1067 



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[snow 



SMOKEWOOD. Clematis Vitalba. 



SMOKY. Having a dull greyish-black 

 colour. 



SMOOTH. Free from asperities or hairs, 

 or any sort of uuevenness. 



SMUT. An affection of wheat, barley, 

 oats, and other plants of the same natural 

 order, deriving its name from the black 

 sooty mass into which the receptacle of 

 the germen and the base of the glumes 

 are converted, the pistil and stamens being 

 completely abortive. It commences its 

 growth long before the sheath opens to 

 give liberty to the inflorescence. Smut is 

 produced by a fungus of the genus Ustila- 

 go, belonging to the division Coniomycetes, 

 and characterised by its simple spores 

 springing at first from delicate threads or 

 produced in the form of closely-packed 

 cells, which ultimately break up into a 

 powdery mass. It is far more common in 

 oats and barley than in wheat, and some- 

 times does considerable damage, affecting 

 the ultimate produce ; but as the spores 

 are blown away at an early stasre, and there 

 is no appearance of the malady, like bunt, 

 at harvest, it is not much regarded by 

 agriculturists. It is a common notion in- 

 deed amongst them that it may be pre- 

 vented by proper dressing, and several 

 preparations aresold for the purpose, which 

 make great promise, but it is quite clear 

 from the nature of the fungus that they 

 must be wholly inoperative. The spores 

 are dispersed over the whole face of the 

 country, and do not adhere to the grain 

 itself. As soon as the seed is sown, they 

 are ready in the soil to contaminate the 

 young plant. We have in vain attempted 

 to impregnate grain with smut, though 

 rubbing healthy seeds with bunt-spores 

 seldom or never fails. The probability is 

 that the smut-spores require a long season 

 of rest before their germination takes 

 place, whereas bunt-spores develope their 

 peculiar spawn a few hours' after being 

 sown. Smut occurs in all parts of the 

 world where cereals are cultivated, as, for 

 example, on the hot banks of the Indian 

 River Soane ■ and is subject to slight varia- 

 tions according to the different plants upon 

 which it is developed, but not such as to 

 justify the separation of several species. 

 On Indian corn it attains an enormous size, 

 measuring frequently some inches in dia- 

 meter. The Smut fungus is described under 

 the name of Ustilago segetum. [M. J. B.J 



SMUT-BALLS. The same as Bunt. 



SMYRNIFM. The name of a genus of 

 TJmbelliferce, known by each half of the 

 fruit having five ribs, three of which are 

 prominent and sharp, and the two mar- 

 ginal ones indistinct ; there is a single 

 vitta in each furrow. The species are 

 biennial herbs, natives of Middle and East- 

 ern Europe, with umbels of yellow or yel- 

 low-green flowers. One species, -S'. Olusa- 

 trum, is not uncommon in some parts of 

 Britain ; its flavour is strong, resembling 



that of celery, and it is used as a potherb. 

 The name is derived from the Greek smur- 

 na, one of the names of myrrh, in allusion 

 to the odour. [G. D.] 



The Alisander or Alexanders, S. Olusa- 

 trum, is a biennial, a native of Britain, and 

 usually met with near the sea, as well as 

 in the vicinity of old residences, where it 

 might have been formerly cultivated. The 

 plant grows from two to three feet high, 

 the stem-leaves being ternate stalked ser- 

 rate, and of a pale-green colour. Before the 

 introduction of celery, the leafstalks, which 

 are the parts that are edible, were blanched 

 and used either as a salad or potherb. The 

 flavour somewhat resembles that of celery, 

 but is stronger and not so agreeable, on 

 which account it has been neglected, and 

 we believe is almost entirely gone out of 

 cultivation. [W. B. B.j 



SNAG. Primus spmosa. 



SNAIL-FLOWER. Phaseohis Caracalla. 



SNAIL-PLANT. Medicago scutellata, and 

 also M. Helix ; the pods of these are called 

 snails from their resemblance to those 

 mollusks. 



SNAKE-ROOT. The root of Poly gala 

 ■Senega. — , BLACK. Botrophis actceoides ; 

 also Sanicula marilandica. — , BUTTON. 

 Eryngium aquaticum; also Liatris. — , 

 CANADA. Asarum canadense. — , CEY- 

 LON. The tubers of Ariscema papillosum. 

 —.VIRGINIAN. Aristolochia Serpentaria. 

 —, WHITE. Eupatorium ageratoides. 



SNAKE'S-BEARD. Ophiopogon. 



SNAKE'S-HEAD. FritiUaria Meleagris ; 

 also an American name for Chelone. 



SNAKE'S-TAIL. Lepturus incurvus. 



SNAKE'S-TONGUE. Lygodium. 



SNAKEWEED. Polygonum Bistorta. 



SNAKEWOOD. Brosimum Aubletii, 

 sometimes called Piratinera guianensis. 



SNAPDRAGON. Antirrhinum majus ; 

 also Silene Antirrhina. — , JAMAICA. 

 RuellioAuberosa, now called Cryphiacanthus 

 barbaclensis. 



SNAP-TREE. Justicia hy ssopifolia. 



SNAPWEED. Impatiens. 



SNEEZEWEED. Selenium autumnale. 



SNEEZEWOOD. Pteroxylon titile. 



SNEEZEWORT. Achillea Ptarmica. 



SNOWBALL TREE. The sterile-flow- 

 ered variety of Viburnum Opidus, com- 

 monly known as the Gueldres Rose. 



SNOWBERRY. Chiococca racemosa. — 

 CREEPING. Chiogenes. 



SNOWDROP. Galanthus nivalis. 



SNOWDROP TREE. Chionanthus vir- 

 ginica; also E"alesia. 



SNOWPLAKE. Leueojum. —, SPRING. 

 Erinosma. 



SNO WFLO WER. CJiionanthus virginica. 



