The gelatinous receptacles are sometimes 

 used as applications to scrofulous swell- 

 ings. Any benefit which results must 

 depend on the small quantity of iodine 

 which they contain. 



Most of the species are confined to the 

 Northern seas. F. vesiculosus, though so 

 common under a variety of forms both in 

 the North Atlantic and Pacific, does not 

 exist in the Mediterranean except in float- 

 ing masses carried in through the Straits 

 of Gibraltar. F. nodosus occasionally 

 exists in similar floating masses, and then 

 assumes curious forms which have been 

 registered as distinct species distinguished 

 by their mode of branching and other cha- 

 racters. F. vesiculosus is the badge of the 

 M'Neills. [M.J. B.] 



FUGACIOUS, FUGAX Falling off, or 

 perishing very rapidly. 



FTJGOSIA. A genus of Malvaceae, con- 

 sisting of shrubs, natives of tropical Ame- 

 rica, Africa, and Australia. Their flowers 

 are surrounded by an outer calyx or invo- 

 lucel of six or more leaves, within which 

 is a five-clef t calyx dotted over with black 

 spots, and five oblique petals. The cap- 

 sule is three to four-celled, opening through 

 the backs of the carpels. [M. T. M.] 



FUIRENA. A genus of cyperaceous 

 plants belonging to the tribe Scirpece, hav- 

 ing the inflorescence in solitary spikes, in 

 spikes of three, or in crowded heads of 

 spikes, many-flowered ; scales imbricated, 

 the outer frequently empty ; stamens three ; 

 styles three-cleft; achenes triangular, with 

 the bases of the styles adhering. There 

 are about forty species, mostly natives of 

 the warmer parts of the globe, chiefly in 

 the southern hemisphere. [D. M.] 



FULCIENS. Supporting or propping up 

 anything ; said of one organ which is 

 placed beneath another. 



FULCRA (adj. FULCRATE). Additional 

 organs, such as pitchers, stipules, tendrils, 

 spines, prickles, hairs, &c. 



FULCRACEOUS. Of or belonging to 

 the fulcra. 



FULIGINOUS, FULTGINOSE. Dirty 

 brown, verging upon black. 



FULVOUS. Dull yellow, with a mixture 

 of grey and brown. 



FULWA. A solid buttery oil obtained 

 from Bassia butyracea. 



FUMARIACE2E. (Fumeworts.) A natural 

 order of thalamifloral dicotyledons, be- 

 longing to Lindley's berberal alliance of 

 hypogynous Exogens. Herbs with brittle 

 stems, watery juice, alternate cut exstipu- 

 late leaves, and irregular un symmetrical 

 flowers. Sepals two, deciduous ; petals four, 

 cruciate, irregular, one or two of them 

 often saccate or spurred, and the two inner 

 frequently cohering at the apex so as to 

 include the anthers and stigma ; stamens 

 either four and free, or six anddiadelphous, 

 each bundle being opposite the outer 

 petals, the central anther two-celled, and 



the two outer one-celled. Fruit around and 

 indehiscent achene, or a one-celled and 

 two-valved pod ; seeds crested with a mi- 

 nute embryo. Natives chiefly of the tem 

 perate regions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere ; a few occur at the Cape of Good 

 Hope. They possess slight bitterness and 

 acridity. Dielytra spectabilis has very 

 showy flowers. There are about 160sDecies, 

 distributed in eighteen genera, of which 

 Hypecoum, Fumaria, Corydalis, Diehitra, 

 and Platycapnos are examples. [J. H. B.] 



FUMARIA. The Fumitory, a genus of 

 herbaceous plants giving name to the order 

 Fumariacece, among which they are dis- 

 tinguished by having one of the petals 

 swollen or spurred at the base, and a one- 

 seeded capsule which does not open. The 

 species vary but little in habit, being 

 small slender herbs with weak climbing 

 or straggling stems, decompound leaves, 

 and clusters or spikes of small tubular irre- 

 gular flowers of a pinkish hue tipped with 

 purple, or rarely white. Several kinds of 

 Fumitory are common weeds in cornfields 

 and other cultivated ground, varying in 

 luxuriance according to the richness of 

 the soil. F. officinalis is said to be a com- 

 mon weed throughout the world, and has 

 been long esteemed for its medicinal 

 virtues, the juice having been recom- 

 mended as a purifier of the blood, and an 

 infusion of the leaves as a cosmetic. Though 

 now not valued in England, it occurs in 

 lists of French medicinal plants as a depu- 

 rative. French, Fumeterre; German, Erd- 

 rauch. [C. A. J.] 



The Fumitory is essentially an agrarian 

 plant, tracking both garden and field cul- 

 ture over a great part of Asia as well as 

 Europe. It is probably from this cause 

 that the species are so variable, or perhaps 

 we should say, that so many varieties 

 occur ; and being sown with different 

 kinds of seeds, such as clover, flax, and 

 other crops, which maybe obtained from 

 different parts of the world, we need not 

 wonder if a variable mode of growth 

 should be the consequence of thewarying 

 conditions which plants so circumstanced 

 must encounter. The typical species is 

 F. officinalis, which was formerly in repute 

 for a variety of diseases. Its generic 

 name, indeed, is said to be derived from 

 the Latin fumus, smoke, which, Pliny tells 

 us, was given because the juice of the 

 plant brought on such a flow of tears 

 that the sight became dim as in smoke, 

 and hence its reputed use in affections of 

 the eye. It is now no longer employed 

 medicinally, although a volume might be 

 written of what has been said of its virtues 

 and the many diseases in which it was held 

 as a remedy by a host of physicians from 

 Dioscorides to Cullen. [J. B.] 



FUMETERRE. (Fr.) Fumaria. -~ 

 BULBEUSE. Corydalis bulbosa. 



FUMOUS, FUMOSE. Grey, changing to 

 brown ; smoke-coloured. 



FUMEWORTS. The plants of the order 

 Fuinariacece. 



