1057 



Ojc CreaSurg of SSnfcmi?. 



[side 



: rising singly or in fascicles from the axils | 

 of the leaves. The calyx is divided into 

 four to eight deep spreading segments; 

 the corolla is subrotate, with as many di- 

 visions as the calyx, or with an additional 

 one: the stamens are as numerous as the 

 segments of the corolla, or are fewer, and 

 have two-celled sagittate anthers; the 

 style is entire, with a capitate stigma; 

 and the capsule is membranaceous com- 

 pressed two-celled two-valved, and de- 

 hisces in a loculicidal manner. ["W. C] 



j SICIOTE. (Fr.) Sicyos. 



| SICKLE-POD. AraMs canadensis. 



SICKLEWORT. Prunella vulgaris. 



; SICYOS, or SYCIOS. A genus of climb- 

 ing plants belonging to Cucurbitaceoe, and 



■ inhabiting tropical and temperate parts of 

 j the globe. Their stems are angular, and 



furnished with tendrils for climbing; 

 their leaves are simple and lobed : their 

 flowers monoecious, the males being ar- 

 ranged in racemes, and the females solitary; 

 the calyx is five-toothed, and the corolla 



j monopetalous whitish and flve-cleft; there 

 are five stamens, and. a dry one-seeded 

 fruit. S. angnlatus of North America has 

 a root and seeds which are bitter and 



J diuretic. [B. S.] 



i SICYOSPERMA gracile is the only 

 known representative of a genus of Cu- 



I curbitacea? inhabiting Sonora, one of the 

 states of Western Mexico. It is an annual, 

 which lias a slender climbing stem, two- 

 cleft tendrils, cordate leaves more or less 



i lobed, white monoecious flowers arranged 

 in racemes, a five-toothed calyx, a mono- 



! netalous eorolla, five monadelphous sta- 

 mens, and an ovate lenticular brown or 



j blackish seed-like fruit, containing only 

 a single pendulous seed. The genus is 



j closely allied to Sicyos. [B. S.] 



I SIDA An extensive genus of Malvaceae., 

 j comprising herbs and shrubs, natives of 

 : the tropical and subtropical zones both of 

 j the Eastern and "Western Hemispheres. 

 I The calyx is cup-shaped and five-cleft; 

 ' petals five, their stalks sometimes inter- 

 twined so as to form a tube; column of 

 the stamens dilated at the base, forming a 

 sort of vault over the ovary; styles five 

 or more: fruit of five or more indehiscent 

 carpels, each containing a single pendulous 

 seed. 



Many of the species are used medicinally. 

 Thus the root of 8. acuta is esteemed by 

 the Hindoos as a valuable stomachic, and 



■ is administered in ague, dysentery, and as 

 a remedy for snake-bites. The leaves are 



: used as a poultice, as likewise are those of 

 ' S. retusa, S. stipulator, and S. mauritiana. 

 j Others are used in rheumatic affections, 

 I and as an application in cases of the stings 

 : of wasps and other insects. The wood of 

 ! these trees is very light ; that of S. mi- 

 crantha is used to make rocket-sticks in 

 Brazil, where large quantities are em- 

 ployed on fete-days at the doors of the 

 ' churches. The bark of some of the species 

 ; contains an abundance of fibrous tissue, 



available for cordage, etc. The Chinese 

 cultivate S. tilicefolia for the sake of its 

 fibre, which they prefer to hemp. The 

 seeds of several kinds are said to be ape- 

 rient. [M. T. JtlJ 



SIDALCEA. A genus of herbs belong- 

 ing to the mallow family, and natives of 

 North-western America. The lower leaves 

 are entire, the upper ones palmately di- I 

 vided, and the flowers red purple orwhite, 

 arranged in racemes; the calyx is not pro- 

 vided with an involucel ; the tube of the 

 stamens divides above into five outer 

 parcels of anthers opposite the petals, and 

 ten inner parcels; and the fruit consists 

 of five to nine membranous carpels, each 

 containing a single seed. [M. T. M.] 



SIDERITIS. A genus of Labiatcc, dis- 

 tinguished from its congeners by the 

 following characters :— The tube of the 

 corolla is included in the calyx, and its 

 upper lip is erect entire or notched, while 

 the lower has the middle lobe broadest ; 

 the two upper stamens are short and per- 

 fect, the two lower longer but imperfect. 

 The species are either herbs shrubs 

 or undershrubs, natives of Southern 

 Europe, temperate Asia, and the Canary 

 Islands. Their flowers are small and usu- 

 ally yellow, in the axils of leaf-like bracts. 

 The name comes from the Greek sideros 

 'iron,' given to a plant supposed to have 

 the power of healing sword-wounds. [G. D.J 



SIDEROXYLOX. So named from the 

 Greek sideros ' iron' and xulon 'wood,' on 

 account of the very hard wood afforded 

 by the various species. The woods of 

 many widely different trees, however, are 

 likewise called Ironwood, almost every 

 country producing a hardwood to which 

 that name is given. The present genus 

 belongs to the Sapotaceo?, and is composed 

 of between thirty and forty species, dis- 

 tributed through both hemispheres, but 

 very rarely extending beyond the limits 

 of the tropics. The majority are trees, 

 some attaining a large size, with alternate 

 generally veiny leaves, and axillary clus- 

 ters of usually whitish flowers, succeeded 

 by roundish berries about the size of 

 cherries, in which are from one to three 

 seeds. The flowers have both the calyx 

 and corolla more or less deeply five-lobed 

 or parted ; five fertile stamens rising from 

 the tube of the corolla opposite its lobes, 

 and five sterile scale-like ones alternate 

 with them ; and a five (.or rarely two or 

 four) celled ovary. 



The fruits of S.dulciflcum, as the specific 

 name denotes, have an exceedingly sweet 

 taste, and are one of the kinds known to I 

 the English residents in "Western tropical 

 Africa, where the plant is indigenous, 

 under the name of Miraculous-berry, from 

 their being eaten in order to counteract 

 the acidity of any article of food or drink— 

 their sweet flavour being retained by the 

 palate for a considerable length of time. 

 They are rather more than half the size of 

 olives, and somewhat of the same shape. 



