W$z CrcasJttrg of 3Sotang. 



498 



clever botanical artist, by whom the draw- 

 ings of the plants figured in this work 

 have been executed. [T. M.] 



FITTWEED. Eryngium fcetidum. 



FITZROYA. A genus of coniferous or 

 cone-bearing plants belonging to the sub- 

 order Cupressinece. It was named by Dr. 

 Hooker in honour of Captain Fitzroy, Who 

 first discovered the tree. The fruit is in 

 small starlike cones which consist of nine 

 scales, three in each whorl : the lower three 

 and upper three are barren, while the in- 

 termediate three are fertile, and bear each 

 three winged seeds. The leaves are in 

 threes, sometimes twos or fours, ovate-ob- 

 long, flat, without stalks. There is one 

 species, F. patagonica, an evergreen tree 

 growing to the height of 100 feet, with 

 slender spreading branches which curve at 

 the extremities. The tree, which is found 

 on the mountains of Patagonia, bears the 

 ordinary winters of Britain. [J. H. B.] 



FIVE-FINGERS. Potentilla reptans and 

 canadensis. 



FLABELLATUS, FLABELLIFORMIS. 

 Fan-shaped. 



FLACCID. "Wilted, or relaxed in con- 

 sequence of the loss of moisture. 



FLACOURTIACE.E. (.Bixaceo?, Bixads.) 

 A natural order of thalaminoral dicotyle- 

 dons belonging to Lindley's violal alliance 

 of hypogynous Exogens. They are shrubs 

 or small trees with alternate leaves having 

 no stipules, often marked with round 

 transparent dots. Sepals and petals four to 

 seven, the latter sometimes wanting ; sta- 

 mens same number as petals or a multiple 

 thereof; ovules attached to parietal pla- 

 centas. Fruit one-celled, either fleshy and 

 indehiscent, or a four to five valved cap- 

 sule containing pulp, in which numerous 

 albuminous seeds are enveloped. The plants 

 are natives of the East and West Indies, 

 and of Africa. Two or three species are 

 found at the Cape of Good Hope, and one 

 or two in New Zealand. Some of the plants 

 are bitter and astringent ; others yield 

 edible fruits. Arnotto is the orange-red 

 pulp of the fruit of Bixa Orellana; it is 

 used as a dye, for staining cheese, and in 

 the manufacture of chocolate. Some Fla- 

 courtias yield subacid fruit. There are 

 thirty-five known genera, including Fla- 

 courtia, Prockia, Bixa, Azara, Eri/throsper- 

 inum ; and about 100 species. [J. H. B.] 



FLACOURTIA. The typical genus of 

 Flacourtiacea, characterised by having a 

 succulent fruit and several stigmas. It 

 has distinct male and female apetalous 

 flowers, usually borne on different plants ; 

 the males have a great number of sta- 

 mens crowded together upon the dilated re- 

 ceptacle, but not surrounded by glands like 

 those of Roumea ; the females have an ovary 

 crowned with from four to nine narrow 

 radiating stigmas. The species are mostly 

 shrubs, but some few, however, attain a 

 height of twenty or thirty feet, and nearly 



all are armed with thorns. TBey are found 

 in tropical Asia, Africa, and America. 



The young shoots and leaves of F. cata- 

 phracta are used medicinally by the native 

 Indian doctors, who prescribe them in 

 diarrhoea, and also as an infusion to remove 

 hoarseness ; they are astringent and sto- 

 machic. F. Ramontchi is a small tree, na- 

 tive of Madagascar and India, producing a 

 dark violet or black fruit about the size 

 and shape of a plum, and having a sharp 

 but sweet taste. F.sepiaria, a bushy shrub, 

 is used in some parts of India for making 

 hedges, its spiny nature rendering it pe- 

 culiarly suitable for that purpose. The 

 fruits are sold in the markets, and, like 

 those of F. Ramontchi and sapida, have a 

 pleasant subacid flavour when perfectly 

 ripe, but the unripe fruit is extremely as- 

 tringent. The Indian doctors use a lini- 

 ment made of the bark in cases of gout, 

 and an infusion of it as a cure for snake- 

 bites. [A. S.] 



FLAG. Iris. -, CAT-TAIL. An Ame- 

 rican namefor Typha. — , CORN. Gladio- 

 lus. — , SWEET. Acorus Calamus. — , 

 YELLOW. Iris Pseud-acorus. 



FLAGELLARIA. A genus of Commely- 

 naceo?, but referred to Juncaceai by some 

 authors. Natives of India and Australia, 

 with lanceolate leaves, sheathing the stem 

 at the base, and terminating in a spiral 

 tendril ; flowers paniculate, bracteolate, 

 the perianth six-cleft coloured persistent, 

 with the three inner segments largest ; 

 stamens six, with simple glabrous fila- 

 ments; fruit a pea-like drupe containing 

 a single seed. [J. T. S.] 



FLAGELLIFORM. Long, taper, and 

 supple, like the thong of a whip, as the 

 runners of many plants. 



FLAGELLUM. A twig, or small branch; 

 also a runner like that of the strawberry. 



FLAM BE. (Fr.) Iris germanica. — 

 PETITE. Iris pumila. 



FLAMBOYANTE. (Fr.) Tulip a turcica. 



FLAME-COLOURED, FLAMMEUS. Very 

 lively scarlet ; fiery red. 



FLAME TREE. Bracliychiton acerifolium. 



FLAMME. (Fr.) Iris germanica. 



FLAVEDO. Yellowness ; a disease in 

 plants in which the green parts assume 

 that colour. 



FLAVESCENS, FLAVIDUS, FLAVUS. 

 A pure pale yellow. 



FLAVO-VIRENS. Green, much stained 

 with yellow. 



FLAVERIA. An herbaceous biennial 

 composite, distinguished by having the 

 common involucre imbricated with un- 

 equal scales, and the partial of two to five 

 leaves containing as many florets, a 

 naked receptacle, and no pappus. F. Con- 

 trayerba is a native of Peru, and derives 

 its name from its being used to dye yellow. 

 It grows to the height of eighteen inches, 



