1237 



CT)e CreaJurg of 23ntami. 



[WCLF 



Yahliana, and J., judaica. The name is 

 applied in herb-shops to Semen contra, the 



; produce of several species of Artemisia. 

 — , AMERICAN. Ambrina anthelmintica. 

 — , BARBARY, or LEVANT. One of the 



; forms of Semen, contra. —, SPANISH. 



I Ealogeton tamariscifolium. 



I "WORM-SHAPED. The same as Vermi- 

 cular. 



WORMSKIOLDIA. The two species of 

 this genus of Turneracece are both African, 

 one being a native of the tropics of the 

 western coast, and the other of Abyssinia. 

 They are branching annuals, with erect 

 hairy stems, bearing so strong a resem- 

 blance to the radish genus that one spe- 

 cies was formerly referred to it. Their 

 flowers have a tubular five-toothed slight- 



i ly coloured calyx ; five narrow yellow pe- 

 tals, inserted above the base of the calyx- 



: tube, together with as many stamens, 

 which project a short distance out of the 



J tube; a one-celled ovary, with the ovules 

 attached to the sides in three rows ; and 



| three slender undivided styles, bearing 

 somewhat fringed stigmas. Their fruits 

 are tapering irregularly swollen capsules, 

 which split lengthways into three narrow 

 valves, bearing the seeds attached to their 

 centres. [A.S.] 



The same name is given to a genus of 

 rose-spored Alga, framed by Agardh to 

 receive the beautiful ash-leaved seaweed 

 which is such an ornament to our coasts 

 and such a favourite with collectors, from 

 its Jovely colour and delicately-veined 

 fronds. It belongs to the natural order 

 Rhodymeniacece, from most of which it dif- 

 fers in the nerved leaves being of definite 

 form and a delicately membranous areo- 

 lated substance. It differs at once from 

 Delesseria (with which it was formerly as- 

 sociated; in the repeated division of the 

 endocbrome of the fruit-bearing cells. 

 Both the tetraspores and capsules are con- 

 tained in minute leaves (sporophylla) dis- 

 tinct from the frond. It is possible that 

 the plant brought by Dr. Hooker from Cape 

 Horn may be distinct. [M. J. B] 



WORMWOOD. Artemisia Absinthium 

 — , ROMAN. Ambrosia a rternisi a? folia; also 

 Ar'cniinapontica. — , WILD. Parthenium 

 Eysterophorus. 



WORT. A term applied to plants gene- 

 rally, and sometimes especially to those of 

 herbaceous habit. Also used to designate 

 a sweet infusion of malt or grain. 



WORTES. Chaucer's name for culti- 

 vated plants generally. 



WORTS. Vaccinium Myrtillus. 



WOUNDS. See Vulnera. 



WOUNDWORT. Anthyllis Vuhieraria. 



— . CLOWN'S. Stachys palustris. — , 

 KNIGHTS WATER. Stratiotes aloides. 

 — , MARSH. Stachys palustris. 

 WOTJNDWORTH. Liabum Broivnei. 



WOURALL The Woorari, Ourari, or 

 Trari, an arrow-poison prepared by the 



South American Indians from Strychnos 

 toxifera. 



WRACK. Seaweed thrown ashore. — , 

 GRASS or SEA. Zostera marina. 



WREATH, PURPLE. Petrea volubilis. 



WRIGHTIA. A genus of Apocynacece, 

 consisting of shrubs, or small sometimes 

 scaudent and aerial rooting trees, with op- 

 posite smooth or downy leaves, and ter- 

 minal cymes of white yellow or red flow- 

 ers. They are confined to the Eastern 

 Hemisphere, ranging from Silhet and Ne- 

 pal to Western Australia, Their flowers 

 have a five-parted calyx, furnished with 

 five glandular scales ; and a tubular flve- 

 lobed corolla, closed at the throat by a 

 coronal appendage; the stamens rising 

 from the middle or top of the tube and 

 protruding, their anthers adhering to the 

 stigma in the middle, and their slender 

 style thickened towards the top and bear- 

 ing a blunt sometimes bifid stigma. The 

 fruits consist of two long distinct or co- 

 hering follicles, containingnumerous seeds 

 furnished with a tuft of silky hairs at their 

 lower ends. 



An inferior kind of indigo, prepared 

 from the leaves of W. tinctoria in some 

 parts of Southern India, is called Pala 

 Indigo, from Pala or Palay, the Tamil 

 name for this and some allied milky trees. 

 The wood of the Palay is beautifully white 

 close-grained and ivory-like, and is com- 

 monly used in India for making toys. It 

 is well adapted for turning carving and in- 

 laying, and has been tried for engraving 

 as a substitute for boxwood, but found 

 unsuitable for that purpose. The wood of 

 W. antidy sentcrica has also been made the 

 subject of a similar experiment without 

 success. It is very hard in the centre, and 

 is used in Indiafor posts and rice-beaters. 

 The bark is the Conessi-bark of the Materia 

 Medica, and is valued as a tonic and febri- 

 fuge, and as a remedy for dysentery. The 

 oat-like seeds also are reputed to possess 

 valuable medicinal properties. [A. SJ 



WRINKLED. The same as Rugose. 



WTJCKOONAR. A Travancore name for 

 the fibre of Crotalaria juncea. 



WUKKUM. An Indian name for the 

 brownish-red wood furnished by Ccesal- 

 pinia Sappan. 



WULFENIA. A genus of Scrophula- 

 riacecB, containing three species of peren- 

 nial herbs, natives of the mountains of 

 Central Europe and Asia. The calyx is 

 five-parted ; the corolla is tubular, with a 

 spreading limb; there are two stamens, 

 with diverging anther-cells; the style is 

 terminated by a simple capitate stigma ; 

 the acute capsule is four-valved ; and the 

 ovoid seeds are convex behind and concave 

 in front. [W. O] 



WULFFIA. A genus of South American 

 herbs, belonging to the Composite. The 

 stems are erect, the leaves ovate serrate 

 somewhat triplinerved, and the flower- 

 heads stalked terminal or axillary; the 



