UNIPj 



Efje Erragurg of Statang. 



1192 



in Great Britain. 11. striata and U. spicata 

 are two handsome hardy grasses. [D. M.] 



UNIPAROUS. Having but one peduncle. 



UNISEPTATE. Having hut one septum 

 or partition. 



UNISEXUAL. Of one sex only. 



UNJEER. The Indian name of the 

 Garden Fig. 



UNONA. A great number of American 

 and African plants have at one time or 

 other been placed under this genus of 

 Anonacece, but they are now referred to 

 other genera, Unona being restricted to 

 about a dozen Asiatic species, character- 

 ised by their flowers having three sepals, 

 six longish thin flat petals in a double row 

 for sometimes only three, the inner row 

 being suppressed!; numerous four-sided 

 stamens with rather distant anthers, 

 the connecting portion prolonged into a 

 nearly round or flattened process; and nu- 

 meroushairyovaries.each containing seve- 

 ral ovules in a single row, and bearing an 

 oval or oblong recurved style, with a fur- 

 row down its inner face. Two species are 

 climbing shrubs, and the rest upright 

 shrubs or trees, with simple pellucid dotted 

 leaves, and rather large flowers, usually- 

 borne singly on stalks, growing from the 

 sides of the branches at or near the leaf- 

 axils; the petals also have pellucid dots, and 

 increase in size after expanding. The 

 fruits consist of numerous long distinct 

 carpels, usually constricted between the 

 seeds, and thus divided into several one- 

 seeded joints. 



One of the commonest species, U.discolor, 

 found throughout most parts of India, 

 Ceylon, Malacca, Java, and Southern China, 

 is a small tree with smooth or hairy very 

 variable-shaped leaves from two to eight 

 inches long, dirty green or yellow flowers, 

 and purple fruits with joints about the 

 size of peas. The Chinese at Hongkong 

 obtain a fine purple dye from the unripe 

 fruits. See also Habzelia. [A. S.] 



UNSTEETLA. A Cherokee name for 

 Spigelia marilandica. 



UNTAMOL. A vernacular name for In- 

 dian Ipecacuanha, the dried roots of Tylo- 

 phora asthmatica. 



UNUNTAMUL. An Indian name for the 

 roots of Hemidesmus mdicus. 



TJNXIA. The name applied to a genus 

 of Compusitce, native of Guiana. The spe- 

 cies are branched herbs, with entire hairy 

 leaves, and axillary flower-heads on short 

 stalks, each one surrounded by a somewhat 

 globose involucre of five ovate scales. The 

 outer florets are ligulate and female, the 

 central ones tubular five-toothed and male. 

 The fruits are compressed, smooth, with- 

 out pappus. Some of the species have a 

 smell of camphor. [M. T. M.] 



UOLIN. (Pr.) Pimelea. 



UPAS ANTIAR. A Javanese name for 

 a poison composed of a black gum-resin- 



ous mass, formed of the concrete juice of 

 Antiaristoxicaria. — RADJA, or TIEUTE. 

 A Javanese name for the frightful poison 

 obtained from the bark of the root of 

 Strychiios Tieute. 



UPAS-TREE. Antiaris toxicaria. 



UPSTART. Colchicum autumnale. 



URA. In Greek compounds = tail or 

 tail-like process, or even a tail-like inflo- 

 rescence. 



URACHNE. A genus of grasses of the 

 tribe Stipece, synonymous with Piptathe- 

 rum. The inflorescence is in ramose diffuse 

 panicles.thespikelets one-flowered; glumes 

 two.membranaceous muticous ; pales two, 

 subcoriaceous, the lower convex the upper 

 awned; scales three; stamens three, the 

 anther-lobes often bearded at the top ; 

 styles two, with plumose stigmas. The few 

 species are mostly natives of Southern 

 Europe and Northern Africa. [T. M.] 



URALEPIS. A genus of grasses belong- 

 ing to the tribe Festucece. The inflorescence 

 is panicled or racemose ; spikelets many- 

 flowered, the florets distichous; glumes 

 two unequal, half keel-shaped and awned ; 

 pales two, membranaceous, the lower con- 

 cave three -nerved, two to four-cleft, with 

 small awns between the clefts, the upper 

 two-keeled, stamens one to three. There 

 are nineteen species, mostly natives of 

 South America and Africa. [D. M.] 



URALIER. (Pr.) Anthocercis. 



URANDRA. One of the genera of the 

 order Icacinacece. It includes a large Cin- 

 galese tree, with leathery ovate acuminate 

 stalked leaves, and perfect flowers, which 

 have a cup-shaped five-toothed persistent 

 calyx, alternating with the teeth of which 

 are five purple petals, greenish at their 

 tips. The stamens alternate with the pe- 

 tals, their filaments being densely covered 

 with long club-shaped hairs at their upper 

 portion ; the ovary is surrounded by a 

 small glandular ring-like disk ; and the 

 fruit is oblong one-seeded, fleshy exter- 

 nally fibrous and woody within. [M. T. M.] 



URANIA speciosa for Eavenala mada- 

 gascariensis— its older and more correct 

 name) represents a magnificent palm- 

 like genus of Musacece, confined to Mada- 

 gascar, where it is called the Traveller's 

 Tree, because the leaves when cut yield an 

 abundant and refreshing juice, with which 

 travellers allay their thirst. The plant is 

 occasionally cultivated in our hothouses, 

 but not unfrequently Strelitzia augunta, 

 which it somewhat resembles in habit, 

 goes under that name. The plant does not 

 seem indigenous to Mauritius, as stated by 

 some, but whole groves of it have been 

 planted in the botanic gardens of that 

 island. The leaves are of gigantic size, 

 somewhat like those of Musa Ensete, but 

 arranged in two rows on opposite sides of 

 the arboreous stem. The flowers are small 

 in comparison to the gigantic foliage, and 

 are aggregated in the axils of the leaves. 

 The arillus surrounding the bean-like seeds 



