limb; there are four stamens; the ovary 

 is four-celled, with one ovule in each cell : 

 the short style has an obtuse stigma ; and 

 the indehiscent drupe is covered by the 

 persistent calyx. [W. C] 



SCLEROPHYLAX. A curious genus of 

 small Chilian plants having affinities with 

 Xolanacece, Ehretiacem, and Jlyoporacece. 

 The stems are branched, bearing spathu- 

 late geminate leaves, and axillary sessile 

 flowers in pairs ; calyx five-parted, with a 

 very short tube, two or three of the seg- 

 ments being elongated into triquetrous 

 spines or leaf-like expansions; corolla 

 funnel-shaped, contracted at the mouth 

 with a bell-shaped five-parted limb, some- 

 what two-lipped, resembling that of the 

 small-flowered Petunias. [J. T. SJ 



SCLEROSCIADIT7M. A genus of urn- 

 bellifers, distinguished by having the tips 

 of the petals two or three-toothed; the 

 fruit roundish ovate, each half with five 

 thick equal ribs; and one oil-vessel in each 

 of the narrow grooves, and two at the 

 line of junction. The only species is S. 

 humile, a native of Mogadon The name is 

 derived from two Greek words signifying 

 ' hard' and ' umbel,' in allusion to the liabit 

 of the plant. [G. D.] 



SCLEROST YLIS. This genus of Auran- 

 tiacece consists of trees or shrubs natives 

 of India, Java, &c. Professor Oliver, the 

 most recent investigator of the order, is of 

 opinion that the genus should be cancelled, 

 and its species referred to Glyeosmis and 

 Atalantia. [M. T. M.] 



SCLEROTHAMXFS. The generic name 

 of a small much-branched wiry-stemmed 

 bush of West Australia belonging to the 

 Leguminosce, and closely related to Pid- 

 teneea, differing chiefly in the minute two- 

 seeded pods being stalked instead of sessile. 

 The specific name, mierophyllus, alludes to 

 the minute heath-like leaves, which are 

 closely set, and bear in their axils the 

 solitary inconspicuous pale-yellow pea- 

 flowers. It is of little beauty. [A. A. B.J 



SCLEROTIUM. A spurious genus of 

 Fungi, but not without interest, so far as 

 it shows the strange forms which under 

 particular circumstances may be assumed 

 by various species. The productions re- 

 ferred to Sclerotium, as the name implies, 

 consist of a mass of cells compacted into a 

 solid body, attached occasionally at the 

 base by a few delicate threads. Sometimes 

 the outline of the external cells is waved, 

 as in the cuticle of many phasnogams. 

 These productions are either entirely free, 

 or more or less imbedded in the substances 

 on which they grow— sometimes being 

 merely covered by the cuticle, sometimes 

 slightly immersed, but occasionally deeply 

 imbedded in the pith or other soft struc- 

 tures. They occur on decaying agarics, on 

 herbaceous "stems, rotten wood, amongst 

 moss or dung, on putrefying roots or fruit, 

 or even on decomposed animal matter. A 

 few— as the Sclerotium at Pezizatuberosa, 

 Agaricus tuberosus, &c— are mere dormant 



winter states of more perfect plants. Some, 

 on the contrary, as the Sclerotia of onions, 

 peas, &c, are peculiar conditions of fila- 

 mentous moulds, induced by too great 

 moisture, or a too liberal supply of nutri- 

 ment. Such assertions, however evident, 

 are difficult of proof, and therefore subject 

 to contradiction; but by placing thin slices 

 in closed cells containing a proper fluid 

 they may sometimes be induced to fructify, 

 as was done in the case of a Sclerotium 

 abounding frequently on onions by Mr. 

 Hoffman and Mr. Berkeley. The rose- 

 coloured Sclerotium of rush-pith when 

 placed in a moist situation uniformly pro- 

 duces Peziza Curreyi, exactly as ergot de- 

 velops different species of Cordiceps. A 

 few authors still consider these produc- 

 tions true species, but no fruit has ever 

 been found in them, and indeed the de- 

 velopment of mere conidia would not be 

 decisive on this point. [M. J. B.] 



SCOBIFORM. Having the appearance 

 of fine sawdust. 



SCOBTNA. The zigzag rachis of the 

 spikelets of grasses. 



SCOKE. Phytolacca decandra. 



SCOLIOSORUS. A Mexican fern for- 

 merly referred to Antrophyum, but having 

 neither netted veins nor netted sori as in 

 that genus. The fronds are simple, and 

 the veins reduced to an obscure midrib. 

 It has bqen referred to the Tamitidece, in 

 consequence of having non-mdusiate 

 linear interrupted flexuose sori lying be- 

 tween the midrib and margin. [T. MJ 



SCOLOPENDRE. (Fr.) Scolupendrium. 



SCOLOPENDRIUM. A genus of poly- 

 podiaceous ferns, typical of that group of 

 Aspleniece in which the sori are double, 

 opening face to face. The veins are free 

 and parallel-forked, terminating in club- 

 shaped apices. The typical species is S. 

 vulgare, the Common Hartstongue fern, 

 which has normally long strap-shaped 

 simple fronds, but occurs in a monstrous 

 state in almost every conceivable form. A 

 few other species are recorded, some of 

 them pinnate, but these are sometimes 

 regarded as abnormalforms of other totally 

 distinct plants. [T. M.] 



SCOLOPIA (including Phoberos). A ge- 

 nus of Flacourtiacece inhabiting tropical 

 Asia and Australia, and composed of spiny 

 shrubs and trees, with alternate leathery 

 simple glabrous leaves, and bearing incon- 

 spicuous racemose hermaphrodite flowers. 

 The calyx is from eight to ten-lobed, the 

 corolla wanting, the stamens indefinite, 

 the style simple, and the fruit a leathery 

 berry filled with a jelly-like pulp. We know 

 nothing of the properties of the half-dozen 

 species composing this genus. Scolopia 

 being the older name, it has been adopted 

 in preference to Phoberos by leading bo- 

 tanists. [B. SJ 



SCOLYMUS. A genus of Composite num- 

 bering four species, natives of Southern 

 Europe and Northern Africa. These plants, 



