651 



€i)t CrttuSurg erf 2S0tamg. 



[kuch 



tli e flower-stalk springs, on which account 

 it appears undoubtedly preferable to refer 

 it to Lcguminosce. In Polygalacew a sepal 

 occupies that position, so that neither of 

 the petals which are alternate with it can 

 be directly superior. The sepals of Era- 

 meria are, however, sometimes partially 

 displaced from crowding or inequality, so 

 that one of them may appear superior. 



K. triandra, remarkable for its entire 

 obovate acuminate leaves, covered on 

 both sides with silky hairs, is one of the 

 species most known as yielding the P»,ha- 

 tany roots of commerce, but all the species, 

 as far as known, are intensely astringent. 

 In Peru an extract is made from this 

 species which is a mild, easily assimilated, 

 astringent medicine, possessed of great 

 power in passive, bloody, or mucous dis- 

 charges ; it acts as a tonic in weakness 

 of the digestive organs and muscular de- 

 bility, and is even useful in intermittent 

 and putrid fevers. It is also styptic, and 

 restores tone to relaxed parts, and when 

 applied in plaisters is said to correct and 

 cure all kinds of ulcers. An infusion is 

 used as a gargle and wash, and the pow- 

 der forms along with charcoal an excellent 

 tooth-powder. The colour of the infusion 

 of the roots of the Erameria is blood-red, 

 | on which account advantage is taken of it 

 I to adulterate port wine. [B. C] 



! KRAESIA. The name of a genus of 



j Cinch onacece, consisting of a Natal shrub, 

 ! whose flowers have a calyx with a short 

 j five-cleft limb ; a funnel-shaped corolla 



with a short tube and a five-cleft limb ; 



anthers placed on very short stalks on 

 I the hairy throat of the corolla; and an 

 | ovary crowned by a large fleshy disk, and 



a large spindle-shaped stigma which is 

 ! divided into two lobes: fruit fleshy, two- 

 ! celled, two seeded. [M. T. M.] 



KRAUT. A German name for Colewort 

 or Cabbage. 



\ KRJ^T or CEEAT. A tonic infusion 

 j of th^Rt of Andrographis paniculata. 



An Indian name for wild KP/EYSIGIA. A genus of Melanthacece 

 , [.from/New Holland, with a roughish simple 



having milky juice, opposite leaves, and 

 flowers resembling those of Vinca, and of 

 handsome appearance. [G. D.] 



KORA KANG. An Indian name for 

 Setaria italica. 



KORAREMA, KTJRARIMA. A large 

 kind of Abyssinian Cardamom, the fruit of 

 Amomum angusti folium. 



KOROUilB. An Egyptian name for Cab- 

 bage. 



KORRAS. An Arabic name for Leek. 



KORTHALSIA. A small genus of palms 

 hearing a general resemblance to Calamus, 

 having long flexible cane-like stems which 

 climb up and become entangled among the 

 branches of trees. Their pinnate leaves, 

 also, terminate in long prickly tails like 

 those of the Calami, and the lower part of 

 their leaf-stalks forms a sheath round the 

 stem ; the leaflets being broad and shaped 

 like a wedge or somewhat trapeziform, 

 plaited, and irregularly toothed or torn at 

 the top. The flower-spikes grow from the 

 sides of the stem and have branches re- 

 sembling catkins, bearing numerous flow- 

 ers of separate sexes, the base of each 

 branch being sheathed in an incomplete 

 spathe. The males have a three-cut calyx, 

 a deeply three-parted corolla, and six sta- 

 mens ; the females a similar calyx, a tubular 

 corolla trifid at the top, six sterile stamens, 

 and a one-celled ovary. The fruit contains 

 a solitary seed. There are five species, all 

 natives of "moist places in the forests of the 

 Indian Archipelago. [A. SJ 



KOSHEL. Andropogon Nardus. 



KOEBANKA. A kind of wheat grown 

 in Russia. 



KOrKOTT. A Tartar name for Strychnos 

 Ignatii, the Ignatia amara of authors. 



KOUKOCNARIA. Abies cephalonica. 



KOUSSO, KOSSO. An Abyssinian me- 

 dicinal plant, Bray era anthelmintica ; also 

 called Cusso. 



KOYFUL. 



Nutmegs. 



stein, ovate lanceolate amplexicaul leaves 

 smooth above and rough below, and axil- 

 lary, solitary, one-flowered peduncles, with 

 pi involucel of three bracts below the 

 middle. ■ The flowers are pale lilac with a 

 six-leaved spreading deciduous perianth, 

 having glandular appendages, six stamens, 

 and three stigmas. The capsule is some- 

 what fleshy. [J. T. S.] 



KRAMERIA. An anomalous genus soH 

 nearly allied on the one hand to Legumi- 

 nosce, and on the other to PolygalacecB, that 

 its station is considered as doubtful, and it 

 has even been separated as a distinct family, 

 the Erameriacece. It consists of much- 

 branched spreading undershrubs, indige- 

 nous to America, having al ternate simple or 

 trifoliolate leaves, and flowers in racemes. 

 The calyx consists of four or five irregular 

 coloured sepals, and the corolla of four or 

 five petals, the three inner of which are 

 very small and unguiculate ; the stamens 

 are four or fewer, unequal, and open at the 

 end by pores ; the ovary is one-celled with 

 two suspended ovules ; and the on^-seeded yellow scales in the throat. [J. T. S.] 



^fil^Im^ttJnth^SSrlj^e \ KECHOO. An Indian name for the tubers 

 SS^^SSi^S5d2S^ £ Colocasia antiauorum, Ancmmaculatum, 

 esrwwn?iosa , ,oneofthepetalsbeingsupe- ■ <£c * 

 r or directly next the stem from which | KUCHOORA. Curcuma Zerumbet. 



two s 



I 



ft 



KRYNITZKIA. A genus of Boraginacece 

 from New California, allied to Echinosper- 

 mum,lout having the nuts quite' smooth. 

 They are hispid annuals with sessile leaves, 

 and small flowers with a very hispid calyx, 

 and a white salver-shaped corolla, having 



