615 



(IFfjc Ercas'ttrtJ of 33otang. 



[hyps 



HYPOLEPIS. A genus of polypodiaceous 

 ferns, belonging to the Cheilanthece, and 

 not very well distinguished technically 

 from Cheilanihes itself, though obviously 

 distinct in habit and aspect, in the large 

 herbaceous fronds and long creeping rhi- 

 zomes, and also generally distinguishable 

 by the axillary position of the sori in re- 

 spect to the segments of the fronds. The 

 fronds are twice, thrice, or four times pin- 

 nated, with free veins, and punctiform 

 sori at the apex of the veins, covered by 

 reflexed marginal, sometimes herbaceous, 

 indusia. The species are widely dis- 

 persed, being found in New Zealand and 

 the Pacific Isles, India, Bourbon, and Mau- 

 ritius, South Africa, South America, and 

 the West Indies. [T. M.] 



HYPOLYTRUM. A genus of cypera- 

 ceous plants, characteristic of the tribe 

 Hypolytrece. It is distinguished by the in- 

 florescence being in fascicled or corym- 

 bose roundish panicles, which are many- 

 flowered. Scales imbricated on all sides, 

 none of the lower without flowers ; proper 

 scales two, keeled and compressed, the ex- 

 terior one largest ; calyx none ; stamens 

 two to three; styles cleft. The majority 

 of the species are natives of Brazil and the 

 West Indies, but some occur in the East 

 Indies. [D. M.] 



HYPOMEXOUS. Free, not adherent; 

 arising from below an organ, without adhe- 

 ring to it. 



HYPOPHYLLITJM. A small abortive 

 leaf, like a scale, placed below a cluster of 

 leaf-like branches, or leaves. 



HYPOPHYLLOUS. Growing on the un- 

 der side of a leaf. 



HYPO PIT HYS. A genus of fir-rapes, 

 distinguished by having the calyx three to 

 five-parted, and the style slender and hol- 

 low, ending in a round stigma, bearded at 

 the margin. The species are parasites, on 

 firs and beeches, with leaves in the form of 

 scales, the entire plant pale in colour, and 

 often with an odour of musk. [G. D.] 



HYPOPODIUM. The stalk of the car- 

 pels. 



HYPOPTERIES. A wing growing from 

 below anything, as the seed of a fir-tree. 



HYPOPTERATE. Having a wing pro- 

 duced at the base or below. 



HYPOPTERYGEI. An order of pleuro- 

 carpous mosses, with three-ranked leaves, 

 the third row being mostly smaller than 

 the others. The accessory leaves remind 

 one of the appendages in Jungermanniacece. 

 The capsules are mostly lateral, beneath 

 the proper leaves, but sometimes axillary. 

 The genera of this order belong principally 

 to warm temperate regions in either hemi- 

 sphere. [M. J. B.] 



HYPOSATHRJA. A condition assumed 

 by the tissues of certain fruits, commonly 

 called Wetting. It is a partial decomposi- 

 tion, accompanied by the formation of su- 

 gar, and is sometimes promoted artificially 



with a view to improve the flavour of harsh j 

 fruits, and, indeed, to render them eatable | 

 as medlars, services, &c. [M. J. B.] j 



HYPOSPORANGIUM. The indusium of \ 

 ferns, when it grows from below the spore- 

 cases. 



HYPOSTASIS. The suspensor of an 

 embryo. 



HYPOSTROMA. The mycelium of cer- 

 tain fungals. 



HYPOTHALLUS. Delicate filaments 

 which constitute the vegetation of conio- 

 mycetous fungals. The inferior stratum 

 of the thallus of lichenals. 



HYPOTHECIUM. The cellular stratum 

 below the thalamium of lichenals. 



HYPOXIDACE^E. (.Ilypoxids.) A natu- 

 ral order of epigynous monocotyledons 

 belonging to Lindley's narcissal alliance 

 of Endogens. Herbs with a tuberous or 

 fibrous perennial root, radical linear dry 

 leaves, and trimerous flowers on scapes. 

 Perianth petaloid, adherent to the ovary, 

 six-parted; stamens six, attached to the pe- 

 rianth, the anthers introrse ; ovary three- 

 celled ; ovules numerous, attached to a 

 central placenta. Fruit dry or berried, 

 one to two or three-celled, not opening, 

 with a lateral hilum, and a peculiar beak- 

 like appendage. Natives of the Cape of 

 Good Hope, the East Indies, New Holland, 

 and the tropical parts of America. The 

 roots of some of them are bitter and aro- 

 matic, and the tubers of a few are eaten. 

 There are five genera, and upwards of 

 sixty species. Examples : Ilypoxis, Curcu- 

 ligo. [J. H. B.] 



HYPOXIS. A genus of herbaceous 

 plants, forming the type of the Hypoxida- 

 ceee. They are known by their six stamens 

 being inserted into adisk surmounting the 

 ovary, by the style being detached from 

 the corolla, and by the three-celled capsu- 

 lar fruit. These plants are, for the most 

 part, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and have much of the appearance of some 

 amaryllidaceous plants, but they are not 

 bulbous : several are in cultivation. H. 

 erecta, a North American species, is used 

 as an application to ulcers. [M. T. MJ 



HYPOXYLON. An important genus of 

 sphtariaceous Fungi, distinguished by the 

 stroma, in which the perithecia or fruit- 

 bearing cysts are sunk, being free from the 

 wood on which it grows. They are found 

 in all parts of the world. H. concewtricum, 

 which is common in this country on ash- 

 trees, looking like lumps of cobbler's wax, 

 is a perfect cosmopolite, assuming several 

 forms. The allied H. vernicosum, which, 

 though marked like the last with concen- 

 tric layers within, is loosely cellular, is en ten 

 by the inhabitants of Bhotan. [M. J. BJ 



HYPSEOCHARIS. A genus referred to 

 Geraniacere, and found on the Andes at 

 above 10,000 feet elevation. The plant has 

 root leaves resembling those of Pimpinella 

 Saxifraga, and axillary peduncles, with 



