152 REMARKS ON BOTANICAL GLOSSARIES. [July, 



either from a vertical or a horizontal direction. Decumbent, pro- 

 cumbent, and prostrate, all mean the same state_, only the first 

 term expresses^ in addition to the general sense of being fiat on 

 the earth, a rising up of its tip^ an effort to assume a direction at 

 right angles to the horizon^ or a tendency to get at its normal 

 state (perpendicular to the earth's surface). One of the terms 

 would be amply sufficient. Prostrate, or prostrate at the base, 

 when only the lower part of the stem was on the ground, would 

 he sufficient; we could describe clearly enough -without the 

 other two terms. Scions, stolons, shoots, and runners, are em- 

 ployed indiscriminately to describe such prostrate rooting stems 

 or branches as we find in Violets, Strawberi'ies, etc. Scions and 

 shoots indicate erect growth ; stolons and runners, such as are 

 horizontal, and close to the ground, and rooting. Two of them 

 might be discarded. The states of terete, sessile, dehiscent, and 

 scabi^ous, might be expressed by the commoner words, tapering, 

 sitting, opening, and rough. 



As a sample, the following are taken at random from a com- 

 mmiication by the learned author of 'A Popular History of 

 British Lichens.' 



"Apothecia epithalline, scattered, rarely confluent, prominent, 

 pulviniform or globose, normally smooth and black, sometimes 

 green- pruinose, circumference agglutinated or free ; ultimately 

 falling out and leaving distinct cyphelloid foveolse, etc." . . . 

 " Spores ovate-oblong (Korber describes them as soleseform or 

 schuhsohlenforning [schuhsohlenformig ?] ), two-1 ocular, etc., . . . 

 loculi frequently containing one or two globular nuclei." Again : 

 " Which {laciniie) are sinuate-lacinulate, and the lacinulse diva- 

 ricate-angulose, Avith retuse extremities. They are epithalline, 

 situated upon the ordinary thallus of P. saxatilis, etc." Again : 

 " The most globular or hypertrophic specimens I have met with, 

 etc." 



I will leave the translation of these scientific phrases to their 

 learned author, and beg to conclude by asking, what reason we 

 have to marvel that science is unpopular when it is so often con- 

 veyed in similar repulsive phraseology ? 



ZOTLOS. 



