scop] 



Clje &rnt«9ttrj) ai 23atang. 



10-10 



having all the florets of the flower-head 

 strap-shaped, belong to the Cichoracecc, 

 and from all others of that group are at 

 once distinguished by their thistle-like 

 appearance. The leaves are lance-shaped 

 in outline and deeply toothed, the teeth 

 again divided, and all the divisions ending 

 in rigid spiny points, while the nerves are 

 white in some of the species, as in milk- 

 thistles, and give the leaves a handsome 

 appearance. The flower-heads are solitary 

 at the ends of the branches or the short 

 axillary shoots, small for the size of the 

 plants, surrounded by leafy bracts, and 

 of a rich saffron, colour. S. maculatus is 

 sometimes cultivated for the sake of its 

 spotted variegated leaves. [A. A. B.] 



SCOPARIACE^E. A name under which 

 Link proposed to establish a distinct 

 order for Scop aria and a few other Scro- 

 phulariacece allied to it, but which has not 

 been adopted. 



SCOPARIA. A genus of Scroplmlariacece, 

 containing several branching herbs or 

 shrubs from South America, one of them 

 having, however, established itself in all 

 the temperate regions of the globe. The 

 leaves are opposite or verticillate, and the 

 single-flowered pedicels rise generally in 

 pairs from the axils. The calyx is four to 

 five-parted ; the rotate corolla is quadrifid; 

 there are four stamens; the two cells 

 of the anthers are united above but di- 

 verging below : the capsule dehisces sep- 

 ticidally, with entire valves ; and the seeds 

 are numerous and reticulated. fW. C] 



SCOPOLIA. Scopoli wfts a distinguished 

 Austrian naturalist, who died towards 

 the end of the last century. The genus 

 named in compliment to him comprises a 

 perennial plant, native of the mountains 

 of Eastern Europe. The leaves are in 

 pairs, one larger than the other. The 

 flowers are solitary, placed on axillary 

 pendulous stalks: in their structure they 

 resemble those of Hyoscyamus, but may 

 be distinguished by the following cha- 

 racters :— Corolla funnel-shaped, traversed 

 by fifteen nerves, the limb divided into 

 Ave very short lobes ; stamens equal in 

 length, the filaments short dilated and 

 hairy at the base, cylindrical above ; ovary 

 surrounded by a five-lobed fleshy disk; 

 fruit similar to that of henbane. S. car- 

 niolica is a pretty spring-flowering plant, 

 with dull purple flowers. The name has 

 been at various times given to other 

 genera. [M. T. M.] 



SCORDIUM. Teucrinm Scordium. 



SCORIAS. A most curious genus of 

 Fungi which has hitherto occurred only in 

 the United States of America, where it 

 forms large spongy cinder-like masses 

 (whence the name) amongst fallen leaves, 

 consisting of intricate necklace-like dark 

 threads, which here and there produce 

 cysts containing asci and sporidia. It is 

 nearly allied to Capnodium, of which it 

 seems to be an exaggerated form, with 



the lnycelium more gelatinous and more 

 highly developed. [M. J. BJ 



SCORODONIA. Teucrium Scorodouia. 



SCORODOSMA. S. fcetidum, the only 

 known species of this genus of Umbelliferce, 

 is, as its names imply, a powerfully smell- 

 ing plant. Its leaves are deeply cut, its 

 umbels very large, and its flowers uni- 

 sexual ; the males with an indistinct calyx, 

 five yellow petals, as many stamens, and 

 two rudimentary styles ; and the females 

 with white petals, five small glands occu- 

 pying the position of the stamens, and 

 styles bent downwards and terminated by 

 large stigmas. The fruit is circular in 

 outline, compressed from back to front, 

 each of its halves marked by three ridges, 

 the lateral ones being expanded "into 

 wings ; there are no vittse. Prom its near 

 allies, Ferula and I)orema,\t is distinguish- 

 ed by the inconspicuous calyx, the petals, 

 and the want of vittas. 



It is a native of the desert region of 

 Central Asia, from which circumstance, 

 conjoined with its odour and a resem- 

 blance to Kaempfer's figure of the plant 

 yielding assafcetida,it was surmised that it 

 might be the plant producing that drug, a 

 surmise now known to be incorrect. It was 

 first introduced to the notice of botanists 

 by Prof. Bunge of Dorpat. [M.T.M.] 



SCORPIOID. An inflorescence which is 

 rolled up towards one side in the manner 

 of a crozier, unrolling as the flowers ex- 

 pand. 



SCORPIONE. (Fr.) Myosotis. 



SCORPION-PLANT. Eenanthera arach- 

 nitis ; also Genista scorpius. 



SCORPIURUS. A small genus of her- 

 baceous plants belonging to the Legumi- 

 nosie, and distinguished by bearing their 

 fruit in the form of a jointed pod, each 

 division containing a seed, which as it ap- 

 proaches maturity becomes revolute, and 

 has a fancied resemblance to the tail of 

 some reptile— whence its name, Scorpion's- 

 tail. Unlike most of the plants with 

 which they are associated, they have sim- 

 ple leaves, and they bear axillary one to 

 four-flowered peduncles, which are longer 

 than the leaA r es, with yellow rarely purple 

 flowers. The species are mainly distin- 

 guished by the number of flowers seated 

 on the same stalk, and by the external 

 condition of the pod, whether scaly tu- 

 berculated or prickly. They are natives 

 of the Mediterranean regions. [C. A. J.] 



SCORSONERE. (Fr.) Scorzonera. 



SCORZONERA. A genus of Composites 

 indigenous to the south of Europe and 

 temperate parts of Asia, consisting of 

 perennial herbs, with undivided lanceolate 

 leaves, simple or branched stems, and dis- 

 tinct terminal heads of flowers of a yellow 

 or purple colour. The heads are many- 

 flowered, the florets being all perfect, con- 

 taining both stamens and ovary; the in- 

 volucre is many-leaved, the leaves being 

 much imbricated on each other, and the 



