noth] 



&Ije Ereagurp af 3S0tanp. 



794 



NOTHOCHL.ENA. A genus of ferns 

 closely related to Poly podium, from which 

 it differs in its small oligocarpous sori, 

 which finally become confluent in narrow 

 lines near the margin, as well as in its 

 aspect, which more nearly resembles that 

 of Clieilanthes ; the latter, however, being 

 distinguished by the presence of a margi- 

 nal indusium, which is wanting in Notho- 

 chlcena. The veins are free. The small tuft- 

 ed fronds are either once, twice, or thrice 

 pinnate, some of them, as N. pulveracea, 

 having the under-surface farinoso-cera- 

 ceous, and others, as iV. lanuginosa and 

 sinuata, having the under-surface scaly, 

 hairy, or woolly. They occur in North 

 and South America, both Indies, Australia 

 and the Eastern Islands, North and South 

 Africa, and the South of Europe. [T. M.] 



NOTHUS. False or bastard ; usually ap- 

 plied to the false roots formed by parasites 

 when they attack living plants. 



NOTOBASIS. The Syrian Thistle, N.sy- 

 riaca, is the only species of this genus of 

 Compositce, and is distinguished from other 

 thistles by the central florets of the flower- 

 head only being fertile. It has stems one 

 to four feet high furnished with white- 

 veined leaves, the lower of which are six 

 to eight inches long, sinuately lobed and 

 coarsely spine-toothed, and the upper pin- 

 natifid, the lobes prolonged into rigid 

 spines. The sessile flower-heads are soli- 

 tary or two or three together, on short 

 axillary branches, each head fenced in bv 

 a very rigid pinnatifid bract, whose spiny 

 points are often two inches in length. The 

 florets are purple. The plant is distri- 

 buted throughout the Mediterranean re- 

 gion, and in the Canary Islands. [A. A. B.] 



NOTOCERAS. A genus of Cruciferce from 

 Siberia, the Canary Islands,and the Mediter- 

 ranean region, comprising small annuals, 

 with the racemes of small yellowish flowers 

 opposite the leaves. The pod is two-valved, 

 four-sided, with two of the angles acute 

 and two obtuse, the valves drawn out into 

 two or four short horns. [J. T. S.] 



NOTORHIZEiE. A term derived from 

 two Greek words signifying back and root, j 

 and applied to a suborder of cruciferous 

 plants in which the radicle of the embryo 

 lies on the back of the cotyledons. In this 

 case the cotyledons are said to be incum- 

 bent, and the radicle dorsal. Among Bri- 

 tish plants examples are seen in Hesperis, 

 Brassica, Sinapis, Capsella, &c. [J. H. B.] 



NOTYLIA. A genus of tropical Ame- 

 rican epiphytal orchids, with one-leaved 

 pseudobulbs, and radical racemes of in- 

 conspicuous flowers, which have the two 

 side sepals cohering beneath the lip, the 

 lip itself unguiculate, quite entire, and free 

 or slightly adherent by its claw to the 

 slender erect column, at the back of which 

 is the anther, containing two solid pollen- 

 masses attached to a wedge-shaped caudicle 

 adhering by a minute gland. [A. S.j 



NOTJFAR. An Arabian name for Nym- 

 plicea Lotus. 



NOVENI. Nine. 



NOYAU. (Fr.) A liqueur flavoured with 

 the kernel of Cerasus occidentalis ; it is also 

 said to be sometimes prepared from Con- 

 volvulus dissectus. 



NOYER. (Fr.) Juglans. — A PEUILLES 

 DE FRENE. Pterocarya fraxinifolia. — 

 BLANC. Carya alba. — COMMUN. Ju- 

 glans regia. — DE CEYLON, DES INDES, 

 or DE MALABAR. Adhatoda vasica. — 

 DES POURCEAUX. Carya porcina. — 

 PACAVIER. Carya olivceformis. 



NTABA. The Gaboon name for a blood- 

 red wild grape. 



NUCAMENTACE^E. A suborder of Pro- 

 teacece. 



NUC AMENTACEOUS. Having the hard- 

 ness of a nut. 



NUCAMENTUM. An obsolete term for 

 an amentum or catkin. 



NUCLEUS. The word Nucleus is vari- 

 ously applied by botanists. Sometimes it 

 is applied to cytoblasts, or to bodies re- 

 sembling cytoblasts. It is also applied to 

 the centre part of the ovule, in which the 

 embryo is engendered. By mycologists it 

 is applied to the gelatinous mass of asci 

 or spores which is found in the perithe- 

 cia of Spiicerice, or the analogous fungi 

 among the Coniomycetes ; while in Alga it 

 is applied to the fructifying mass of the 

 rhodosperms.whether contained in a single 

 cell or in a compound cyst or conceptacle, 

 the word nucleoli being used when there 

 is a group of nuclei. — PROLIGERUS. 

 A distinct cartilaginous body coming out 

 entire from the apothecia of some'lichens, 

 and containing the spores. [M. J. B.] , 



NUCULANIUM. A pulpy thin-skinned 

 superior fruit, having seeds lying loosely 

 in the pulp ; as a grape. 



NUCULE. A small hard seed-like fruit; 

 also the same as Glans ; also a small stone 

 or seed. 



NUCUMENTACEiE. A name derived 

 from a Latin word meaning a nut, and ap- 

 plied to a suborder of cruciferous plants, 

 in which there is a one-celled silicule from 

 the absence of replum or partition, and 

 often a single seed, the valves being in- 

 distinct and indehiscent. In British plants, 

 this is seen in Isatis. [J. H. B.] 



NUDE, NUDUS. Naked, that is to say, 

 either bald from the total absence of hairs, 

 or uncovered in consequence of the ab- 

 sence of any investing organs. Nudius- 

 culus is nearly naked, having scarcely any 

 hairs. 



NULLIPORES. A synonym of Coral- 

 lines, more especially applied to the diffe- 

 rent species of Melobesia and similar pro- 

 ductions. [M. J. B.] 



NUMMULAIRE. (Fr.) Lysimachia Num- 

 mularia. 



NUPHAR. A genus of water-plants of 

 the family Nymphaacece, acquiring its 



