215 



Cf)c ZxtHSut}} at 23otang. 



[cap 



manner to that employed for the prepara- 

 tion of flax. 



The uses of Hemp for the manufacture 

 of cordage, canvas, &c, are too well known 

 to require more than a passing allusion. 

 The seeds are used for feeding caged birds, 

 and an oil is expressed from them. The 

 imports of Hemp in 1858 amounted to 

 739.339 cwts., rhe computed real value of 

 which was 1.034.277?.: and of Hemp seed, 

 11,090 quarters ; value 24,074?. [A. S.] 



CABTTACE2E. The Indian-shot family, a 

 natural order of epigynous monocotyledons 

 belonging to Lindiey's amomal alliance. 

 The name of Marantacece is also given 

 to the order, and under that its characters 

 and properties are stated. [J. H. B.] 



CANNA. The name of a genus of 

 Marantacece distinguished by the flowers 

 being in panicles ; having a calyx of three 

 sepals, a corolla of six pieces, five of 

 which are erect, the other reflexed : these 

 may be considered rather as abortive 

 stamens than as petals; the one fertile 

 stamen is petal-like, with an anther on the 

 margin ; the style is also petal-like with a 

 linear stigma, and the fruit consists of a 

 capsule covered with rough tubercles ex- 

 ternally, and internally divided into three 

 compartments, each of which contains a 

 number of horizontally placed seeds; 

 when ripe the fruit bursts into three 

 divisions. The seeds of most of the 

 species are round, hard, and black, hence 

 the name of Indian Shot, which is applied 

 to the plants. 



Many of the species have brightly- 

 coloured flowers— yellow, red or orange. 

 The foliage, too, is highly ornamental and 

 characteristic; hence they are favourite 

 plants in cultivation, and produce a striking 

 effect when grouped in beds out of doors 

 during the summer months. The beauty 

 of these plants is not their only feature of 

 interest, as some of them are also of 

 importance from their fleshy underground 

 stems, containing an abundance of starch. 

 Tous les mois, a superior kind of arrowroot, 

 the grains of which are very large, is the 

 produce of one of the West Indian species, 

 probably C. edulis. The tubers of other 

 species are eaten as a vegetable, while 

 some have slight medicinal properties. 

 In the Brazils the leaves are used for 

 packing purposes, hence the French call 

 these plants Balisier, from a Spanish word 

 signifying cover. The seeds are also made 

 use of as beads. *-** [M.T. MJ 



CANNE A* SUCRE. (Fr.) Saccharum 

 officinarum. — , D*INDE. Canna iudica. 

 — , DE JOXC. Typha latifolia. —, DE 

 PROVENCE. Arundo Donax. 



CANNEBERGE. (Fr.) Oxy coccus palus- 

 tris. 



CAXNELLIER. 

 tree. 



(Fr.) The Cinnamon 



CANXILE'E. (Fr.) Lemna minor. 

 j CANNOMOIS. A genus of Restiacece, 



differing from Eestio in the fruit, which is 

 a hard indehiscent nut ; and from Willden- 

 noicia by having two distinct styles. C. 

 cephalotes, the original species, has a 

 rigid stem with numerous short barren 

 stems at the base ; flowers in a large ovate 

 terminal head, with ovate acute imbricated 

 bracts. This and another species are from 

 the Cape of Good Hope. [J. T. S.] 



CANNON-BALL TREE. Couroupita 

 guianensis. 



CANOE BIRCH. Betulapapyracea. 

 CANOE WOOD. Liriodendron tidipifera. 

 CANTERBURY BELL. Campamda 

 Medium. 



CANTHARELLUS. The scientific name 

 of the ChantareUe. 



CANTHIUM. A genus of Cinchonacece 

 consisting of spiny rigid plants with 

 solitary fragrant white flowers, having the 

 stamens inserted near the throat of the 

 corolla, and a thread-shaped protruding 

 style terminated by a thick globular or 

 mitre-shaped stigma. The fruit is a two- 

 celled berry. C. parviflorum, an Indian 

 plant, makes good fences, while the leaves 

 are occasionally added to curries by the 

 natives; but they have also medicinal 

 properties. One or two species are in 

 cultivation. [M. T M.] 



CANTUA. A genus of Polemoniacece, 

 containing six or eight species, natives of 

 Peru. They are trees or shrubs with 

 alternate fleshy entire or sinuate-dentate 

 leaves, and large showy flowers in corymbs 

 at the termination of the branches, rarely 

 solitary and axillary. The calyx is tubular 

 and five-cleft ; the corolla is funnel-shaped 

 with the spreading limb split into five 

 obovate lobes ; the five stamens are 

 inserted at the base of the tube, and are 

 more or less exserted ; the ovary is three- 

 celled with numerous ovules, and bears a 

 simple style with a trifld stigma; the 

 capsule is coriaceous and tnree-valved ; 

 the seeds have their apex produced into a 

 wing. This genus is nearly related by its 

 capsule and seeds to Cobcea, though in habit 

 and inflorescence some of its species ap- 

 proach Polemonium. [W. C] 



CANUS. Grey-white or hoary. A term 

 applied to hairy surfaces. 



CAOUTCHOUC. The elastic gummy 

 substance known as India rubber, which 

 is the inspissated juice of various plants 

 growing in tropical climates in different 

 parts of the world ; e. g. Ficus elastica 

 and other species of moraceous plants, 

 Castilloa elastica and other artocarpads, 

 Siphonia elastica and other euphorbiaceous 

 plants, Urceola elastica and other apocyna- 

 ceous plants, &c. The name is also given 

 by the Popayans to the milky juice of 

 Stphocampi/lus Caoutchouc, an elastic gum, 

 very different from the caoutchouc of 

 commerce. [T. M.] 



CAP. The convex part of an agaric or 

 other similar fungal. 



