205 



HLfyz Crca£ur» at IjDtang. 



[OAMA 



top, and covering the seed-vessel like a 

 hood; the name indicates this, being 

 derived from two Greek words signifying 

 ' hood-like.' The only known species is a 

 low succulent plant, a native of California, 

 wirh alternate leaves and small flowers of 

 a pale rose colour. [G. D.] 



CALYPTRIFORMIS. Like an extin- 

 guisher, as the calyx of Eucalyptus. 



CALYPTROOTIGMA. This name is 

 sometimes given to a plant of the honey- 

 suckle family, a X. Asian shrub with oppo- 

 site leaves, between ovate and lanceolate in 

 form, and having serrated margins. The 

 flowers are yellow, six to eight in a cluster at 

 the ends of the branches, and in size and 

 form, much like those of the fox-glove. 

 The stigma is more or less lobed, and sits 

 like a cap on the top of the style, whence 

 the generic name. By many the genus is 

 not considered different from the well- : 

 known Weigela or Biervilla ; and the plant 

 is now in cultivation under the name of i 

 DierviUa Middendorfflana. [A. A. B.] 



CALYSACCION. C. longifolium is the j 

 only species of this genus of guttifers i 

 (Clusiacece). It is a handsome large tree, i 

 found in abundance in South Western \ 

 India, and also in China. Its leaves are ! 

 opposite, and of a long narrow lance-like 

 form, and thick leathery texture. Some 

 of its flowers are perfect, while others are 

 of distinct sexes, and sometimes borne ; 

 on different trees. Their calyx, which is 

 globular in the bud, bursts into two 

 pieces ; and their corolla consists of four, 

 or rarely Ave, small concave petals of a 

 yellowish tint streaked with red ; the 

 stamens are numerous, arranged in several 

 rows, arid either quite free or slightly 

 connected at the base; while the two-celled ; 

 fleshy ovary is terminated by a short 

 style, and a broad very-fleshy flat-topped 

 stigma. The fruit is unknown. This tree 

 has several local Indian names, such as 

 Suringee and Soorgee, and is interesting 

 on account of the uses made of its flower- 

 buds. These are known by the name of 

 Nag-Kassar or Nagasar; but the same 

 name is applied to the buds of a nearly 

 allied plant, Mesua ferrea, with which they 

 have been confounded. They are on long j 

 stalks and about the size of peppercorns, 

 of an orange-brown or cinnamon colour, 

 and very fragrant, possessing an odour 

 like that of violets or orris-root. In 

 India they are greatly esteemed on account 

 of their fragrance, and are commonly sold 

 in the bazaars ; they are also used for 

 dyeing silk, yielding a yellow, or, with sub- 

 carbonate of potash, a deep-orange colour. 

 A quantity of them were imported into 

 London some years ago, but they did not 

 receive the attention they deserved. [A.S.] I 



CALYSTEGIA. A genus of Convolvu- 

 laceee, containing about twelve or fourteen 

 species, widely diffused in extratropical 

 regions all over the world. They are 

 climbing or prostrate smooth herbs with 

 milky juice. The leaves are alternate i 



' without stipules, and the large and beau- 

 tiful flowers are solitary, axillary and 

 peduncled. The calyx of five sepals is 

 enclosed in two leafy bracts. The corolla 

 is bell-shaped, plaited and flve-lobed. The 

 ovary is semi-bilocular with four ovules, 

 and bears a simple style and a stigma 

 consisting of two obtuse lobes. The 

 capsule has only a single cell. This is a 

 very distinct genus, easily separated from 

 Convolvulus and the allied genera, by the 

 leafy bracts at the base of the calyx, and 

 by the one-celled capsule. It includes the 

 Common Bindweed, C. septum. [W. C.j 



CALTTHRIX or CALYCOTHRIX. A 



genus of Cliamcelauciacece from Australia. 

 Small shrubs with short cylindrical sheath- 

 like leaves, often on short footstalks, and 

 small stipules; flowers axillary, nearly 

 sessile, frequently clustered near the 

 extremities of the branches ; calyx with a 

 long tube, adhering to the ovary at the 

 base, and a flve-lobed limb, each lobe 

 terminating in a bristle from which the 

 genus takes its name ; petals five, purplish 

 yellow or white ; stamens ten or more ; 

 ovary inferior, one-celled, two-ovuled ; cap- 

 sule with Ave ribs, indehiscent. [J. T. S.] 



CALYX. The most external of the floral 

 envelopes ; itis called adherent or superior 

 when it is not separable from the ovary, 

 free or inferior when it is separate from 

 that part, and calyculate when it is sur- 

 rounded at the base by bracts in a ring. 

 Also the receptacle of some kinds of 

 fungals. — COMMUNIS. The old name of 

 the involucre of composites, &c. 



CAMARA. A carpel. Also the name of a 

 hard durable timber obtained in Guiana 

 from' 'Dipteryx odorata. 



CAMARIDIUM. Under this name have 

 been collected many species of orchids 

 from tropical America, with the structure 

 nearly of Cymbidium, but with distichous 

 leaves and often proliferous stems. Some 

 of them have been referred to Isochilus, a 

 wholly different genus. About a dozen 

 species are known, of little interest. 

 The genus differs but little from Ornithi- 

 dium. 



CAMAROTIS. A small genus of scandent 

 Orchids, with narrow hard leaves and la- 

 teral racemes of delicate yellowish, rosy or 

 purple flowers. They are remarkable for 

 having a long slender rostil, and a fleshy 

 lip hollowed out into the form of a slipper. 

 By means of very long hard roots they 

 cling to the bark of trees in India, the 

 Philippines, and New Guinea. Micropera 

 is the same genus, with lemon-coloured 

 blossoms. 



CAMAS3IA. The Quamash of the North 

 American Indians is the onlyplant belong- 

 ing to this genus of lilyworts (Liliacece). 

 It is the Camassia esculenta of botanists, a 

 small bulbous plant resembling the com- 

 mon blue hyacinth, but larger, its leaves 

 being about a foot long, very narrow and 

 grooved down the inside ; and its flower- 



