1105 



Cf)C Exeaiuxy at 28otanjj. 



[STRY 



in this genus of Apocynacece, the species 

 referred to which are shrubs, natives of 

 Tropical Africa and Asia. The flowers are 

 in terminal heads; the corolla funnel- 

 shaped, its throat partly closed by ten 

 scales, its limb divided into five long tail- 

 like segments, whence the name of the 

 genus; the style thread-like, dilated at 

 the top, with a cylindrical stigma ; the 

 fruit a double follicle. Two or three In- 

 dian and West African species are grown 

 in this country for the pretty appearance 

 and singularity of their flowers. The wood 

 of S. dichotomies is used for planks, &c. in 

 India. [M. T. MJ 



STROPHE. A term applied to the spi- 

 rals formed in the development of leaves. 



STROPHIOLE. A tubercle found sur- 

 rounding the hiluir. of some kinds of seeds. 



STRUMA. A cushion-like swelling; a 

 goitre. A protuberance at the base of the 

 spore-cases of some urn-mosses. 



STRUMARIA. A genus of Amarylli- 

 dacece, consisting of Cape bulbous herbs, 

 with lorate linear leaves, and solid scapes 

 bearing many-flowered umbels of erect 

 blossoms, which have a regular six-parted 

 perianth with a short tube and stellated 

 patent limb, six stamens, the filaments 

 connected at the base, an dan erect filiform 

 angular columnar style, thickened or stru- 

 mous below, with a trifid stigma. The 

 flowers are white lined with red or green, 

 or wholly red. [T MJ 



STRUMIFORM. Having the appearance 

 of a struma. 



STRUMULOSE. Furnished with a small 

 struma. 



STRUTHIOLA. A genus of Thymelacece, 

 consisting of South African shrubs, with 

 the heath-like habit and foliage and almost 

 all the characters of G-nidia, but differing 

 from that genus essentially in their sta- 

 mens, which are always four instead of 

 eight; and generally in their flowers, which 

 are axillary along the upper branches, and 

 not in terminal heads. Nineteen species 

 have been described, amongst which S. 

 vircjata with pink flowers, S. erecta, and 

 some orher3 have occasionally been grown 

 in our greenhouses amongst Cape shrubs. 



STRUTHIOPTERIS. A genus of hardy 

 ferns of the polypodiaceous division, re- 

 markable for their handsome growth. The 

 fronds grow erect around a short upright 

 caud'X : the srprile ones in an outer series 

 pinnato-pinnatifid ; the fertile in the centre 

 pinnate, with the pinna? contracted mo- 

 niliform, the margins rolled inwards so as 

 to cover the sori. Theveinsare free. They 

 are easily recognised by their dissimilar 

 fronds, though technically very little differ- 

 ent from Poly-podium beyond the contrac- 

 tion and revolution of the fertile fronds. 

 One species is European, another (or per- 

 haps a variefv) North American, and a third 

 is found in India and Japan. [T. M.] 



STRYCHNIN. The poisunous principle 

 obtained from Strychnos mix vomica. 



STRYCHNOS- Certain solanaceous plants 

 were known to the ancient Greeks by this 

 name, which is now applied to a genus of 

 Loganiacece. The species consist of trees 

 or climbing shrubs, natives of the tropics 

 of Asia and America. The leaves are en- 

 tire strongly-nerved opposite, one of 

 them, however, being frequently abortive, 

 and developing from its axil a tendril-like 

 branch. The flowers are in terminal or 

 axillary corymbs or panicles, greenish- 

 white and generally fragrant ; the calyx- 

 has four or five overlapping segments ; i 

 the corolla is tubular, its limb divided into | 

 four or five valvate segments ; there are : 

 four or five stamens ; and the fruit is a 

 kind of berry, enclosing a single cavity, | 

 and generally many-seeded; the seeds being i 

 flattened disk-like and silky, surrounded \ 

 by pulp. The valvate aestivation of the 

 corolla and the succulent indehiscent fruit | 

 are the distinguishing characteristics. 



The species to which the greatest in- j 

 terest is attached is that yielding the seeds I 

 known under the name of Nux-vomica. ! 



Strychnos dux vomica. 



This is a moderate-sized tree, destitute of 

 spines or tendrils, native of the Coromandel 

 Coast and Cochin China. The fruit is very 

 like an orange in appearance, and contains 

 numerous seeds of a flattened circular out- 

 line, about the size of a halfpenny, rather 

 thicker near the circumference than else- 

 where, the exterior of an ash-grey colour, 

 covered with fine silky hairs, and the 

 interior consisting of very hard grey albu- 

 men, in which, near the circumference, 

 the embryo is embedded. The seeds have 

 an intensely bitter taste, owing to the 

 presence of two most energetic poisons, 

 strychnin and brucin, which exist in the 

 seeds conjoined with certain peculiar acids; 

 but the pulp is innocuous, and is said to be 

 greedily eaten by birds. If iiitric acid be 

 added to the powdered seeds a deep orange- 

 yellow colour is produced. 



Nux-vomica acts as a poison on man and 

 animals, producing stiffness of the muscles, 



