G L O 



G L O 



«ro, to a machine compofcd of divers dented wheela, w'ltli pi- 

 nions ferving to raife huge burdens. 



Glossocomon, a term in Surgery, derived from yXwtrax, 

 the tongue, and ho^fu, to guard; originally a cafe for the reed of 

 a hautboy, but ufed metaphorically to fignify a cafe for a 

 fradlured limb. 



GLOSSODIA, in Bolatiy, (>>.i;?o'iJt-, having the form 

 or appearance of a tongue ; in allufion to the peculiar ap- 

 pendage to the internal part of the flower, which refenibles 

 the tongue of a fcrpent, and affords the cflential charader. 

 Brown Prod. Nov. HoU. v. i, 325. — Clafs and order, 

 Gynandr'ia Monogyitla. 'Nat. Ord. Orchide,t. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth fuperior, of three equal fprcading 

 leaves. Cor. Petals two, equal to and refembling the calyx. 

 Neftary of a different form, (hortcr, undivided, not glandular, 

 accompanied, at its bafe above, by a cloven tongne-lhaped ap- 

 pendage, between it and the ftyle. Slam. Anther terminal, 

 its cells clofe together ; maffes of pollen two in each cell, 

 compreffed, powdery. P'ifi. Germen inferior : llyle co- 

 lumnar, with a dilated membranous border at each fide. 

 Peck. Capfule. Seeds numerous. 



EfT. Ch. Calyx and Corolla equal. Lip fliorter, undivided, 

 without glands, with an appendage at its bafe. Style dilated 

 at each fide. Anther vertical. 



1. G. major. Brown 326. — " Appendage cloven halfway 

 down ; its lobes fpreading, acute." 



2. G. minor. Ibid. — " Appendage cloven to the bafe ; 

 its lobes parallel, obtufe." 



Both fpecies are natives of the country near Port Jackfon, 

 New South Wales. Their iulis are undivided, with a la- 

 minated coat, and grow in the earth, not parafitically. Heri 

 hairy. Leaf {olitavy, radical, its bafe enclofcd in a mem- 

 branous flieath. Stali radical, bearing generally one blue 

 flower, rarely two, and furnifhed with one iraclea belides 

 ■what accompanies each flower. Brown. 



GLOSSOIDES, in Natural HiJlory,?i name givenbyfome 

 authors to a fpecies of ftonc, refemblmg the figure of the 

 human tongue. This is a mere accidental configuration of a 

 common flint or pebble, perfeftly indeterminate in ilze and 

 colour, and owing its form to no animal mould, as the ftones 

 found in fhells ufually do, but is a mere lufus natura in the 

 concretion of the flone. 



GLOSSOMA, in Botany, fo named by Schreber, from 

 y>.ui;oi,, the tongue, and wp.o^-, the Jhoulder, alluding to the 

 tongue-fliaped appendages borne by the anthers. Schreb. 792. 

 Willd. Sp. PI. V. I. 664. Mart. Mill. Did. v. 2. ( Votomita; 

 Aubl. Guian. v. i. 90. JufT. 382.) Clals and order, Tetran- 

 dria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Rhamnis ajftne, JufT. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth fuperior, of one leaf, turbinate, 

 four-toothed, permanent. Cor. Petals four, equal, lanceolate, 

 acute, much longer than the calyx, recurved. Nedlary a ring 

 round the bafe of the ftyle. Stam. Filaments four, very 

 fliort ; anthers oblong, nearjy united into a cylinder, elon- 

 gated at the top if. to a membranous lanceolate expaniion of 

 two cells, opening inwardly. P'tfl. Germen inferior, obovate ; 

 llylelhread-lhaped, as tall as the llamens ; fligmas four, acute. 

 Peric. Drupa pear-fhaped, of one cell, crowned by the 

 calyx. Seed folitary, ovate, flriated. 



EfT. Ch. Calyx fuperior, four-toothed. Petals four. 

 Ajithers cohering, each crowned with a lanceolate mem- 

 brane. Stigmas four. Drupa with one furrowed nut. 



Obf. The above characters appear to be taken by Schre- 

 ber from Aublet, nor liave we any better materials. The 

 only fpecies kjiown is, 



1. G. arborefcens s Willdenow. (Votomita guianenCs ; 

 Aubl. v. I. 91. t. 3^5.) — h.Jlirub of a middling lizc, whofe 

 trunk is five or Ibc feet, high, and five or lis inches tliick ; 



the wood yellow, hard and compa£l. Branches knotty, 

 fpreading varioufly, leafy. Leaiies oppofite, ellipticalf 

 pointed, entire, fix inches long, thick and firm, of a flrining 

 green, placed on fhort ftalks, with a deciduous flipula at 

 each fide of their bafe. Flowers white, on fhort, um- 

 bellate, axillary ftalks, their petals about half an inch long. 

 This plant is found in the extenfive foreftsof Guiana, about 

 the habitations of the natives. Nothing is recorded re- 

 fpccting its qualities or ufes. 



GLOSSOPETALUM, fo denominated by Schreber 

 from the tongue -like appendages to the petals. Schreb. 205. 

 Willd. Sp. PI. v. I. 1521. Mart. Mill. Dia. v. 2. (Goupia ; 

 Aubl. V. I. 295. Juff. 378. Lamarck. lUuftr. t. 217.) — 

 Clafs and order, Penlandria Pentagynia. Nat. Ord. Dumofce, 

 Linn. Rhanmi, JufT. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth half inferior, of one leaf, minute, 

 five-toothed, permanent. Cor. Petals five, lanceolate, fpread- 

 ing, acute, much longer than the calyx, each bearing at 

 its point a lineai'-lanceolate, abrupt appendage, almolt of 

 the length of the petal, bent back and lying upon it. Stam. 

 Filaments five, very fhort ; anthers roundifli. Ptjl. Germen 

 roundifh, encircled by a glandular ring, which bears the 

 petals and ftamens ; ftyle none ; ftigmas five, acute. Pcric. 

 Berry roundifli, with five furrows, of one cell. Seeds five, 

 angular. 



Eft". Ch. Calyx half inferior, with five teeth. Petals five, 

 each bearing an inflexed longitudinal appendage. Berry with 

 five feeds. 



Obf. Schreber, p. 826, fufpefts this genus not to be 

 diftincl itoiw Aralia, but the habit confirms JufTieu's opinion, 

 who ieparates them widely. Two fpecies are defcribed by 

 Aublet. 



1. G. glabrum. (Goupia glabra ; Aubl. v. i. 296. t. 116.) 

 — " Leaves fmooth." — Native of the forefts of Guiana, 

 30 leagues from the fea, bearing flowers and fruit in Novem- 

 ber. The trunk is 60 feet or more in height, and two or 

 three feet in diameter, ferving to make canoes ; the bark 

 fmooth and grey; the wood white and light. Branches 

 drooping, furniflied with alternate leaves of an ovate, point- 

 ed, fomewhat unequal figure, entire, rigid, fliining, and 

 fmooth, with a branching rib, and fine tranfverfe veins at 

 the back. Flowers yellow, fmall, many together in foli- 

 tary axillary umbels. Berry black, globular. 



2. G. tomentofum. Willd. Sp. PI. v. I. 1522. — " Leaves 

 downy.'' — Native of the forefts of Cayenne and Guiana. 

 Not half fo lofty as the former. The barl is wrinkled and 

 dark-coloured. Leaves clothed on both fides with fome 

 fhort hairs. Their juice, which, as well as the bark, 

 is bitter, is ufed to cure inflammations of the eyes. 



GLOSSOPETRA, or Glottopeth.^, in Natural 

 H'ljlory, called alfo icklhyodonles , Jliarh's teeth, dog-jijlj's teeth, 

 &c. a kind of extraneous fofTil, fomewhat in form of a ft-r- 

 pent's tongue ; frequently found in the ifland of Malta and 

 divers other parts. Some of them are in a high ftate of pre- 

 fervation, having their enamel and points perfect, and their 

 fharp edges finely ferrated as in the recent teeth. 



Naturalifts have been much divided as to the nature and 

 origin of thefe bodies. Steno, De Corpore folido intra foli- 

 dum contento ; 01. Wormius, DifTert. de GlofTopetra ; and 

 Reyfchius. De Gloffopctris Lunebergenfibus, treat of them 

 at large. 



The vulgar notion is, that they are the tongues of ferpents 

 petrified ; and hence their name, which is a compound of 

 y}\i!'TTy., tongue, and irsTpz, Jlone. Hence, alfo, their tra- 

 ditionary virtue in curing the bites of ferpents. 



The general opinion of naturalifts is, that they are the 



teclh 



