PHY 



321 



PHY 



properties of matter, the laws of 

 motion, and the phenomena of 

 nature ; natural philosophy. 



physiognomy, n., fiz'-i>og'n8m'$ 

 (Gr. phusis, nature ; gnomon, 

 one who knows ; gnome, opinion), 

 the art of determining the char- 

 acter and dispositions of a person 

 by an examination of the features 

 of the face ; in bot. , the general 

 appearance of a plant, without 

 any reference to its botanical 

 characters; physiognomic, a., 



fiz f 'i'6g-ndm f 'ik, of or pert. to. 



physiology, n., fkfctl'4-jl (Gr. 

 phusis, nature ; logos, discourse), 

 the science which treats of the 

 vital actions or functions per- 

 formed by the organs of plants 

 and animals ; the science which 

 treats of the history and functions 

 of the human body, and its 

 several parts and structures. 



physometra, n. , ftz^d-metfrd (Gr. 

 phusdo, I inflate or distend ; 

 metro,, a womb), an accumulation 

 of air in the uterus which causes 

 an enlargement of the abdomen. 



Physomycetes, n., ffa'd'mi'Set'ez 

 (Gr. phusa, a bladder ; mukes, a 

 fungus), a division of the Fungi in 

 which the thallus is floccose, and 

 the spores are surrounded by a 

 vesicular veil or sporangium, as 

 in bread-mould. 



Physophoridse, n. plu., fiz'd-for' 

 id-e (Gr. phusa, an air-bladder ; 

 phor&o, I bear), an Order of 

 Oceanic Hydrozoa. 



Physostigma, n., fiz'd-stig'ma 

 (Gr. phusdo, I inflate or distend ; 

 stigma, a mark, a brand), a 

 genus of plants, Ord. Leguminosse, 

 Sub- order Papilionacese : Physo- 

 stigma venenosum, vln'-en-oz'-um 

 (L. venenosus, very poisonous), 

 a plant having a remarkable 

 hooded stigma, yields the Calabar 

 Ordeal Bean, which causes con- 

 traction of the pupil of the eye, 

 is a violent poison. 



Phytelephas, n., fu-ffitf-fo (Gr. 

 phuton, a plant ; elephas, ivory), 



a genus of plants, Ord. Palmse : 

 Phytelephas macrocarpa, mak' 

 ro-kdrp'd (Gr. mdkros, great ; 

 karpos, fruit), the ivory palm, 

 whose hard albumen is used in 

 the same way as ivory. 



phytochlor, n., fit'o-klor (Gr. 

 phuton, a plant ; chlortis, green), 

 the green colouring matter of 

 plants ; chlorophyll. 



phytoderma, n.,fit'd'dermf'a (Gr. 

 phuton, a plant ; derma, skin), 

 any fungus or vegetable parasite 

 growing on the skin : phytoderm- 

 ata, n. plu., -dermf-dt'O,, skin 

 diseases caused by fungi. 



phytogenesis, n. , ftf-fcjfytt&'fo 

 (Gr. phuton, a plant ; genndo, I 

 produce), the development of the 

 plant. 



phy tography , n.,ftt-d'g'raf'i( Gr . 

 phuton, a plant ; grapho, I write), 

 the description of plants. 



phytoid, a., flt'-oyd (Gr. phuton, 

 a plant ; eidos, resemblance), 

 resembling a plant ; plant-like. 



Phytolaccacese, n. plu.,/^-6-a&- 

 kd'se-e (Gr. phuton, a plant ; L. 

 lacca, a plant, otherwise un- 

 known ; Ger. lack, Pers. lac, a 

 rose or ruby colour), the Phyto- 

 lacca family, an Order of plants 

 whose species have frequently 

 much acridity, and some act as 

 emetics or purgatives : Phyto- 

 laccece, n. plu., fU^d-lak^se-e, a 

 Sub-order or tribe : Phytolacca, 

 n., flt f -d'lak f 'kd, a genus said to 

 be so named from their red juice: 

 Phytolacca decandra, dek-dnd-rd 

 (Gr. deka, ten ; aner, a male ; 

 andros, of a male), the common 

 poke, whose succulent fruit yields 

 a red juice which has been used 

 as a remedy in cases of chronic 

 syphilitic pains, and the plant 

 yields much potash. 



phytology, n., fUW-fajt (Gr. 

 phuton, a plant ; logos, discourse), 

 the science of the vegetable 

 kingdom ; the study of plants ; 

 botany. 



phy ton, n., fit'-8n (Gr. phutwi, a 



