315 



£I)c STrcatfurg ol Matmxy. 



COLU 



coccinea or CavaniUesii grows nearly a foot ' 

 high, with a branched hairy stem, alter- : 

 nate linear-lanceolate leaves incised near | 

 the extremity, and terminal clusters of 

 brick-red flowers each nearly half *an inch 

 across, the tube and underside of corolla 

 being a buff-yellow, and the calyx glandu- 

 lar. C. grandiflora, the only other species 

 worth cultivating, is of taller growth and . 

 more robust habit, with shining lanceolate 

 leaves coarsely serrated, and buff or nan- 

 keen-coloured flowers larger than those of j 

 coccinea. The species have no known pro- 

 perties, but their seeds are remarkable for j 

 the quantity of mucus existing in their 

 testa or outer covering— whence the name ' 

 of the genus from kolla, glue,— which j 

 gives rise, under certain conditions, to a 

 singular and interesting phenomenon. I 

 When tbese seeds are thrown into water | 

 the mucous matter is dissolved and forms 

 a cloud around them. This cloud, Dr. j 

 Lindley tells us, ' depends upon the pre- ; 

 sence of an infinite multitude of exceed- 

 ingly delicate and minute spiral vessels 

 lying coiled up, spire within spire, on the 

 outside of the testa, and the instant water 

 is applied, they dart forward at right angles 

 with the testa, tach carrying with it a ) 

 sheath of mucus, in which it for a long | 

 time remains enveloped as in a membranous 

 case.' [W. T.] 



COLLOPHORA. The name of a little- 

 known Brazilian tree, mentioned by Von 

 Martius, as abounding in a milky juice fur- 

 nishing caoutchouc. The genus belongs 

 to the Apocynacew.. It has a salver-shaped 

 corolla, without scales in the throat of its 

 tube; and the stigma is cylindrical. The 

 fruit is a berry containing several seeds 

 embedded in, pulp. [M. T. MJ 



COLLUM. The point of junction be- 

 tween the radicle and plumule ; the point 

 of departure of the ascending and descend- 

 ing axes, that is to say, of the root and 

 stem, which is often called the collar. 

 Also the lengthened orifice of the ostiolum 

 of a lichen ; Colliform is sometimes ap- 

 plied to an ostiolum, whose orifice is 

 lengthened into a neck. 



COLLYBIA. A sub-genus of white-spored 

 agarics with the outer coat of the stem 

 cartilaginous, the margin of the pileus 

 at first involute, and the gills not decur- 

 rent. Agaricus fusipes, which is not un- 

 common at the foot of old oaks, growing 

 in dense tufts of a more or less decided 

 rufous tint, though too tough for stewing, 

 is excellent when pickled A. esculentus 

 also, which, though small, is brought abun- 

 dantly into the German markets under the 

 name of Nagelschwarnme, belongs to the 

 same sub-genus. One of the best known 

 species of the group is A. velutipes, which 

 grows on almost every decayed tree, con- 

 spicuous for its velvety stem and rich yel- 

 low shining pileus. Few plants are more 

 patient of cold than this, for the severe 

 Christmas frost of 1860 did not destroy it, 

 specimens after the thaw being as vigorous 

 as ever. [11. J. B.] 



COLOCASIA. A genus of Aracece, very 

 closely allied to Caladium, but differing 

 from it in the spadix having a club-shaped 

 or pointed top destitute of stamens. The 

 middle portion of the spadix is provided 

 with stamens, above and below.which latter 

 are rudimentary organs. The anthers are 

 two-celled, opening by pores, and having a 

 broad wedge-shaped connective. The 

 ovaries, at the base of the spadix, are one- 

 celled, with six erect ovules. The plants 

 are Indian herbs, with tuberous or stem- 

 like rootstocks, and peltate leaves. C. anti- 

 quorum, the Arum Colocasia of Linnaeus, is 

 cultivated in most tropical cbuntries, 

 Egypt, India, &c, for the sake of its leaves, ; 

 which when uncooked are acrid, but by 

 boiling, the water being changed, lose 

 their acridity, and may be eaten as spinach. 

 C. indica is cultivated in Brazil for its es- 

 culent stems and small pendulous tubers. 

 C. esculenta, C. macrorhiza, and many va- 

 rieties of these species, are cultivated in 

 the Sandwich Islands under the name of j 

 Tara ; and their rootstocks being filled with 

 starch, furnish a staple article of diet 

 among the natives. The leaves are like- 

 wise used as a vegetable. [M. T. M.] 



COLOCYNTH. Citrullus or Cucumis Colo- 

 cynthis. —HIMALAYAN. Citrullus or Cu- 

 cumis Pseudo-colocynthis. 



COLOMBINE PLUMEUSE. (Fr.) Tha- 

 lictrum aquilegifolium. 



COLOQUINTE. (Fr.) Citrullus Colocyn- 

 this. 



COLOMBO or CALOMBA. The Calumba 

 root, Jateorhiza (formerly Cocculus) palmata. 

 — , AMERICAN. Frasera Walteri. 



COLOUR (adj. COLOURED, COLORA- 

 TUS). Any colour except green. In tech- 

 nical botany white is regarded as a colour, 

 and green is not. 



COLPENCHYMA. Sinuous cellular tissue 



COLPOON TREE. Cassine Colpoon. 



COLQUHOUNIA. A genus of Labiata?, 

 containing three species of climbing or 

 erect shrubs, natives of India, with petiolate 

 ovate acuminate leaves, and scarlet flowers 

 scattered in axillary verticillasters or 

 crowded in a terminal spike, and having 

 small bracts. The calyx is tubular, cam- 

 pan ulate, ten-nerved, and unequally five- 

 toothed; the corolla tube is longer than 

 the calyx, its throat dilated, and its limb 

 bilabiate, with the upper lip entire, and 

 the lower with three small ovate lobes ; the 

 stamens are covered by the galea or hel- 

 met ; the apex of the style is subequally 

 bifid, with subulate lobes ; the nucule is 

 oblong, dry and smooth, with a membrana- 

 ceous apex. [W. C] 



COLTSFOOT. The common name for 

 Tussilago. — , SWEET. An American 

 name for Nardosma. 



COLUBRINA. Snake-wood, so called 

 from the twisted wood of one species, 

 which inhabits the forests of Martinique. 

 A family of plants belonging to the order 



