COCHLEARIFORM. Spoon-shaped. 



COCHLEATE. Twisted in a short spire, 

 so as to resemble the convolutions of a 

 snail-shell ; as the pod of Medicago cochleata, 

 cr the seed of Salicornia. 



COCHLIA violacea. A small orchid- 

 aceous epiphyte from Java, with fleshy 

 leaves, and small purple flowers growing in 

 heads. 



COCHLIDIOSPERMATE. Seeds which 

 are convex on one side, and concave on 

 the other, owing to unequal growth, or 

 anomalous structure, as in Veronica. 



COCHLIDIUM. A synonym of Mono- 

 gramma, a genus of curious small tropical 

 ferns. [T. M.] 



COCHLIODA densiflora, A handsome 

 Peruvian epiphytal orchid, with thm 

 pseudobulbs and parchment-like leaves. 

 The flowers appear in dense spikes, and 

 have the lip adnate to the column as in 

 Epidendrum ; but the pollen apparatus is 

 that of the Vandece. A second unpublished 

 species of the genus has been sent from 

 the Quitinian Alps by Dr. Jameson. 



COCHLOSPERMUM. A genus of small 

 trees or shrubs, natives of Tropical India, 

 Africa, and America, as well as in North 

 Australia. They are placed by some among 

 the Cistacece, and by others among the 

 Ternstrbmiacece, but are easily recognised 

 from any genus in either of these families 

 by their palmately-lobed leaves. These are 

 alternate, furnished with long stalks, and 

 bear much resemblance to those of some of 

 the maples. The large yellow flowers are in 

 terminal panicles, and generally open and 

 wither before the leaves make their appear- 

 ance. They are composed of a five-divided 

 calyx, five large nearly round petals, and 

 very numerous stamens surrounding a 

 one-celled ovary crowned by a single un- 

 branched style. The capsular fruit when 

 ripe is in size and form like a pear, and 

 opens with three or five valves. The seeds 

 are small, very numerous, and covered 

 with a cottony down. 



C. Gossypium is a shrub or small tree 

 found in the peninsula of India. Its five- 

 lobed leaves are smooth above and downy 

 underneath, and, including the stalk, more 

 than a foot long. The numerous yellow 

 flowers in terminal panicles are about four 

 inches across. From the stem of this plant 

 a gum called Knteera is obtained, and it is 

 used as a substitute for gum tragacanth 

 because of its viscidity. The cottony sub- 

 stance which adheres to the seeds is some- 

 times used for stuffing pillows and cush- 

 ions. Much like this is C. insigne, a native 

 of Brazil, but its leaves are smaller and 

 have serrate lobes. The Brazilians make 

 use of a decoction of the roots of this plant 

 against internal pains, and principally 

 against those which are the result of falls 

 and other accidents ; they also affirm that 

 this decoction cures abscesses which have 

 already formed. 



C. Planchoni, a native of "Western Africa, 



is a shrub about five feet high, with alter- 

 nate three or flve-lobed leaves which are 

 pubescent underneath. According to Mr. 

 Barter, who gathered the plant, 'each 

 shoot rises from a stool, is unbranched, 

 and bears on the apex a cluster of yellow 

 flowers three to four inches across. The 

 roots are large and succulent, and yield 

 the only yellow dye with which the people 

 are acquainted. It is a common plant on 

 the river Quorra.' Another species, C. tinc- 

 torium, a native of Senegambia, is said to 

 ; have a thick tuberous root-stock, which 

 ! furnishes a yellow dye, known to the na- 

 tives as Fayar, and used for dying cotton 

 j stuffs, as well as in medicine in cases of 

 ; amenorrhoea. The flowers of this only are 

 \ known, and very likely it is not different 

 I from the last-mentioned species. The 

 I woolly covering of the seeds gives rise to 

 i the name of the genus. [A. A. B.] 



' COCKLE-BURR. An American name 

 | for Xanthium. 



COCKSCOMB. Celosia cristata. 



COCKS-HEAD. Onobrijchis Caput-galli. 



COCK'S-SPUR THORN. Crataegus Crus- 

 galli. 

 | COCOA or CACAO. The seeds of Tlieo- 

 broma Cacao. 



COCOA-NUT. The nut of Cocos nucifera. 

 I — , DOUBLE or SEA. The nut of Lodoicea 

 seychellarum. 



I COCOA-PLUM. The fruit of Chrysobala- 

 J nus Icaco. 



I COCOA-ROOT or COCO. The root of 

 ; Colocasia antiquorum, used as an esculent 

 ; in tropical countries. 



COCO, LE PETIT. Tlieophrasta Jussicb. 



COCOS. The well-known Cocoa-nut tree 

 ■ is the type of this genus of palms, to which, 

 j in addition, about a dozen other species 

 belong. They mostly form tall graceful 

 trees, and the majority of them are natives 

 of the tropical regions of America, one 

 I only, the common Cocoa-nut, being found in 

 j Asia or Africa. Their leaves are very large 

 j and pinnate. Their flowers are of separate 

 ; sexes produced on the same spike, both 

 having a calyx consisting of three sepals, 

 and a corolla of three petals, the males I 

 ! containing six stamens united at the base, I 

 and the females an egg-shaped ovary, with 

 a short style and three stigmas, and some- ] 

 ; times six barren stamens. The fruit is i 

 either elliptical, or egg-shaped and three- 

 sided, and contains a single seed enclosed 

 in a hard bony shell, which has three round 

 holes at its base, and is surrounded by a dry 

 fibrous husk. 

 | The Cocoa-nut Palm, C. nucifera, is now 

 so extensively cultivated throughout the 

 tropics, that it is impossible to ascertain 

 its native country ; there can be no doubt, 

 however, that it is indigenous to some part 

 I of Asia, probably Southern India. It ex- 

 ists in vast quantities on the Malabar and 

 Coromandel coasts, and adjacent islands, 



