v. 

 Aspartic acid, (as-par'tik). [Asparagus, q.v.] 

 =C 4 H^NO^ = Asparamic acid: a crystallised 



bibasic acid substance obtained from usparu- 



gine. 

 Aspasiolite, (as-pi'si-o-lit). A variety of Cor- 



dierite. 

 Aspect, (as'pekt). [L. aspectut, appearance.] 



The position of one star relatively, to an- 



other. 

 Aspen, (as'pen). [Aspe, the old Saxon name.] 



=Populus tremula, q.v. : a poplar tree, the 



leaves of which move very readily in the 



wind. 

 Asperifoliae, (as-pr-i-foli-e). [L. asper, rough; 



folium, leaf.] = Borage- worts=Boragiuaceae, 



q.v. : plants having rough leaves. 

 Asperifolious, ( as-per-i-foli-us ). [L. asper, 



rough ; folium, leaf.] Having rough leaves. 

 Aspermous, (a-sper'mus.] [Gk. a, not; sperma, 



seed.] Having no seed. 

 Asperolite, (as-per'o-lit). [L. asper, rough.] 



A brittle silicate of copper. 

 Asperugo, (a-sper-u'go). [L. asper, rough.]= 



Madder-worts = an herb with small blue 



flowers and rough leaves. 

 Asperula, (a-sper'u-la). [L. asper, rough.]= 



Wood-rufl 7 , &c. : an herb with small funnel- 



shaped flowers, belonging to Galiaceae. 



Named from many species having rough 



hairs. 

 Asphalt, (as'falt). lasphaltos, the Greek 



name.]=Bituminous limestone: a solid re- 



