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ASTROPHEA. A section of the genus 

 Passijlora, characterised by the absence of 

 cirrhi and involucre, toy its ten partite 

 calyx and five stamens. The species are 

 South American trees. [W. C] 



ASTJL. The Arabic name of Tamarix 

 orientalis. Also, an Indian name for Tama- 

 rix ferax, a nut-gall tree. 



ASTSTASIA. A genus of acanthaceous 

 plants, natives of the East Indies, the 

 ■warmer and temperate parts of Asia and 

 Africa. They are herbaceous, or shrub- 

 like, -with slender branches; axillary or 

 terminal clusters of flowers, which are 

 blue or yellowish, and handsome, with a 

 regularly five-parted calyx, a somewhat 

 funnel-shaped corolla, with a limb divided 

 into five nearly equal segments ; stamens 

 four, united in pairs at their base ; an- 

 thers two-celled ; cells parallel, thickened 

 or provided with an appendage at the base; 

 stigma capitate two-lobed. Capsule com- 

 pressed, slender, and seedless below ; above 

 somewhat four-cornered, two-celled, four- 

 seeded. Seeds with a prominent angle at 

 the base. [M. T. M.] 



ATACCIA. A genus of the small order 

 Taccacece. The tube of the perianth is in 

 these plants connate with the ovary, and 

 the six-parted limb has the inner segment 

 larger reflexed and persistent. The flowers 

 contain six stamens, inserted at the base 

 of the segments of the limb, and having 

 broad filaments concave above ; the style 

 is short, thick, three-furrowed, with a 

 capitate three-lobed stigma; the ovary 

 is sub-three-celled, containing numerous 

 ovules, and becomes a semi-three-celled 

 many-seeded berry. There are few more 

 remarkable-lookins- plants than A. cristata, 

 sometimes met with in gardens under the 

 incorrect name of Tacca integrifolia. It 

 has a short conical underground caudex, or 

 rhizome, and produces from this caudex 

 three or four large oblong acuminate 

 purplish-green stalked leaves. The scape 

 is about as long as the leaves, erect, stout, 

 angled, dark purple, terminated by a large 

 four-leaved involucre, of which the two 

 outer leaflets are dark purple, opposite, 

 ! sessile, and spreading ; and the two inner 

 i much larger, placed side by side, green 

 with a deep purple base and stalk. The 

 I numerous flowers form a drooping one- 

 , sided umbel ; the perianth dark purple, 

 ! with a turbinate six-angled tube, and a 

 six-parted limb suddenly reflexed. the seg- 

 ments arranged in an outer smaller, and an 

 inner larger series, the rim of the mouth 

 forming a crenated rina-. This plant is a 

 native of the islands of the Malayan Arcbi- 

 , pelaso, and one or two other species are 

 Indian ; besides which, Sir W. J. Hooker 

 mentions one a native of Demerara. Though 

 remarkably curious in structure, these 

 plants are of no known utility. [T. M] 



ATALANTIA. A genus of aurantia- 

 ceous plants, known by their undivided 

 leaves, few stamens, united below into a 

 tube, and one orule in each cell of the 



ovary. The trees and shrubs of this genus 

 are natives of the East Indies. The wood 

 of A. monophylla, a native of Coromandel, 

 furnishes a heavy closely grained yellow 

 wood, suitable for cabinet work. [M. T. M.] 



ATAXIA. A genus of grasses of the 

 tribe Phalaridece, with the inflorescence 

 in thyrsoid panicles ; spiculse three flowered; 

 inferior flower male, with two pales, inter- 

 mediate neuter with one pale, and the ter- 

 minal hermaphrodite, triandrous ; glumes 

 unequal. Steudel describes four species, 

 none of which are British. A. HorsfiMii, 

 a native of Java, has the peculiar property 

 of emitting, when bruised, a similar odour 

 to that given out by the English sweet- 

 scented vernal grass, which is supposed to 

 result from the presence of a portion of 

 benzoic acid (?) in their tissues. [D. M.] 



ATCHAR or ACHIAR. A condiment 

 prepared from B ambus a arundinaria. 



ATHANASIA. A genus of yellow-flow- 

 ered composites, consisting chiefly of 

 greenhouse evergreens of shrubby habit, 

 from Southern Africa, and a single annual 

 species from Barbary, the A. annua, for- 

 merly much more cultivated than at pre- 

 sent on account of the long duration of 

 its flowers. It attains a height of about 

 two feet or more, with diffusely branched 

 furrowed stems ; pinnatifld fleshy foliage, 

 with linear segments; and corymbs of 

 clustered flower-heads on long foot-stalks, 

 the florets being all tubular. Though of 

 somewhat rambling habit, the small 

 amount of care it requires, and the last- 

 ing character of its blossoms, render it 

 deserving of some attention. The cut 

 flowers preserve their freshness for a long 

 period. The genius derives its name from 

 the Greek ' Atioivxtria,, signifying immor- 

 tality, in allusion to the unfading nature 

 of its flowers. [W. T.] 



ATHERANDRA. A genus of Asclepia- 

 dacece, containing two species, from the 

 Moluccas : climbing shrubs, with slender 

 branches, ovate and opposite leaves, and 

 few flowered axillary cymes. The calyx 

 consists of five lanceolate sepals, and the 

 corolla of as many linear-lanceolate lobes. 

 The filaments are free above, and the 

 anthers are adpressed to the stigma, and 

 more or less connate among themselves. 

 There are twenty granular masses of pol- 

 len. [W. C] 



ATHEROSPERMACE.E. (Plume Nut- 

 megs.) A small natural order of trees from 

 Australia and Chili, deriving their English 

 name from their aromatic nuts, being fur- 

 nished with a permanent style, clothed 

 with long hairs. Only three genera are 

 known : Atherosperma, Laurelia, and Dory- 

 phora, which see. Their flowers are insig- 

 nificant. They are placed by Lindley in the 

 menispermal alliance of diclinous exogens. 



ATHEROSPERMA. A genus of Moni- 

 miacece, containing a single species from 

 New Holland. It is an aromatic tree with 

 four-cornered branches, opposite leaves, 



