607 



(Elje CrcaSurp of 23ntan», 



[hygr 



what thickened flower-stalks. The sub- 

 mersed portions are covered with a muci- 

 laginous substance, formed by the rapid 

 formation and rupture of the cells on the 

 outer surface of the plant. The wide dis- 

 tribution of this plant is hardly less re- 

 markable than its structure, for it has 

 been found in the United States, Canada, 

 Australia, and the Himalaya mountains. 

 In America it is esteemed nutritious, 

 possibly from the large-grained starch it 

 contains. The leaves are somewhat astrin- 

 gent, and have been employed in phthisis 

 and dysentery. [M. T. MJ 



HYDROPHYLAX. A genus of Cinclw- 

 nacecp, represented by a creeping herb, 

 native of the sandy sea-shores of India. 

 The corolla, like the leaves, is somewhat 

 fleshy, bell-shaped, with a hairy throat into 

 which the four stamens are inserted. 

 Fruit succulent, four-cornered, with a 

 single seed in each of its two compart- 

 ments. H. maritima is used for dyeing 

 purposes. [M. T. M.] 



HYDROPHYLLACE.E. (Hydroleaceas.) A 

 natural order of corollifloral dicotyledons 

 belonging to Lindley's cortusai alliance of 

 perieynous Exogens. Herbs or small trees, 

 usually with alternate and lobed hispid 

 leaves. Calyx five-cleft, persistent ; corolla 

 regular, somewhat bell-shaped ; stamens 

 five, alternating with the corolla lobes ; 

 ovary superior with two parietal placentas ; 

 styles two. Fruit a two-valved one-celled 

 or spuriously two-celled capsule, filled 

 with a large placenta ; seeds reticulated ; 

 embryo small, in hard albumen. Natives 

 chiefly of the temperate and cold portions 

 of America. A few are found in the East 

 Indies, and some at the Cape of Good 

 Hope; some are cultivated on account of 

 their showy flowers. Hydrolea has bitter 

 qualities. There are eighteen known ge- 

 nera, and about eighty species. Examples : 

 i HydrophyUum, Xemophila, Eutoca, Phace- 

 I lia, Hydrolea, Whitlavia. [J. H. BJ 



1 HYDROPHYLLUM. A genus of Ame- 

 rican herbaceous perennials, giving name 

 to the order Hydrophyllaceoe. The corolla 

 is five-cleft and furnished with as many 

 corolline scales, which are attached by the 

 back, but free at the margins and point ; 

 the stamens exceed in length the tube of : 

 the corolla, and the stigma is two-cleft. | 

 The flowers of these plants resemble those 

 of the borage tribe, not only in the struc- i 

 fare of the corolla, but in their curled | 

 arrangement while in bud ; but the seeds i 

 are enclosed in a single one-celled or half- 

 two-celled capsule, and the leaves are : 

 always more or less divided. The species 

 grow among moist shady rocks, and derive 

 their name (which means Water-leaf) from 

 their having in the spring a small quantity 

 of water in the cavity of each leaf. In 

 North America the leaves of H. virginicum 

 are eaten under the name of Shawanese 

 salad. French, HydropJvyUe; German, i 

 Wasserblatt. [C. A. J.] 



HYDROPIPER. Polygonum Hydro- 

 piper ; also Elatine Hydropiper. 



, HYDROPYRUM. A genus of aquatic 

 grasses, distinguished by the spikelets 

 being monoecious, the male and female flo- 

 rets in the same panicle. Male flowers with- 

 out glumes ; pales two, membranous, the 

 lower acute and mucronate, five-nerved, 

 concave, the upper three-nerved ; stamens 

 six. Females with rudiments of glumes ; 

 pales two, membranous, the lower three- 

 nerved, ending in a long awn ; styles two, 

 short and spreading. H. escidentum, the 

 Canada Rice, is a well-known plant of 

 North America, where the large seeds 

 yield a considerable amount of food to the 

 wandering tribes of Indians, and feed im- 

 mense flocks of wild swans, and other 

 aquatic birds. It grows well in Britain 

 when it is once established, but it is liable 

 to die away if not cared for. [D. M.] 



HYDROSTACHYS. Aquatic herbs, na- 

 tives of Madagascar, constituting a genus 

 of Podostemacece. They are of little gene- 

 ral interest, but are known by their uni- 

 sexual naked flowers, and by their fruit, 

 which consists of two carpels, forming a 

 single cavity, and bursting by two pieces 

 or valves. [M. T. M.] 



HYDROT^ENIA. A genus of bulbous 

 Iridacece allied very closely to Sisyrinchium, 

 from which it differs in having the anthers 

 opposite the sepaline divisions ; it has, 

 moreover, quite a different habit, imitat- 

 ing rather the liliaceous genus Fritillaria. 

 The perianth is bell-shaped with the parts 

 almost isomerous, the petaline divisions 

 clawed, and marked above the claw with a 

 triangular zone which glitters as if con- 

 structed of rock crystal ; there are three 

 monadelphous stamens, and a trifid style 

 whose branches divide into three erect 

 stigmas of a remarkable character, each 

 parting into two arms which are rolled up as 

 if to form a gutter, and bear a dense mass 

 of bright papillas at the end, and a single 

 tooth on the inner edge, while between 

 the arms stands a short mucro free from 

 glands, and forming a minute 'horn. The 

 name refers to the glitteringdewy or watery 

 band on the petaline segments. H. Melea- 

 gris, the only species, is a native of Mexico, 

 and has a single plaited ensiform leaf, and 

 fugacious campanulate purple flowers, 

 pendulous on slender footstalks. [T. M.] 



HYEMAL. Of or belonging to winter. 

 Usually applied to plants that bloom in 

 winter. 



HYGROPHIL A. A genus of Acantliaceo?, 

 containing about two dozen species, which 

 are widely distributed over the tropical and 

 sub-tropical regions of the world. They 

 are erect or decumbent herbs, growing 

 in moist localities. The flowers are in 

 sessile axillary clusters, and have a calyx 

 of five or rarely four sepals ; a two-lipped 

 corolla, with the upper lip notched, and 

 the lower threelobed, the lobes contorted 

 in the bud ; and four didynamous stamens. 

 The oblong or linear capsule has seeds 

 along its whole length. [W. C] 



HYGROPHORUS. A genus of Fungi, 



