ANAC 



Ctye QLxckSutv of JSntanp. 



58 



arabic. It is imported into this country 

 from S. America, under the name of Cadjii 

 gum, and is used in S. America by book- 

 hinders, who wash their books with it, to 

 keep away moths and ants. The thickened 

 receptacle has an agreeable acid flavour, 

 with some degree of astringency ; the fruit 

 at its extremity is kidney-shaped, of an 

 ash colour ; the shell of the fruit consists 

 of three layers, the outer and inner of 

 which are hard and dry, but the interme- 

 diate layer contains a quantity of black, 

 extremely acrid, caustic oil, which gives 

 rise to severe excoriation of the lips and 

 tongue in those who attempt to crack the 

 nut with their teeth. This oil is sometimes 

 applied to the floors of houses in India, to 

 protect them from the attacks of white 

 ants. The acrid matter is destroyed by 

 heat, hence the kernels are roasted before 

 being eaten, and then become wholesome 

 and agreeable. The process of roasting 

 has to be carefully conducted, the acridity 

 of the fnmes being so great as to pro- 

 duce severe inflammation in the face of 

 persons approaching too near. [M. T. M.] 



ANACHARIS. A submerged aquatic, 

 belonging to the natural order Hydrocha- 

 ridacece, having long, much-branched 

 stems, small pellucid leaves, which are 

 usually inserted in whorls of three, or less 

 frequentlyfour, and inconspicuous flowers: 

 an American plant, which made its appear- 

 ance in several remote parts of Britain al- 

 most simultaneously about the middle of 

 the nineteenth century. How it was intro- 



Anacharis Alsinastrum. 



duced is unknown, and it is equally a 

 mystery by what means it traversed the 

 wide tracts of country which separate the 

 various stations in which it first appeared ; 

 f or,as it is dioecious, and pistilliferous plants 

 alone have found their way to this country, 

 it perfects no seeds. It easily propagates 



I itself from a small portion either of stalk 

 j or root, and is of wonderfully rapid growth ; 

 hence it has in many instances destroyed 

 the beauty of ornamental pieces of water, 

 impaired navigation in not a few inland 

 canals, and interferes with the working 

 of water-mills, by choking the outlets of 

 reservoirs, especially towards the close of 

 summer, when its debris are often brought 

 down by the current in large quantities. 

 Great efforts have been made to eradicate 

 it in various places, but with imperfect 

 success. It is greedily eaten by swans and 

 some other water-birds ; but even this ser- 

 vice is not without its disadvantages, 

 since portions of the stem, torn off but 

 not consumed by these seeming allies, are 

 carried away by the current, and trans- 

 planted elsewhere. In some places it is said 

 to have almost disappeared, from having 

 exhausted of its specific nutriment the 

 soil in which it was rooted ; but whether 

 the ground will not, after a certain lapse 

 of time, recover its productiveness, and 

 bear afresh crop of Anachar is Alsinastrum, 

 remains to be seen. [C. A. J.] 



ANACHASTE sanguined is a terrestrial 

 orchid, found at the sources of the Ama- 

 zon river by Warczewitz, a Polish tra- 

 veller. It has the habit of Epidendrum 

 maculatum, with rich blood-red or rose- 

 coloured flowers, having somewhat the 

 form of a Comparettia, without the spur. 

 It is a native of the forest of Talancay, on 

 the borders of the river Ohanchan. Living 

 plants were introduced by Mr. Skinner in 

 1853. The genus is nearly related to Coch- 

 lioda. 



ASTACYCLUS. A genus of the composite 

 family (Composites), comprising eight spe- 

 cies, which are found chiefly on the coasts 

 of countries bordering on the Mediter- 

 ranean sea. They are herbs with alternate, 

 pinnati-lobed, much-cut leaves, and termi- 

 nal solitary flcwer-heads ; the ray florets 

 white. In appearance they much resemble 

 Chamomiles (Anthemis),aiida.re chiefly dis- 

 tinguished from them by their achenes 

 being bordered with a membranous wing. 

 A. Pyrethrum grows in Barbary, Arabia, 

 and Syria, and is cultivated in many places 

 for the sake of its roots, which are used in 

 medicine, and are called Pellitory of Spain. 

 They are imported by the French from 

 Africa, in pieces about the size of the fin- 

 ger. These, when fresh, if applied to the 

 skin, cause a singularly cold sensation, 

 immediately followed by heat. It is very 

 pungent, and causes the saliva to flow 

 freely. Sometimes it is given in tooth- 

 ache, but is seldom taken inwardly. 

 'When chewed, it causes a pricking sen- 

 sation in the lips and tongue, and a glow- 

 ing heat.' [A. A. B.] 



ANADEOTA. The name given to a 

 number of plants belonging to the large 

 family of Proteaceoe, but which are now 

 generally included in the genus Grevillea. 

 They are shrubs chiefly of West Australia, 

 with variously cut and lobed leaves. 



[A. A. B.] 



