nola] 



1&l)t Erea^urD of $3otaug. 



792 



Aleurites Ambinux. — DE BEX. The Ben 

 nut, Moringa ptcrygosperma, — M US- 

 CADE. The Nutmeg, Myristica moschata. 

 — VOMIQUE. The Nux- vomica, Strychnos 

 nux vomica. 



NOLANACE^]. (Nolanacls.) A natural 

 order of corollifioral dicotyledons belong- 

 ing to Lindley's echial alliance of perigy- 

 nous Exogens. Herbaceous or shrubby 

 plants, with alternate exstipulate leaves, 

 and having some features in common 

 both with Convolvulacece. and Boraginacece. 

 Their distinguishing characteristics are 

 their straight inflorescence, their valvate 

 calyx, their plaited corolla, and their ovary 

 of five or more separate carpels, variously 

 combined with united styles and some- 

 what capitate stigma. They are natives of 

 South America, and consist of half a dozen 

 genera (e.g. Nolana and Alona), which com- 

 prise about three dozen species. [J. H. B.J 



NOLANA. A genus of annual Nolana- 

 cece, well marked by the bell-shaped corolla, 

 I plaited while in bud. N. atriplicifolia is a 

 pretty plant, with prostrate much-branched 

 stems, ovate fleshy leaves, and large axil- 

 lary flowers (resembling those of a convol- 

 vulus), of which the limb is bright blue, 

 and the tube white and yellow. They are 

 all natives of Peru or Chili. [C. A. JJ 



NOLITANGERE. The Touch-me-not, 



Impatiens Noli-tangere. 



NOMBRIL DE V^NUS. (Fr.) Cotyledon 

 umbilicus ; also Omphalodes linifolia. 



NOMOLOGY. That part of Botany which 

 relates to the laws which govern the varia- 

 tions of organs. 



NONDA. Parinarium Nonda, one of the 

 few edible fruits of Australia. 



NONDO. An American name for Ligns- 

 ticum actceifolium. 



NONE-SO-PRETTY. Saxifraga umbrosa. 



NONI. Nine together. 



NONNEA. A genus of Boraginacece, na- 

 tives of the Mediterranean region and of 

 Middle Asia. It consists of hispid plants, 

 often of annual duration, with terminal 

 leafy racemes of yellow purple or varie- 

 gated flowers, having a five-cleft calyx 

 swelling at the base as the fruit ripens, a 

 funnel-shaped corolla with a straight tube 

 bearded or with small pilose scales at the 

 throat, and four nuts often reticulated and 

 pubescent, excavated at the base where 

 they are attached to the receptacle, quite 

 free from the style. [J. T. S.] 



NONSUCH. Medicago lupulina; also 

 Lychnis chalcedonica. 



NONUS. The ninth. 



NOONFLOWER, or NOONTIDE. Trago- 

 pogon pratensis. 



NOONGPOO. The Tamil name of the 

 wine obtained from the Palmyra Palm. 



NOOPS. The Cloudberry, Rubus Chamce- 



NOPAL. (Fr.) Opuntia vulgaris. 



NOPALEA. The three species to which 

 this generic name is applied have been se- 

 parated from the old cactaceous genus 

 Opuntia, and are characterised by their 

 flowers having the petals erect and drawn 

 together at the top instead of being ex- 

 panded as in Opuntia, and by the stamens 

 being longer than the corolla but shorter 

 than the style. They have round stems, 

 and fleshy jointed flat branches like Opun- 

 tia ; but the tubercles upon the branches 

 are usually unarmed with spines, and the 

 flowers are crimson or reddish instead of 

 yellow or orange. They are natives of 

 Mexico and the West Indies. 



N. coccinelli/era grows about eight or 

 ten feet high, and has a tree-like appear- 

 ance. Its stem arid older branches are 

 nearly cylindrical and of an ash-grey colour, 

 but the younger parts are flat and of a deep 

 green, the joints being of an oblong or 

 obovate form, and varying from five or six 

 inches to afoot in length, usually unarmed 

 with spines, but having when young seve- 

 ral short awl-shaped fleshy leaves, which 

 soon fall off, leaving a white scar and tuft 

 of short wool and bristles. Plantations for 

 rearing the cochineal insect [Coccus Cacti) 

 are called nopaleries, and sometimes con- 

 tain 50,000 plants, arranged in lines, and 

 kept about four feet high. The female in- 

 sects are placed on the plants in August, 

 and in four months the first crop is gather- 

 ed, two others being obtained in the course 

 of the year. Mexico is the native country 

 of the cochineal, but the greater part of 

 our supply now comes from New Grenada 

 and the Canary Islands ; the annual imports 

 being from 1,200 to 1,400 tons, worth about 

 400Z. per ton. Although the name cocci- 

 nellifera (i.e. cochineal-bearing) has been 

 given to this species, it is not the only one 

 upon which the insect feeds, Opuntia Tuna 

 being most commonly cultivated for the 

 purpose in Mexico. [A. S.] 



NOPUGETE. (Fr.) A kind of Olive. 



NORA NTEA. A genus of Marcgraviacece, 

 a group regarded by some authors as a sub- 

 order of Temstromiacece. They are epiphy- 

 tal or scandent shrubs, rarely trees, with 

 coriaceous entire leaves, and terminal brac- 

 teated racemes of flowers. The five sepals 

 are imbricated, as are the five petals ; the 

 stamens are numerous, with linear innate 

 anthers; and the ovary is three to five- 

 celled, with a sessile radiating stigma, and 

 anatropal ovules. Fruit globose, indehis- 

 cent. There are eight species found in the 

 tropical parts of America. [J. H. B.] 



NORCA. The Portuguese name of the 

 Port Moniz Yam, Tamas edulis. 



NORDMANNIA. A genus of Tliymelaceaz, 

 referred by Endlicher to Ilargasseria. One 

 species, H. cordifolia, with flowers of a pale 

 blue, a native of the West Indies, is in 

 cultivation. [M. T. M.] 



NORMAL. When the ordinary structure 

 peculiar to the family or genus of a plant 

 is in nowise departed from. 



