can shrub, the leaves of which vary in 

 form and position, being opposite or alter- 

 nate, ovate or oblong, and hairy on both 

 sides, with red flowers in terminal clusters. 

 The name is from the Greek, and indicates 

 the presence of one perfect stamen. [G. D.] 

 SEMELE. A genus of Liliacew of the 

 tribe Asparaginece found in the Canaries, 

 closely allied to Euscus, of which it has 

 very much the habit, but differing in 

 having perfect flowers intermixed with 

 male ones, and in the perianth-segments 

 being united into a short turbinate tube. 

 S. androgyna, formerly Euscus androgy- 

 nus, is a climbing shrub, with scale-like 

 leaves and cladodia (branches taking the 

 form of leaves), from the side of which 

 the flowers are produced. [J. T. S.] 



SEMELLE DU PAPE. (Fr.) Opuntia 



vulgaris. 



SEMEN. The seed of flowering plants. 

 — CINiE, or SEMENCINE. A drug analo- 

 gous to Semen Contra, and obtained from 

 several species of Artemisia. — CONTRA. 

 The name of Artemisia Siebieri and some 

 allied species, the leaves and flower-heads 

 of which form a celebrated vermifuge. — 

 CORNICULATUM. The receptacle of cer- 

 tain Fungals. — SERIPHU. A drug ob- 

 tained from Artemisia ccerulescens. 



SEMI. In composition = half, or one 

 side only. Thus— semi-aviplectens or semi- 

 amplexicaul, half-clasping a stem ; semi- 

 cordate, heart-shaped on one side only ; 

 semi-hastate, hastate on one side only ; 

 semi-lunate, crescent-shaped ; semi-ovate, 

 ovate on one side only ; semi-pollicaris, 

 half an inch long; semi-reniform, reni- 

 ] form on one side only ; semi-sagittate, 

 j arrow-headed on one side only ; semi- 

 ' teres, half-terete— and so on. 



SEMI-ANATROPOUS. The same as He- 

 rn ianatropus. 



SEMI-FLOSCTJLOSE. Having the corolla 

 split and turned to one side, as in the ligule 

 of composites. 



SEMINATIO. The act of dispersing 

 seeds naturally. 



SEMINULUM. A spore. 



SEMIRAMISTA. A genus of South 

 American shrubs belonging to the Vacci- 

 nriacea?. They have stiff five to seven- 

 nerved leaves, and extra-axillary flower- 

 stalks thickened at the base, and bearing 

 very large solitary flowers. The calyx is 

 top-shaped, marked with five ridges, its 

 free border five-toothed; and the limb of 

 the corolla folded in the bud. [M. T. M.] 



SEMI-SEPTATE. Half-partitioned ; hav- 

 ing a dissepiment which does not project 

 into the cavity to which it belongs suffi- 

 ciently to cut it off into two separate 

 cells. * 



SEM-KE-GOND. An Indian name for 

 the gum of Bauhinia emarginata. 



SEMOLINA. A granular preparation of 

 wheat. 



SEMPERVIRENS. Evergreen; retain- 

 I ing greenness during winter as well as 

 I summer. 



SEMPERVIVUM. A genus of shrubby 

 I or herbaceous plants belonging to the 

 i Crassulacece, and allied to Seduvi, from 

 j which they are distinguished by having 

 j about twelve petals, and the glands at the 

 I base of the ovaries laciniated if present. 

 | S. tectorum, the Common Houseleek, is a 

 I well-known plant with thick fleshy leaves 

 [ arranged in the form of a double rose, 

 from among which rise succulent stalks 

 j bearing cymes of purple flowers, which on 

 ! close examination prove no less beautiful 

 1 than singular. It is commonly to be met 

 with on the tops of outhouses and cot- 

 tages, but is not believed to be a native 

 of Britain. Of the foreign species, those 

 with shrubby stems have yellow rarely 

 white flowers, and are all natives of the 

 Canaries. See Ionium. One species, S. 

 cwspitosum, has been known to remain 

 alive in an herbarium for eighteen months, 

 and to grow when subsequently planted. 

 Other species which are herbaceous ap- 

 proach S. tectorum or some of the stone- 

 crops in habit. French: Joubarbe ; German : 

 Hauswurz. [C. A. J.] 



SENE. (Fr.) Senna. — BATARDE. 

 Coronilla Emerus. — FAUX. Colutea ar- 

 borescens. - DES PROVENCAUX. Globu- 

 lar ia Alypum. 



I SENEBIERA. Insignificant weeds with 

 prostrate diffuse stems, and finely-divided 

 leaves, belonging to the order Crucifercc, 

 distinguished by their two-celled two- 

 seeded seed-vessels, which are broader 

 than long, and either wrinkled or crested 

 with sharp points. S. didyma, the Lesser 

 Wartcress, is most abundant in the west 

 of England, where it frequently covers 

 waste ground to the exclusion of every 

 other weed, and may be distinguished by 



1 its acrid smell alone, resembling that of 

 peppercress; its flavour is most nauseous. 

 The Swine's Cress_, S. Coronopus, resem- 

 bles it in habit, but is destitute of the pun- 

 gent smell : it is said to have been formerly 

 used as a salad. Both species have minute 

 white flowers, and the latter is remarkable 

 for its large seed-vessels, which have the 

 appearance of being carved. [C. A. J.] 



SENECILLIS. Of this genus of Com- 

 posite there are three species— glauca, 

 carpatica, and Jacquemontiana, natives 

 respectively of Central Russia, the Carpa- 

 thian mountains, and Kashmir. Excepting 

 in the pappus, which consists of onerow of 

 rough hairs much shorter than the ribbed 

 achenes, these plants have altogether the 

 characters of Ligularia, and might be 

 passed over as belonging to that genus. 

 They are perennial herbs, with stalked 

 root-leaves of the consistence of those of 

 the cabbage, sessile stem-leaves, and nod- 

 ding yellow-rayed flower-heads disposed 

 in terminal panicles. The plant usually 

 cultivated as 8. glauca is Ligularia macro- 

 phylla, which greatly resembles theformer, 

 but has a different pappus. [A. A. B.] 



