CONV] 



€i)t E«a£ttrg af 3Sotang. 



326 



the Philippine islands the batatas or cam ci- 

 tes are used for making soup, as well as 

 roasted. There are forty-six known genera, 

 and nearly 700 species. Illustrative genera: 

 Calystegia, Convolvulus, Exogonium, Ipo- 

 mcea, Batatas, Pharbitis. [J. H. B.] 



CONVOLVULUS. An extensive and 

 widely-distributed genus, typical of the 

 order of bindweeds, consisting of twining 

 or trailing annual and perennial plants, 

 mostly with showy flowers expanding 

 during the early part of the day. Among 

 the allied genera of the order it is dis- 

 tinguished by its naked bractless calyx, 

 funnel-shaped corolla, two linear often re- 

 volute stigmas,and two-celled capsule, each 

 cell containing two seeds. The species 

 share largely in the medicinal properties 

 found in some other genera of the family ; 

 qualities which depend on the presence of 

 a peculiar resin with purgative properties. 

 C. Scammonia furnishes the scammony of 

 the druggist ; and in most of the perennial 

 species, including the indigenous C. arven- 

 sis and C. Sohlanclla, the same principle 

 occurs. C. dissectus abounds in hydrocya- 

 nic acid, and is said to be one of the 

 plants from which the liqueur noyau 

 is prepared. Some of the species are 

 popular ornaments of the flower-garden, 

 and with one at least every body is familiar ; 

 viz. C. tricolor or Minor Convolvulus of 

 the seedsman, a dwarf Mediterranean 

 species with large flowers of a beautiful 

 violet blue, the centre white and yellow. 

 Of the perennial climbing species, C. al- 

 thceoides with silky deeply-cleft ovate 

 foliage and rose-coloured flowers is an 

 example. C. bryouiicfolius, C. italicus, and 

 C. Sibtlt'iriiii are closely related to it, and 

 not easily distinguished. C. lineatus with 

 very narrow entire foliage, and flesh- 

 coloured flowers, is occasionally met with 

 in gardens ; it is dwarfer and less showy 

 than the preceding. A very distinct 

 species is the C. Cneorwm, indigenous to 

 the south of Europe, of shrubby habit 

 with persistent lanceolate foliage clothed 

 with silvery hairs, and whitish flowers 

 produced in terminal bunches in spring. 

 C. mauritanicus is a pretty dwarf trailing 

 species with oval wavy foliage, and nu- 

 merous axillary flowers of a pleasing violet 

 colour. [W.T.] 



CONYZA. A genus of herbaceous or 

 shrubby plants belonging to the radiate 

 group of compound flowers, among which 

 it is discriminated by its naked receptacle, 

 its three-cleft outer-florets, and the rough 

 pappus which crowns its fruit. The spe- 

 cies possess no properties to render them 

 attractive. They were formerly supposed 

 to have the power, when suspended in 

 a room, of driving away fleas; hence the 

 English name Flea-bane, given also to an 

 allied genus. C.camphorata and marilan- 

 dica give out a strong smell of camphor. 

 'iitnisis is an evergreen shrub, a 

 native of Carolina, growing to the height 

 of live feet, and producing purple flowers 

 from July to October. Bacchtrris lialimi- 

 folia, a shrubby species with insignificant 



white flowers is by some authors placed in 

 this genus. French, Herbe aux Puces ; 

 German, Diirrwurz. [C. A. J.] 



COOKIA. A genus of Aurantiacece, named 

 in honour of the famous circumnavigator. 

 It consists of small trees with compound 

 leaves; whose leaflets are unequal at the 

 base. The flowers have four to five concave 

 petals ; eight to ten stamens, distinct one 

 from the other ; the ovary on a very short 

 stalk, four to five-celled, with two ovules 

 in each compartment ; and the style short 

 and surmounted by a four to five-toothed 

 stigma. The fruit is a globular berry, with 

 five, or by suppression, fewer compart- 

 ments, filled with juice. The fruit of one 

 species,C.pz«ict«£a,isesteemed in China and 

 the Indian Archipelago, where it is known 

 under the name of Wampee. [M. T. M.] 



COONDA OIL. The oil of Carapa guia- 

 nensis. 



COOPERIA. A genus of Arnaryllidacem, 



allied to Zephyranthes. They are bulbous 

 plants with linear tortuous leaves, and one- 

 flowered scapes. The perianth consists of 

 a long erect slender cylindrical tube wide- 

 ned at the mouth, and a stellate limb of six 

 regular equal segments ; the filaments are 

 nearly equal, erect, inserted in the mouth 

 of the tube ; the style erect with a three- 

 lobed fimbriated stigma. The species, of 

 which but few are known, are natives of 

 Texas. The typical one, C. Brummondiana, 

 has narrow tortuous leaves, twelve to 

 eighteen inches long, and a scape of six 

 inches to a foot high, bearing at the end a 

 single flower, of which the tube is four and 

 a-half inches long, greenish, often fading 

 red, and the limb, rather over an inch long, 

 and white. The flower always ex viands 

 in the evening, and is not usually perfect 

 after the first night, the limb becoming 

 less stellate, and its margins curled, but it 

 lasts three or four days in that state. 

 ' The nocturnal flowering of this plant is an 

 i anomaly in the order, and the more 

 remarkable because its nearest kin, Zephy- 

 ranthes, requires apowerful sun to make it 

 i expand. The flower is fragrant, smelling 

 like a primrose.'— Herbert. C. pedunculate, 

 called also Sceptranthus, isaiso a nocturnal- 

 blooming plant, with pure white primrose- 

 scented flowers. [T. M.] 



COOPER'S WOOD. Alphitonia excelsa. 



COPAIVA TREE. Copaifera officinalis, 

 which, with other species of Copaifera, 

 yields Copaivi balsam. 



COPAI YE'. The wood of Vochya guia- 

 nensis. 



COPAL. A name applied to a gum- 

 resinous product of various tropical trees. 

 — , BRAZILIAN,' obtained from several 

 species of Hymencea, and from Trachy- 

 bibium Martianum. —, INDIAN, produced 

 by Yateria indica. —.MADAGASCAR, pro- 

 duced by Hymencea verrucosa. —.MEXI- 

 CAN, supposed to be the produce of some 

 I Hymenoea. 



