497 



Cfje €tcziuxy of botany. 



FITC 



covers the pollen-masses ; and the follicles 

 are ovoid and fleshy. [W. C.J 



FISH-POISOX. Lepidium Piscidium. 

 — , JAMAICA. Piscidia Erythrina. 



FISSE2STIA. A genus of Loasacece, 

 found in Arabia and the interior of South 

 Africa, remarkable as being the only re- 

 presentative of the family in the eastern 

 hemisphere. It differs from other genera 

 in having a three-celled fruit, with one 

 seed in each cell. The only species, jP. spa- 

 thulata, is a branching bush with straw- 



Fissenia spathulata. 



coloured stems, alternate stalked lobed 

 leaves not unlike those of the gooseberry 

 but larger, and pale green flowers four to 

 six together at the ends of the twigs ; the 

 flowers have ten petals, five large and 

 rounded, and Ave small and narrow, very 

 numerous stamens, and three styles. The 

 little ten-ribbed fruits or nuts crowned 

 with the five long narrow calyx lobes, look 

 like miniature shuttlecocks. [A. A. B.] 



FISSICALYX. A tree from Venezuela, 

 with pinnate leaves and terminal panicles 

 of yellow flowers, forming a genus of 

 Legwniinosm of the tribe Dalbergiece, distin- 

 guished from all others by the irregularly 

 split calyx ; by the anthers opening in ter- 

 minal pores ; and by the fruit being sur- 

 rounded by a broad membranous wing pro- 

 ceeding from the centre instead of the 

 edges of the valves, thus giving the fruit 

 the appearance of that of GuoMcum. 



FISSIDENS. A pretty genus of mosses, 

 containing both acrocarpous and cladocar- 

 pous species, and at once distinguished by 

 their peculiar habit arising from the flat 

 broad-keeled two-ranked leaves with a 

 sheathing base. The peristome is single, 

 and the sixteen teeth of which it is com- 

 posed deeply cleft. The species grow on 

 banks, on stiff soil, or near watercourses, 

 and vary from a line to two inches in length. 

 They occur in both hemispheres and in 

 various climates, the species of very distant 

 countries being frequently identical. The 

 shoots sometimes bear reproductive bodies 



at their apex, distinct from the proper 

 fruit. These are occasionally close to the 

 male organs. [M. J. BJ 



FISSIDENTE.E. A natural order of 

 mosses which are remarkable for their 

 peristome being like that of Dicranum or 

 almost rudimentary, accompanied by a 

 totally different habit due to the flat 

 broad-keeled sheathing leaves. Fissidens 

 has already been noticed. Brepanophyllum, 

 from which the order is sometimes called 

 DrepanophyUece, is a magnificent moss 

 abounding in Cayenne, with a tawny tint, 

 the habit of a Jungermannia, and a nearly 

 naked peristome. The tips of the male 

 plants bear, in close connection with the 

 antheridia, tufts of jointed fusiform pur- 

 plish gemmas. Conomitrium is an aquatic 

 genus, and has irregular unequally split 

 often truncate teeth without any central 

 line, and a mitrasforrn veil. The species 

 grow in running water, and one only has at 

 present been found in Europe. [M. J. B.] 



FISSIPAROUS. Propagating by a sub- 

 division of the interior of a cell into two 

 or more other cells, by the production of a 

 membranous partition or septum, from the 

 lining of the mother cell. 



FISSUS. Divided halfway ; usually into 

 a determinate number of segments. We 

 say bifidus, split in two ; trifidus, in three, 

 and so on ; or multifldus, when the seg- 

 ments are very numerous. 



FISTULAR, FISTULOUS. This is said 

 of a cylindrical or terete body which is 

 hollow, but closed at each end, as the leaves 

 and stems of the onion. 



FISTULINA. A genus of pore-bearing 

 Fungi, sometimes wrongly associated with 

 Hydnum. It is distinguished from the 

 fleshy Polypori by the free tubes which are 

 at first closed and look like little stellate 

 pink or cream-coloured pimples. F. hepa- 

 tica, our only species, grows on the trunks 

 of old oaks, and acquires sometimes a very 

 large size. When divided it looks like beet- 

 root, and drips with red juice. It is not un- 

 wholesome, but in our opinion not a plea- 

 sant article of food, however disguised 

 with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, or other 

 condiments. [21. J. BJ 



FITCH. The Vetch or Tare. 



FITCHIA. A genus of arborescent cicho- 

 raceous Compositm founded on a single 

 species, F. nutans, from Elizabeth Island 

 in the South Pacific. It is a noble plant 

 nearly related to Rea, and has thick woody 

 stems, opposite broad ovate-cordate leaves, 

 and large terminal drooping heads of 

 flowers, hanging by longish stalks. The 

 involucre is broadly campanulate, com- 

 posed of about three series of orbicular 

 scales, which enclose numerous ligulate 

 male flowers ; the females are unknown. 

 The filaments and style are very much ex 

 serted. The achenes are compressed, 

 clothed with silky hairs, and terminated 

 by a pair of elongated hairy seta?. It is 

 named in compliment to Mr. W. Fitch, a 



