COLXJ] 



Cfjc Crcagurg at 3fi0tan». 



316 



lihamnacece, comprising small trees and 

 shrubs, some of which are climbing, na- 

 tives of South America and the warmer 

 regions of Asia and Africa. They are 

 closely allied to Ceanothus, hut possess no 

 properties which render them worthy of 

 cultivation. [C. A. J.] 



COLUM. An obsolete term for the pla- 

 centa. 

 COLUMBINE. The common name for 



Aquilegia. 



COLUMELLA. A little column; the 

 firm centre of the spore-case of an urn- 

 moss, from which the spores separate. 

 The long axis round which the parts of a 

 fruit are united : in reality, the ripened 

 growing point. A slender axis, over which 

 the spore-cases of such ferns as Tricho- 

 manes are arranged. 



COLUMELLIA. A genus of epigynous 

 exogens having a monopetalous corolla, 

 the structure of which, and especially of 

 the anthers, is so remarkable that it has 

 been separated as a distinct order under 

 the name of Columelliacece. It consists of 

 a few evergreen shrubs or trees, natives of 

 Mexico and Peru, having opposite entire 

 or slightly serrated leaves, and small yel- 

 low flowers. The calyx is superior, five- 

 cleft; the corolla five-lobed; the stamens 

 two only, attached to the tube of the 

 corolla, and the anthers are as usual only 

 two-celled, but each cell is elongated, 

 more so than in any other plants compara- 

 tively with the size of the anther, but 

 being doubled and redoubled on them- 

 selves they form a ^lobular mass. The an- 

 ther of C. oblong a has the shortest cells of 

 any of the species. The ovary is two-celled, 

 each cell containing numerous ovules, and 

 the seed has a large quantity of albumen. 

 The station of Columelliacece in the natu- 

 ral system is near Stylidiacece, the sta- 

 mens in the latter being only two, al- 

 though differently attached. (See Ann. and 

 Mag. Ned. Hist. ser. 3. i. 109.) [B. C] 



COLUMELLIACECE. Columellia, which 

 consists of two or perhaps three species 

 from the Andes of America, having no 

 immediate affinity with any of the orders 

 with wlriGh it has been compared, has there- 

 fore been considered as forming a family 

 of itself. It consists of evergreen shrubs 

 or small trees with opposite serrate leaves 

 without stipules; a superior five-cleft calyx; 

 a five-lobed spreading corolla bearing in 

 its short tube two stamens, each with 

 three waved anthers. The ovary is in- 

 ferior, two-celled, with numerous ovules ; 

 the fruit capsular ; the seeds numerous, 

 with the embryo in the axis of a fleshy al- 

 bumen. These characters, as well as the 

 habit, remove the genus from the gener- 

 ality of Monopetatce, and indicate several 

 points of connection with Saxifragece and 

 their allies, amongst which Columellia 

 may possibly take its place as a gamopetal- 

 ous form. 



COLUMN. The combined stamens and 



styles forming a solid centi-al body, as in or- 

 chids. 



COLUMNARIS. Having the form of a 

 columnj as the stamens of a mallow. 



COLUMNEA A genus of erect or climb- 

 ing slender herbaceous plants or under- 

 shrubs, with opposite fleshy and hairy 

 leaves, and solitary or crowded axillary pe- 

 duncles bearing scarlet flowers. They are 

 natives of tropical America, and belong to 

 the order of Gesneracew. The calyx is free 

 and five-parted. The corolla is tubular, with 

 the limb two-lipped, the upper one entire, 

 erect or overarching, the lower trifid and 

 patent; the four didynamous stamens are 

 inserted in the tube of the corolla, and 

 with them the rudiment of a fifth ; the 

 ovate anthers have two cells. The one- 

 celled ovary is free, surrounded by a five- 

 lobed disc, and contains two two-lobed 

 parietal placentaa with anatropal ovules. 

 The fruit is a berry containing many o no- 

 vate seeds, and two fleshy placentae. The 

 genus is near to Besleria, differing chiefly 

 in the form of the corolla. [W. C] 



COLURIA. A genus of the rose family, 

 very nearly allied to Geum, but differing in 

 the styles being jointed and falling from 

 the achenes when mature, while in Geum 

 they remain attached and become feathery. 

 C. geoides, the only species of the genus, is 

 a plant about six inches high with pinna- 

 tifld leaves having cut segments, and a pe- 

 duncle bearing one to three little yellow 

 flowers. Altogether it bears much resem- 

 blance to the silver-weed, Potentilla anse- 

 rina, but its leaves although pubescent are 

 not clothed with silvery hairs. - It is found 

 on the less elevated mountains in Siberia, 

 growing in rocky places. [A. A. B.] 



COLUTEA. The technical name of a 

 genus of Leguminosce consisting of certain 

 shrubs, indigenous to the south of Europe 

 and the Mediterranean region in general,and 

 especially characterised by having, with the 

 ordinary papilionaceous flowers, membra- 

 nous bladder-like pods. The leaflets of C. 

 arborescens and other species have pur- 

 gative properties like those of senna, 

 and are sometimes mixed with senna 

 leaves. The distended pods, when pressed 

 suddenly, burst with a loud noise, hence 

 the common name, Bladder-senna. Two 

 or three species are cultivated as deciduous 

 plants in this country, but they seem 

 to be more abundantly used on the Conti- 

 nent than with us. C. arborescens is said to 

 grow on the crater of Vesuvius, where there 

 is little other vegetation. [M. T. M.] 



COLVILLEA. The name given to a tree 

 of Madagascar belonging to the legumin- 

 ous family. The genus is nearly related to 

 Ccesalpinia, but is readily distinguished by 

 the form of its calyx, which is two-lipped, 

 the upper lip convex and four-toothed, and 

 the lower linear in form and entire. C. 

 racemosa is a beautiful tree, which attains 

 a height of forty or fifty feet, and is 

 furnished with elegant fern-like twice- 

 pinnate leaves about three feet long; these 



