57 



Cfje ftrcatfurg of 33otang. 



[anac 



even as to whence it is imported. Indian 

 Bdellium, or False Myrrh, is obtained from 

 A. commiphora ; it is a gum resin, possess- 

 ing properties somewhat similar to those 

 of the Myrrh, but is not so highly valued. 

 A. ba&sqmifera yields some descriptions of 

 the wood which is called Lignum Rho- 

 dium. A. toxifera is poisonous. See Bal- 



SAMODEXDEOil. [M. T. M.] 



ANABAINA. A genus of green-spored 

 Algce, the species of which consist of neck- 

 lace-shaped threads, of which some of the 

 articulations are much larger than the 

 rest. They either form a shapeless scum 

 on the surface of pools, or roundish patches 

 on the bare soil. They never develop a 

 distinct solid frond like that of Nostoc. 

 One of the species, A. licheniformis, is 

 extremely common in gardens where the 

 ground has been much trodden, as amongst 

 raspberry bushes. The threads are a pretty 

 object under the microscope, the large ar- 

 ticulations being reproductive. One or two 

 closely allied Algce, as, for example, Apha- 

 hizomenon, are remarkable for being sus- 

 pended in the water in which they grow, 

 and giving to it a green tint. [M.J.B.] 



ANABASIS. A genus of Salsolacece, con- 

 sisting of trees and shrubs, natives of 

 Central and Eastern Asia, and of the 

 eastern shores of the Mediterranean. They 

 are jointed plants, generally aphyllous, or 

 with leaves small and opposite. The flowers 

 are sessile and single, or in a glomerulus, 

 hermaphrodite, and furnished with two 

 bracts. There are five sepals, and the same 

 number of stamens inserted in the re- 

 ceptacle; between these and united to 

 their bases are five minute scales or sta- 

 minodes. The ovary is unilocular and uni- 

 ovulate, and the style double and divari- 

 cate. There are' seventeen species. [W. C] 



ANACAMPSEROS. A genus of under- 

 shrubs from the Cape of Good Hope, re- 

 ferred to the order Portulacacecs. They are 

 succulent plants with crowded, imbrica- 

 ted, sessile, ovate-trigonous terete or sub- 

 globose leaves with stipules cut into five 

 segments, often hair-like. Flowers large, 

 white, rose, purple, or yellow, with twelve 

 to twenty stamens; peduncles in some 

 species very short, in others elongated, 

 simple or branched. Several species are 

 cultivated in greenhouses. [J. T. S.] 



ANACAMPTIS. A genus of orchids, 

 established by A. Richard for the Orchis 

 pyramidalis, which differs from the rest 

 of the genus by two small plates or ap- 

 pendages at the base of the labellum. A 

 South European species in which these 

 two plates are united into one horse-shoe- 

 shaped appendage has since been added, 

 and some botanists unite both species with 

 Gymnadenia or with Aceras, but in a more 

 natural arrangement they would be re- 

 tained in Orchis. The Anacamptis (or 

 Orchis) pyra.mid.alis is not uncommon in 

 central and southern Europe, extending 

 eastward to the Caucasus. 



ANACARDIACE^E (Terebintacece, Cas- 



suviece, Spcmdiacece, Anacards, Terebinths). 

 "When trees or bushes have a resinous, 

 milky, often caustic juice, dotless leaves, 

 and small inconspicuous flowers, with an 

 ovary containing a single ovule suspended 

 at the end of an erect cord, it is pretty 

 certain that they belong to this order, of 

 which more than 100 species are described, 

 inhabiting the tropics both north and 

 south of the equator, but not known to oc- 

 cur in Australia. Pistacia, and some kinds 

 of Bhxis, inhabit temperate latitudes. 

 Among the products of the order are the 

 Mango fruit, and that called in the "West 

 Indies the Hog Plum; the nuts named 

 Pistachios and Cashews, the Black Varnish 

 of Burmah and elsewhere, Mastich, Fustic, 

 &c. These varnishes are extremely acrid, 

 and produce dangerous consequences to 

 persons who use them incautiously. See 

 Melanoeehcea, Mangifeea, Spondias, 

 Rhus, Anacaedium, Schinus, &c. 



ANACARDITTM. A genus of woody 

 plants, from which the family to which they 

 belong derives its systematic name, Ana- 

 cardiacece. The plants of this group are 

 chiefly remarkable for their kidney-shaped 

 fruit, which is placed on the end of the 

 thickened fleshy pear-like receptacle. A. 

 occidentale, a plant cultivated in the West 

 Indies and other tropical countries, pro- 

 duces the fruits known as Cashew Nuts. 

 It is a large tree, somewhat like a walnut- 

 tree in appearance, but with oval, blunt, 



Anacardium occidentale. 



alternate leaves ; the fragrant rose-coloured 

 flowers are borne in panicles. The stem 

 furnishes a milky juice, which, as it dries, 

 becomes black and hard, and is used as a 

 varnish. A gum is also secreted by this 

 plant, having qualities like those of gum 



