dayf] 



QLfyz Erca^ttrj) of 2Satang. 



388 



mens, which are eight to ten in number, 

 nearly equal in height and similar in form ; 

 the anthers linear or awl-shaped, curved 

 outwards and opening at top by a little 

 pore : the connective or point of junction 

 of the anther with its stalk produced be- 

 hind into an obtuse or acute horn, some- 

 times forked at the point and parallel to 

 the anther. The leaves are stalked, lance- 

 shaped, oval or elliptical, entire or toothed. 

 The flowers are yellow, rose, or purple, dis- 

 posed in terminal panicles or cymes, and 

 having an entire or five-toothed calyx; five 

 obovate petals, and a filiform style crown- 

 ing an ovary which becomes, when ripe, a 

 five-celled capsule with numerous seeds. 

 The genus bears the name of Sir H. Davy, 

 the eminent chemist. [A. A. B.] 



DAY-FLOWER. An American name for 

 Commelyna. 



DEAL. The wood of various pine and 

 fir trees. 



DEALBATE. Covered with a very 

 opaque white powder. 



DECA. In Greek composition = ten. 



DECAISISTEA. A genus of plants named 

 after Decaisne, a celebrated French botan- 



Decaisnea insignis. 



ist, by Drs. Hooker and The mson. It belongs 

 to the natural order Lardizabalacece, and is 

 an erect shrub with large pith, pinnate 

 leaves, racemose inflorescence, and green- 

 ish flowers ; sepals six, linear and awl- 

 shaped ; petals none ; flowers sometimes 

 abortive or becoming staminate or pistil- 

 late ; stamens six, free or united by their 

 filaments ; ovaries three with an oblique 

 style ; ovules very numerous, on two 

 thread-like placentas. The fruit consists 

 of follicles filled with pulp. The only known 

 species is D. insignis found at Sikkim and 

 Bhotan in the Himalaya at the height of 

 6,000 to 10,000 feet, flowering in May and 

 fruiting in October. The fruit is very 

 palatable, and is eaten by the Lepchas of 



Sikkim. The name is also a synonyme of 

 Cnemidia. [J. H. BJ 



DECAMALEE or DIKAMALI. A gum 

 obtained in India from Gardenia lucida. 



DECANEMA. A genus of Asclepiadacece, 

 containing a single species from Madagas- I 

 car. A leafless branched undershrub, re- | 

 markably like Sarcostemma aphylla, except j 

 in the structure of the flower. The flowers 

 are small in terminal or lateral umbels ; 

 the calyx is five-parted ; the corolla rotate 

 and five-cleft ; the staminal crown consists 

 of two series of five lobes, the outer be- 

 ing opposite to, the inner alternating with, 

 the lobes of the corolla, and its lobes are 

 rounded and terminate in a long linear 

 blade exceeding the corolla. The Ion ground 

 follicles contain comose seeds. [W. C] 



DECASPORA. A small Tasmanian genus 

 of JSpacridacece, having small ovate or 

 lanceolate leaves, and flowers in terminal 

 spikes of a reddish hue. The calyx with 

 two bracts at the base ; corolla campanu- 

 late, the limb slightly bearded ; stamens 

 exserted with five scales united at the 

 base ; a ten-celled ovary with a single seed 

 in each cell. The fruit is a violet-coloured 

 berry. [R- H.] 



DECIDUOUS. Finally falling off ; as the 

 calyx and corolla of crucifers. 



DECKERIA. A name recently proposed 

 for a genus of palms, but the characters 

 upon which it is founded not being of 

 sufficient importance to warrant its adop- 

 tion, other botanists have since referred 

 the species to the older genus Iriartea, to 

 which three of them originally belonged. 

 They are natives of tropical South Ameri- 

 ca, and are remarkable on account of the 

 singular shape of their trunk, which, 



Deckeria ventricosa. 



though cylindrical throughout its entire 

 height, like that of numerous other palms, 

 while young, after attaining a certain age, 

 swells suddenly out at a point about mid- 



