32-5 



Clje Erra^urg at 38atang. 



[cony 



CONSOLIDA. A section of the ranuncu- 

 laceous genus Delphinium, containing an- 

 nual species with only one carpel. D. ori- 

 entate and D. Ajacis, the rocket larkspurs, 

 are ofteu cultivated: and the blue variety J 

 of the latter occurs in Cambridgeshire as a 

 corn-field weed, though it is usually con- 

 sidered as D. Consolida by British authors. 

 The true D. Consolida differs by having 

 glabrous carpels, and a corymbose inflores- 

 cence, not racemose or paniculate, as in D. 

 Ajacis. It has been found in Jersey, but 

 perhaps not truly wild. [J. T. S.] 



CONSOUDE GRANDE. fFr.) Symphytum 

 officinale. — HE'RISSE'E. Symphytum 

 echinatum. — MOYEXNE. Ajuga reptans. j 



CONTINUOUS. The reverse of articu- 

 lated. A stem is said to be continuous 

 which has no joints. 



j CONTORTED. An arrangement of petals 



I or corolline lobes, when each piece, being 



oblique in figure, and overlapping its 



neighbour by one margin, has its other 



' margin in like manner overlapped by that 



which stands next it, as in oleander. 



CONTORTUPLICATUS. Twisted back 

 upon itself. 



CONTRA YERVA. Dorstenia Contrayerva. 



CONULEUU. The name given to a West 

 African bush of the eheagnus family, with 

 opposite entire leaves, which are oboval in 

 form and pointed, while both surfaces are 

 covered with scurfy scales. The small 

 flowers are not known. The females, ar- 

 ranged in forked racemes, have a calyx 

 with a cylindrical tube and a conical limb, 

 and are provided with a little opening at 

 the top through which the style protrudes. 

 The fruit is not known. [A. A. B.] 



CONVALLARIA. The Lily of the 

 Valley is a plant so well known, and one 

 which is so universally a favourite, that 

 little need be said by way of description. 

 A slender irregular stalk, a few inches 

 high and slightly curved, bears from eight 

 to twelve small bell-shaped milk-white 

 flowers, arranged one above another, each 

 on a stalk of its own, all bending towards 

 the ground, symmetrically elegant in form, 

 and of a delicate perfume. This stalk rises 

 from the base of a pair of broadly-lanceolate 

 leaves, tapering towards each extremity 

 of a somewhat glaucous hue, clasped to- 

 gether at the base by sheathing scales, and 

 scarcely unfolded by the time the flowers 

 aie in perfection. "Without poetical or 

 fanciful conventionalities, the Lily of the 

 Valley is as perfect an emblem of purity, 

 modesty, and humility, as the floral world 

 can afford. It may seem idle to observe 

 that a flower of this description cannot 

 be that referred to in the Sermon on the 

 Mount ; but as that opinion is frequently 

 broached in popular works, it may simply 

 be observed, that it never grows in the open 

 fields, and that there is nothing in its 

 array to which the term 'glory 'is appli- 

 cable. Not a little unprofitable commen- 

 tary might have been spared if the same 



general meaning had been attached to the 

 term 'Lilies of the Field,' which has by 

 common consent been ascribed to the 

 parallel phrase, ' Fowls of the Air,' while 

 the passage itself would have gained in 

 force and dignity by being kept clear from 

 botanical disquisitions. The Lily of the 

 Valley is an inhabitant of the woods in 

 many parts of England, and has long been 

 admitted into every garden. A variety 

 with double flowers, and another of a 

 reddish hue, are also cultivated; but these 

 are far inferior to the wild form of the 

 plant. Notwithstanding the fragrance of 

 the flowers, they have a narcotic odour 

 when dried, and if reduced to powder 

 excite sneezing. An extract prepared 

 from the flowers or roots partakes of the 

 properties of aloes. A beautiful and 

 durable green colour may be prepared 

 from the leaves with lime. The genus 

 belongs to the Liliacece. C. majalis is the 

 only species retained, some others which 

 were formerly included being now referred 

 to Polygonatum. French, Muguet de Mai, 

 Lis de Mai, or des Vallees ; German, May- 

 Mume. [C. A. J.] 



CONVERGENTI-NERVOSE. When sim- 

 ple, veins diverge from the midrib of a leaf, 

 and converge towards the mai'gin. 



CONVERGINERVED. When the ribs of 

 a leaf describe a curve and meet at the 

 point, as in Plantago lanceolata. 



CONVOLUTE, CONVOLUTIVE. When 

 one part is wholly rolled up in another, as 

 in the petals of the wallflower. 



■ CONVOLVULACE^E. (Bindweeds.) A 

 natural order of corollifloral dicotyledons, 

 included in Lindley's solanal alliance. 

 Herbs or shrubs, usually twining, and 

 with a milky juice, having alternate leaves 

 without stipules, and regular flowers ; 

 the flower-stalks (peduncles) bear one or 

 many flowers. Calyx five-divided, im- 

 bricated, persistent ; corolla plaited ; sta- 

 mens five, alternate with the corolline 

 lobes ; ovary free, two to four-celled ; 

 ovules one to two in each cell; styles 

 united, often divided at the top. Fruit a 

 two to four-celled capsule, rarely one- 

 celled, valves breaking off and leaving the 

 dissepiments and placentas in the middle 

 of the fruit ; seeds large with mucila- 

 ginous albumen ; embryo curved. Abun 

 dant in tropical countries, and rare in cold 

 climates ; they twine around other plants 

 and creep among weeds on the sea-shore. 

 The plants are characterised chiefly by 

 their purgative qualities, and many of 

 them are used medicinally. Jalap is pro- 

 cured from the root, or rather underground 

 stem of Exogonium (Ipomced) Purga, while 

 the gum-resin called scammony is pro- 

 duced by Convolvulus Scammonia. Ipomaa 

 Bona nox is the moonflower of Ceylon and 

 other warm countries. Batatas edulis, 

 sweet potato or Batatas, is cultivated in 

 Carolina, Japan, and China, and succeeds 

 within an annual isotherm of 59°. It is 

 cultivated also in Spain and Portugal. In 



