amph] 



&i)e CreaSurg of Untattg. 



oi 



Cyathece, in which group it is distinguished 

 by having beneath the sorus, on the hinder 

 side, a half-cup-shaped indusium, and by- 

 having the veins of the fronds free. The 

 species are sometimes referred to Also- 

 phlia, to Heniitelta, or to Cyathea. Several 

 species, chiefly South American, agreeing 

 in having the half-cup indusium and free 

 veins, are referred to the genus in Index 

 FHi cum; but there is also one species from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, two from India, and 

 one from New Holland. The typical spe- 

 cies is A. capensis, found both at the Cape 

 and in Java, a tree-fern growing twelve to 

 fourteen feet high, and of which, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Harvey, there is a noble forest 

 in the woods on the east side of Table 

 Mountain. The fronds of this are three 

 times pinnate, and unarmed. [T. M.] 



AMPHIDESMIUM. A genus of cyathe- 

 aceous ferns, closely related to AlsnphUa. 

 They are distinguished — having oblique- 

 ringed spore-cases and naked sori with 

 elevated receptacles— by producing two or 

 three sori in different positions on the j 

 same vein, the veins in Alsophila bear- 

 ing one only. They are also different in j 

 aspect, having bold pinnate fronds, which j 

 give them a noble appearance. The spe- j 

 cies A. blechnoides is found in various 

 parts of South America and in the West 

 Indies. [T. M.] 



AMPHIGASTRIA. The so-called stipules 

 of Scale-mosses, or Jungermannias. 



AMPHIGE15L3E. A name applied by 

 Brongniart to Thallogens, implying that 

 they are developed in every direction, with- 

 out any distinct axis and appendages ; and 

 not especially at the apex, like ferns and 

 mosses, to which he has applied the name 

 of Acrogens, and which, in contradiction 

 to Thallogens, are furnished with both axis 

 and appendages. [M. J. BJ 



AMPHILOCHIA. A genus of Vochy- 

 siacece, containing four species from Brazil. 

 They are trees, with opposite petiolate and 

 entire leaves, and glands at the base of the 

 petioles. The flowers are in terminal ra- 

 cemes. The calyx consists of five coloured 

 sepals, combined at the base, the upper 

 being much the largest and spurred. The 

 corolla has only a single petal, inserted in 

 the base of the calyx between the two 

 front sepals. There are two stamens, one 

 on either side of the petal. The ovary is 

 three-celled, with few ovules. [W. C] 



AMPHISARCA. A many-seeded many- 

 celled superior indehi scent fruit, woody 

 on the outside, pulpy within. 



AMPHISTEMON, a genus of Dioscore- 

 acece, formed by Grisebach by the sub- 

 division of Dioscorea into many new 

 genera. The section to which this name 

 has been given, is separated from the 

 others by having six short fertile stamens, 

 which are inserted on the apex of the 

 calyx tube. It contains eleven species 

 of tropical, chiefly Brazilian, herbaceous 

 plants. [W. C] 



AMPHITROPAL. When an ovule is at- 

 tached by its middle, so that the two ends 

 are equidistant from the point of inser- 

 tion. 



AMPLEXICATTL. Embracing; as when 

 a leaf clasps a stem with its base. 

 AMPOULLEATT. (Fr.) A kind of olive. 



AMPULLA. The metamorphosed flask- 

 like leaves found on certain aquatics such 

 as Utricularia : not different from Asci- 

 dium. 



AMSINCKIA. A genus of the borage 

 family, numbering seven species, found in 

 Oregon, California, Mexico, and Chili. 

 They are annual erect herbs, of little 

 beauty ; all their parts more or less 

 clothed with rusty hairs. The stems, six 

 inches to one and a half feet high, are 

 furnished with alternate and entire linear, 

 lance-shaped, or ovate leaves, one to five 

 inches long, and terminate in one or more 

 one-sided racemes of yellow funnel-shaped 

 flowers, with a flat border of five rounded 

 lobes. In the largest flowered species (A. 

 spectabilis, from California), the corolla 

 tube is three-quarters of an inch in length. 

 The fruit consists of four triangular one- 

 seeded nuts, their dorsal face smooth, or 

 covered with warty excrescences. The 

 seeds are remarkable, from having their 

 cotyledons deeply biparted. [A. A. B.] 



AMSONIA. A genus of Apocynacece, 

 consisting of five species, natives of 

 North America. They are perennial her- 

 baceous plants, with alternate leaves, and 

 pale blue flowers, in terminal panicled 

 cymes. The calyx is small and five-parted ; 

 the corolla has the same number of long 

 linear lobes ; its narrow funnel-shaped tube 

 is bearded inside, especially at the throat. 

 There are five included stamens, with ob- 

 tuse anthers, which are longer than the 

 filaments ; two ovaries, a single style, and 

 a rounded stigma, surrounded with a cup- 

 shaped membrane. The two pods are long 

 and slender, with many naked cylindrical 

 seeds, in a single row. [W. C] 



AMTGDALOPSIS. A supposed genus of 

 drupaceous plants formed on the Japanese 

 Primus triloba. Its distinctive character 

 is having several carpels in each flower 

 instead of one : probably a mere malfor- 

 mation, such as occurs in the peach and 

 plum themselves. 



AMYGDALUS. The name applied to 

 the genus to which the Almond, the Peach, 

 and the Nectarine belong. It is placed 

 by botanists in the drupaceous subdivision 

 of the rose family, and is especially known 

 by the stone of the fruit, which encloses 

 the kernel or seed, being coarsely fur- 

 rowed or wrinkled, and by the leaves being 

 folded in halves, not rolled round when 

 young. 



The Almond-tree (A. communis) appears 

 to have been originally a native of Barbary 

 and Morocco ; but by long cultivation it 

 has become distributed over almost the 

 whole of the warmer temperate zones of 



