G N I 



1. G. Gnemon. Linn. Mant. 125. (Gnemon domeftica; 

 Rumpl). Amboin. v. i. i8i. t. 71, 72. Beietinus IVudlus; 

 Ciuf. Exot. 55 ) — Lateral veins of the leaves iiromiiicnt, 

 inter-brancliing nrchwife half way towards tlie margin. Cat- 

 kins oppofite, axillary, on fimple Ihilks — Native of the 

 Molucca iflands, and other parts of the Eall Indies. We 

 have it from Java. A tree, with llraight, round, flender, 

 fmooth branches, fwelling at each joint, under the infertion 

 of tlie leaves, and fomewhat forked at the ends, heaves 

 oppolite, Ihilked, ovate, inclining to lanceoLue, ponited, 

 entire, fmooth and (iiining, three or four inches long, fur- 

 iiilhed with a midrib, chanm Ued above, prominent beneath, 

 fending off fcveral alternate, ipreading, prominent though 

 ilender veias, which meet rather more tlian half way towards 

 the margin in one common arching vein, whence numerous 

 reticulations originate. Stipiilas none. Fo'jlJ}all:sh-Ai im inch 

 long, channelled and keeled. Caliiiis axillary, fliorter than 

 the leaves, two together from each oppolite leaf, on fnnple 

 ilalks, their whorls when young crowded, but foon becom- 

 ing dillant and bead-like, every whorl bearing numerous 

 female as well as male flowers. 'What Linnxus deferibes 

 as a torn fcale in the former, feems rather a very denfe 

 :i(ii;mblage of (hort tiiftcd libres. Fruit the fi/.e of an 

 ordinary acorn or filberd, its coat thin, fweetifii according 

 to Rumpluus, but x\ith too much acrimony to be catm 

 raw; as is alfo the cafe with the leaves, which, when dreffed, 

 are in almoll daily ufe among the natives of Amboyna, 

 though thought mawkilh and inlipid by Europeans. 



2. G. Thoa. (Thoa urens ; Aubl, Guian. v. 2. 874. 

 t. 336.) — Lateral veins of the leaves obfulete, inter-branch- 

 ing archwifc. Catkins on limpla ihilks, from the repeated 

 forks of the branches. — Gathered by Aublet in ihe woods 

 of Guiana, where the natives call it Thcs. His own fpe- 

 cinicn in our pofTefTion has no fruAitication nor inflorefcence, 

 fo that wc have been obliged to take part of our character 

 from his iigiu-e. The hnvcs feem in general to be rather 

 ihorter and broader than in the former, but the chief diftinc- 

 tion is obfervable in their lateral veins, which though they 

 do in a fmiilar manner run into one common arching vein, 

 above half way to\vards the margin, are all together far 

 m<ire flight and lefs prominent than in the firlt fpecies. 

 T\\e fruit is like the former, reddifli, and elliptical Aublet 

 fays that when its outer llcin is taken off, a dry fubilance is 

 found underneath, compofed of llifF depreded hairs, which 

 eafdy feparate from each other, and if any of tliem fall upon 

 the human (kin,, they caufe a great itching. The kernel of 

 the nut, boiled or toatled, is good to eat. Birds of the 

 fowl or pheafant tribe feed in the woods upon this fruit, 

 which they fwallow whole. The fame author affures us 

 that a clear gum iifues from the bark and branches, but that 

 when the main trunk or great brandies are cut, a clear 

 tailelefs vaterv liquor runs out, which may be drank by 

 thofe who are diitreffed fen" water. Tliis tree is almoft 

 always in flower and fruit. Aublet deftribes the catkins as 

 ijiale, with two female flowers ai their bafe. This is fo 

 different from om- fjjecimens of G. Gmmon, that it might 

 almofl afford a fpecilic character, but Rurapliius deloribes 

 tlie fame circi'nnltance in what he terms his male Gnemon, 

 ajid Linnsus adverts to fomething like it. It Ihould ieem 

 therefore that in the iirlc, if not in everv fpecies, the genus 

 is imperfectly dioecious, one tree bearing catkins with 

 female flowers, witli perhaps lefs perfect males, in every 

 whorl, while on another are found more efncient males in 

 every whorl, wiih females at the bafe only, as in Aublet's 

 'J.'haa. Such examples throw great light on the phyliology 

 of vegetable generation., and confinn the Linnsan theory. 



3. G. fuiiiculare. Buchanan M6S. (Gnemon funicukiris ; 



G N O 



Rumph. Amboin. t. J. 12. t. 8. Ula ; Rhced. Hort. Mai. 

 v. 7. 41. t. 22.) — Lateral veins of the leaves feparate to the 

 margin. Catkins oppofi'.e, axillary, on branclicd ilalks. — 

 Native of Amboyna and other places in the Eall Indies. 

 This is a long trailing branched {moolhjhrub, turning black 

 in dryii g, which the two former do not. The leaves are 

 four or five inches long, various in breadth, pointed, firm, 

 fliining, diflinguiflied by their veins continuing diHinft to 

 the edge of the leaf. The JJonver-Jlalis are axillary, in pair.f, 

 more or lefs branched and forked ; each catkin being about 

 an inch long, compofed of numerous orbicular imbricated 

 fcales concealing the flowers, and not unaptly compared in 

 the Hortus Malabaricus to Long Pepper. Each Hands on 

 a partial ilalk, of about its own length. T\k fruit refembles 

 that of the foregoing, and is roailed over the fire, which 

 renders the kernel eatable. The tender leaves ferve for a 

 pot-herb, like thofe of G. Gnemon. The bark of the young 

 twigs, fplit into thread, ferves to make nets. 



Rumphius's vol. 5. t. 7, which he calls Funis Gnemon:- 

 formis, but of which he feems not to have known the ilower.s, 

 may pofTibly be the male plant of our lall-defcribed fpecicE, 

 beaiing only one or two female flowers at the bottom of the 

 flalks of the male catkins, according to the analogy obferved 

 in the forecfoinj; ones. S. 



GNIAFDA, in Geography, a town of Hungary; 7 

 miles W.S.W. of Palotza, 



GNIDIA, in Botnnf, from Gnidus, where Venus had her 

 temple. A feed, reported to be brought from thence, had 

 been called Coccog^nitlium, and there is a yntiv., or KnJidi, 

 fuppofed to be a kind of Orache ; but Linns;us probably had 

 not thefe fo much in view as the affinity of this genus to 

 Pii/prina, named after a favourite bird of the goddefs, in 

 allulion to which inch'ed it was iiril named Struthia by Vati 

 Royen. It is moreover akin to Daphne, one fpecies of 

 which. Daphne Gnidium, has been taken for the ancient 7»idiov. 

 — Linn. Gen. 193. Schreb. 260. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 2. 

 424. Mart. Mill Ditl. V. 2. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2. 27. 

 Juff. 77. Lamarck llluflr. t. 291 — Clafs and order, Offar.- 

 dria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. FejtreciiU, Linn. 'Fhymehit, 

 .Tufl". 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, funnel- 

 fhaped, coloured ; its tube thread-fhaped, very long ; limb 

 flat, in four deep fegments. Cor. Petals four, fcflile, flat, 

 inferted into the edge of the tube of the calyx, and fliorter 

 than its limb. Stam. Filaments eight, briille-fliaped, eredt, 

 inferted into the tube in two rows, the uppermoll reaching 

 nearly to the top ; anthers roundifh, ereft, fimple, of two 

 cells. Pifl. Germen ovate, fuperior ; flyle thread-fliaped, 

 as long as the tube, inferted laterally into the germen ; flignia 

 capitate, liifpid. Pcric. a dry berry, with a thin coat. Heed 

 folitary, ovate, obUquely pointed. 



EfT. Ch. Calyx fnnnel-lhaped, for.r-cleft, withering, in- 

 cluding the ftamens. Petals four, inferted into the calyx. 

 Style lateral. Seed coated. 



Obf. It differs from Pafferina only in having petals ; 

 which are often rather of a glandular appearance. The 

 habit is altogether that of Daphne and Pajjirina. Willdenow 

 enumerates lixteen fpecies, but of thefe G. pir.ifoUk and ra- 

 diata are one and tlie fame, and G. daphuiefoUa, Linn. Supjil. 

 22J, feems rather to belong to Dais. 



All the genuine fpecies are natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, of a humble Ihrubby growth, with white or yellowifh 

 fweet-lcented flowers. 



GNIEWE, or Mi;VE, in Geography, a town of Pruflia, 

 in the province of Pomcrclia, on tlie Viflula ; 30 miles 

 S.S.E. of Dantzic. 



CNOIEN, 



