303 



(£f)2 Creaguru of 38atang. 



[cocc 



the lateral parts. In both males and fe- 

 males the calyx is tubular with a five- 

 lobed limb, and encloses in the former ten 

 stamens united into a column and ar- 

 ranged in two tiers; and in the latter a 

 three-lobed ovary crowned with three 

 stigmas torn at the apex. The three-celled 

 capsular-fruit is about the size of a large 

 pea, and covered with sharp hairs, each 

 cell containing but one seed. 



C. stimulans is a plant of the Southern 

 American states, and has palmately-lobed 

 leaves from four to eight inches long. 

 The lacerated segments are covered with 

 spreading hairs, which sting fearfully the 

 bare feet of the negroes when they tread 

 on them ; it is sometimes called on this 

 account ' Tread Softly.' Its tuberous roots 

 are said to be eatable like those of the 

 cassava or manihot. C. quinquelobus has 

 been in cultivation, but it stings so ter- 

 ribly that few people care to keep it. The 

 effects of the sting are various on different 

 constitutions. Some on being stung fall 

 down and are quite unconscious for a 

 length of time ; but others are not so af- 

 fected. In both cases an excruciating 

 pain is felt, which lasts for some days, 

 and the parts swell and sometimes con- 

 tinue swollen, accompanied with an itching 

 sensation for months. [A. A. B.] 



COACERVATE. The same as Clustered. 



COADXATE, COADUNATE. The same 

 as Connate. 



COALITIO. The growing of one thing 

 to another ; as that of petals, which pro- 

 duces a monopetalous corolla, &c. 



COARCTATE. Contracted ; drawn close 

 together. 



COARCTURE. The neck of a plant. See 

 Collum. 



COBJSA. This small genus of phlox- 

 worts consists of climbing tendrilled 

 plants, with pinnate foliage, and large 

 bell-shaped flowers produced singly from 

 the leaf axils. Although at first sight they 

 appear to have little in common with the 

 other plants of this order, and really differ 

 essentially inhabit, they yet agree with them 

 in their most important structural features. 

 The genus is distinguished by its large 

 leafy permanent Ave parted calyx; decli- 

 nate stamens and style ; three-celled ovary 

 surrounded at its base by a fleshy annular 

 disc; and large flat winged seeds, imbricated 

 in a double row. C. scandens, the most in- 

 teresting species, is a well-known summer 

 climber of very rapid growth. Its leaves 

 are composed of three pairs of elliptic 

 leaflets, the midrib being terminated by a 

 branched tendril ; it has large bell-shaped 

 flowers, which are at first green, but ulti- 

 mately assume a deep violet hue. C. ma- 

 cros*eraa has smaller yellowish-green 

 flowers, with stamens twice as long as the 

 corolla, and the segments of the calyx lan- 

 ceolate. [W. T.] 



COB-XUT. A variety of the Hazel, Gory- 



lus Avellana. — , JAMAICA. The seeds 

 of Omphalea triandra, 



COBURGIA. A genus of ornamental 

 Amaryllidacece, having tunicated bulbs, 

 lorately linear glaucescent leaves, and a 

 two-edged scape supporting a terminal 

 umbel of few showy flowers. The perianth 

 is funnel-shaped, with an elongated an- 

 gular incurved tube, swollen towards the 

 top, a regular six-parted imbricated some- 

 what spreading limb, and a short cam- 

 panulate cup, bearing on its margin the 

 six stamens and six intermediate biden- 

 tate lobes ; the ovary is three-celled with 

 numerous ovules. There are eight or ten 

 species known, and these are natives of 

 Peru. The type of the genus, C. incarnata, 

 is a very handsome plant, with bulbs like 

 those of the Jacobsea lily, five or six ob- 

 long linear bluntish, slightly glaucous 

 leaves, and a scape two and a half feet 

 high, supporting a four-flowered umbel of 

 pendent flowers, about five inches in 

 length, of a brilliant salmon-orange colour, 

 the tube of which is bluntly three-cornered, 

 very slender at the base, widened upwards 

 and dividing into a moderately-spreading 

 limb of six ovate-elliptic segments an inch 

 long, lighter in colour and more pinky 

 than the tube, and with a green central 

 stripe. The crown is short and erect, with 

 six green bind lobes between the stamens, 

 which about equal the limb in length and 

 are shorter than the style. C. trichroma, 

 a species with a five-flowered umbel and 

 flowers three inches long, the tube light 

 red, the limb white within, green without, 

 and with green-tipped teeth to the cup, is 

 said to be cultivated in pots with great 

 care in Mexico, where it flowers at various 

 seasons. C. variegata has four-flowered 

 umbels, the tube of the flowers yellow and 

 red, and the limb yellow outside, white 

 within, margined with rose, and tipped 

 with green. C. lutea, formerly named 

 Glinrmthus, and subsequently Clitanthes, 

 has a two-flowered scape, the flowers yel- 

 low and about two inches long. The genus 

 was named in honour of the Prince of 

 Saxe Coburg, now king of the Belgians, 

 who, when resident at Claremont, was a 

 great patron of horticultural and botanical 

 science. The name has also been applied 

 to another group of amaryllids, now 

 merged in Hippeastrun. It is written Co- 

 burghia by Dr. Herbert. [T. M.] 



COBWEBBED. Covered with loose, 

 white, entangled, thin hairs, resembling 

 the web of a spider. 



COCA. Erythroxylon Coca, the leaves of 

 which are used as stimulants by the Peru- 

 vian Indians. 



COCALLERA. A Brazilian name for a 



decoction of Croton perdicipes. 



COCARDEAU. (Fr.) Mathiola fenestra- 



COCCIDIA. A name applied to that form 

 of the conceptacles in the rose-spored 

 Algce, which consists of globular tubercles 



