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[AN AN 



ANADYOMENE. A geims of calcareous 

 green-spored Alga, consisting of branched 

 or dichotomous articulated threads, which 

 are laterally confluent with each other, so 

 as to form a more or less fan-shaped mem- 

 brane. They are most beautiful objects 

 under a low power of the microscope, and 

 might susgest elegant designs for the 

 silversmith" The species, which are few in 

 number, occur in the warmer seas, and 

 consequently we have none upon our own 

 coast. Some'species of Cladophora, of which 

 we possess so many, give a good idea of 

 the nature of the filaments. [M. J. B.] 



ANSCTOCHILTJS. A genus of terres- 

 trial orchids, nearly allied to Goodyera and 

 JEtheria, with creeping slender-jointed 

 rhizomes, one or two radical leaves, and 

 spikes of white or yellow flowers. Some 

 of the species have the leaves traversed 

 by beautiful silver or golden veins, on a 

 rich green or purplish ground ; hence they 

 have become favourites in the gardens of 

 the curious. There are other tropical 

 terrestrial orchids, with similarly veined 

 leaves, belonging to other genera, one of 

 the commonest of which is Physurus 

 pictus. 



ANAGALLIS. An interesting genus of 

 primworts, consisting of dwarf trailing 

 herbaceous plants, annual or perennial 

 roots, angular stems, opposite leaves in 

 pairs or threes, and pretty axillary blue or 

 red flowers. The Pimpernels, by which 

 name the species are popularly known, 

 are easily distinguished from the rest of 

 the order by their conspicuous wheel- 

 shaped, five-parted corolla, five stamens 

 with bearded filaments, and especially by 

 their many-seeded globular pods, opening 

 when ripe by a transverse Assure all round, 

 the top falling off like a lid. With the ex- 

 ception of Centunculus, an obscure weed, 

 no other genus of the order presents this 

 feature. Every- one is familiar with the 

 common red Pimpernel (A. arvensis). The 

 A. indica, with blue flowers, scarcely differs 

 from it, except in colour and the larger 

 size of its blossoms. Of much greater 

 interest are the Italian Pimpernel (A. 

 Monelli), with still larger flowers and of 

 stronger habit, and the A.fruticosa, a Bar- 

 bary species, with handsome light red 

 tinted corollas, which, unlike those of the 

 other species, remain expanded even in 

 the absence of sunshine. It is probable 

 that most of the varieties now cultivated 

 in gardens, among which may be men- 

 tioned A. PhiWpsii, with deep blue, and 

 A. Parksii, with red flowers, are either 

 hybrids or mere seminal variations of 

 these two species. [W. T.] 



ANAGYRIS. A genus of the pea- 

 flower tribe, of the leguminous family. 

 One species only is known, a large 

 bush, with trifoliolate leaves, entire ellip- 

 tical leaflets, and axillary racemes of 

 yellow flowers, much like those of the 

 laburnum. The pod is narrow, com- 

 pressed, and curved backwards; and from 

 this circumstance the genus is named — 



ana, signifying backwards, and gyros, a 

 circle. It is found in the South of Prance, 

 Spain, and other countries bordering on 

 the Mediterranean Sea. The seeds are 

 kidney-shaped, violet in colour, and are 

 said to be poisonous, like those of the la- 

 burnum. [A. A. B.] 



ANALOGY. Resemblance to a thing in 

 form, but not in function ; or in function, 

 but not in form. Corresponding with a 

 thing in many points, but differing in 

 more, or in points of more importance. 

 Thus, the flowers of Potentilla and Ranun- 

 culus are analogous. 



ANAMIRTA. A genus of plants in- 

 habiting Malabar, Ceylon, and the Eastern 

 Isles of India, and belonging to the Menis- 

 permacece. The flowers are unisexual and 

 dioecious — that is, the male blossoms are 

 borne on different plants from the female 

 blossoms. The sepals are six in number ; 

 there are no petals; the stamens are 

 numerous, but united into one parcel, 

 forming a globular head. The ovaries of 

 the female flower are three in number, 

 attached to a short thick hemispherical 

 receptacle; they become succulent and 

 drupe-like in the fruit. The most import- 

 ant, if not the only plant of this genus, is 

 the A. Cocculus, the plant which produces I 

 the fruits known as Cocculus indicus. It is 

 a climbing plant, with ash-coloured, corky 

 bark. The leaves are stalked, more or less 

 heart-shaped, smooth above, pale beneath, 

 and provided with tufts of hairs at the 

 junctions of the nerves, the larger of which 

 radiate from the base of the leaf. The 

 flowers are borne in pendulous panicles. 

 The fruits are roundish or kidney-shaped ; 

 the outer coat is thin and dry, of a dark 

 brown or black colour and wrinkled ap- 

 pearance ; within this is a white hard 

 shell, divided into two pieces ; this en- 

 closes the whitish seed, which is very oily, 

 of a crescent-like shape, and much smaller 

 than the fruit, so that it never entirely fills 

 up the cavity. 



Cocculus indicus is imported from the 

 East Indies, and is used for adulterating 

 porter, though, very properly, a heavy 

 penalty is inflicted upon brewers detected 

 in so doing, and upon druggists who sup- 

 ply brewers, as it contains an acrid irritant 

 poison, called picrotoxin. It is used to 

 poison fish, and to increase the intoxicat- 

 ing properties of porter, being employed in 

 the shape of a black extract. Its effects 

 are to produce giddiness, convulsions, and 

 insensibility. It has been occasionally 

 used externally to destroy vermin, and in 

 some skin diseases. [M. T. M.] 



ANANASSA. A genus of tropical Bro- 

 meliacece, having rigid foliage, with sharp 

 spines along the edge, distinguished among 

 the inferior-fruited genera of the order, 

 chiefly by its berries being consolidated 

 with the bracts into a compound or syncar- 

 pous fruit, which is edible. 



The Pine Apple, A. sativa, is generally 

 believed to have derived its name from 

 I the great resemblance which the fruit 



