vijtj] 



CIjc &ica£urj? of SSaJtang. 



1216 



mas awl-shaped, hairy; fruits compressed, 

 hairy; pappus of four ovate and two 

 linear scales. [M. T. M.] 



VIJUCO DEL GUACO. Mikania Guaco. 



VILFA. A genus of grasses belonging 

 to the tribe Agrostidece. They have the 

 inflorescence in panicles ; spikelets one- 

 flowered ; glumes membranous, unequal, 

 not exceeding the pale ; pales membra- 

 nous, unarmed ; stamens three ; styles two, 

 with feathery stigmas. Under this genus 

 Steudel describes 123 species, which have 

 an extensive geographical range, from 

 Mexico through the Southern Hemisphere 

 to New Holland. Some of theannual species 

 are pretty, and are cultivated in gardens 

 on that account. [D. M.] 



VILLARESIA. This name is employed 

 to designate a genus of trees of the family 

 Aquifoliacece, and inhabiting Chili. The 

 leaves are evergreen, shining, entire or 

 spiny at the margin ; and the flowers small, 

 white, arranged in panicled heads. The 

 calyx is five-parted, persistent ; the petals 

 are five, each with a prominent rib on the 

 inner side; the stamens five, with flattened 

 awl-shaped filaments ; ovary sessile, par- 

 tially two-icelled ; ovules two ; stigma 

 oblique ; drupe globose, with a woody 

 stone and a single seed. [M. T. MJ 



VTLLARSIA. A genus of Gentianacece, 

 comprising aquatic species, natives of 

 Central Europe, North America, the Cape 

 of Good Hope, Australia, and Tropical Asia. 

 The leaves are entire or toothed, marked 

 with small spots on the under-surface. 

 The flowers are in axillary umbels or ter- 

 minal panicles, usually of a yellow colour, 

 and fringed with fine hair-like processes. 

 The distinctive features of the genus re- 

 side in the presence of five glands beneath 

 the ovary, and in the capsule, which opens 

 by two cleft valves. These plants partake 

 of the bitter principle so prevalent in the 

 order to which they belong. V. indica is 

 used medicinally in India, and is given 

 internally to persons bitten by the cobra. 

 Some of the species are in cultivation for 

 the sake of their elegant blossoms. A rare 

 British plant formerly included in this 

 genus is now separated, and placed under 

 Li?nnanthemum. [M. T. M.] 



VILLOSITY, VILLUS (adj. VILLOSE, 

 VILLOUS). Shagginess ; a coating of long 

 weak hairs. 



VILMORINIA. A genus so named in 

 compliment to M. Vilmorin, a well-known 

 Parisian cultivator. The genus is included 

 among the papilionaceous Leguminosm; and 

 comprises a West Indian shrub, with pin- 

 nate leaves, recurved stipules, axillary ra- 

 cemes shorter than the leaves, and purple 

 flowers. The calyx is somewhat four- 

 toothed and two-lipped ; the standard ob- 

 long, the wings shorter than the keel; 

 stamens ten, diadelphous, pod stalked, 

 lanceolate, narrowed below, flattened, 

 thread-like at the point; seeds twelve to 

 sixteen. V.multiflora is in cultivation as 

 a stove shrub. [M. T. M.] 



VIMINARIA. The name of a genus of 

 papilionaceous Leguminosce, comprising a 

 shrub native of Eastern Australia and 

 Tasmania, with slender twig-like branches, 

 the older ones destitute of leaves, the 

 younger with compound leaves, and the 

 flowers growing in racemes. Calyx bell- 

 shaped, five-toothed; vexillum broadly 

 ovate ; wings and keel oblong ; stamens 

 ten, distinct; ovary sessile, with two 

 ovules ; style thread-like, curved ; stigma 

 minute ; pod ovate, indehiscent. Two 

 species with yellow flowers are in culti- 

 vation as greenhouse plants. The generic 

 name is derived from vimen 'a twig,' in 

 allusion to the branches. [M. T. M.] 



VIMINEOUS. Having long flexible 

 shoots, as many osiers. 



VINAGRILLO. A South American name 

 for Oxalis Acetosella, used as a salad plant. 

 It is also applied in Chili to dried cakes 

 of pounded oxalis-leaves, which are infused 

 in water to make an acid drink. 



VINAIGRIER. (Fr.) Rhus glabra. 



VINATICO. A coarse mahogany obtain- 

 ed in Madeira from Persea indica. 



VINCA. A genus of Apocynacew, con- 

 taining several species of woody herba- 

 ceous plants, with opposite entire shining 

 leaves, and blue purple or white flowers, 

 seated on solitary axillary alternate pe- 

 duncles. The calyx is five-parted ; the co- 

 rolla salver-shaped, with the tube longer 

 than the calyx ; and the throat bearded, 

 the limb flat, and divided into five oblique 

 truncate lobes ; the fivestamens included ; 

 the two follicles erect, and containing 

 many naked seeds. The species ai - e con- 

 fined to the Old World, growing in shady 

 places. Two occur in Britain. [W. C] 



VINCETOXICUM. Many of the plants 

 now included in this genus of Asclepiada- 

 cem were formerly referred, by Linnams 

 and others, to Asclepias, and afterwards by 

 Brown to a section of Cynanchum. Between 

 twenty and thirty species are described, 

 the greater part of them natives of the Old 

 World, and chiefly of Western and Central 

 Asia; a few, however, are European, one 

 extending as far north as Denmark and 

 Sweden. They are either perennial herbs 

 or undershrubs, and either of an erect or 

 of a somewhat twining habit; and their 

 leaves are mostly opposite, though occa- 

 sionally alternate or in whorls of four. 

 Their flowers, which are very small and 

 disposed in flat-topped heads, have a five- 

 parted calyx, a wheel-shaped deeply flve- 

 lobed corolla, a fleshy saucer-shaped sta- 

 minal corona, divided into five or ten 

 round or obscurely-pointed lobes, anthers 

 terminated by a membrane, pendulous 

 pollen-masses swollen on one side and 

 fixed beneath their apices, and a stigma 

 furnished with a very short entire point. 

 The fruits consist of two spreading smooth 

 follicles, irregularly swollen on one side, 

 and of a parchment-like texture. 



