gymn] 



K\yt EreaSttrji of 2Safcmg. 



560 



a five-parted corolla, anthers cohering into 

 a cone, aucl an ovate beaked few-seeded 

 fruit. [M. T. M.] 



GYMNOPOGON. A genus of grasses 

 belonging to the tribe Chloridece, having 

 the inflorescence in panicles, with simple 

 alternate branclilets ; spikelets two-flower- 

 ed; glumes two, keeled, nearly equal, or 

 the lower shortest. There are about half 

 a dozen species, all natives of Brazil ex- 

 cepting G. race?)iosus,\v\iich is North Ameri- 

 can. [D. M.] 



GYMNOPSIS. A genus of composite 

 plants, comprising about a dozen species, 

 spread over America from Texas to Brazil. 

 They are herbaceous or somewhat shrubby, 

 with opposite three-nerved toothed nettle- 

 like rough leaves, and axillary or terminal 

 stalked yellow-rayed heads of numerous 

 florets, those of the ray neutral, of the 

 disk perfect. The achenes are seated on a 

 convex receptacle, each enveloped in a 

 chaffy scale and surmounted by a minutely 

 toothed pappus-crown. The presence and 

 nature of the pappus, together with the 

 opposite triple-nerved leaves, are the chief 

 features. [A. A. B.] 



GYMNOPTERIS. A genus of polypo- 

 diaceous ferns belonging to the tribe Pleu- 

 rogrammece, in which the linear-oblong 

 sori are placed close to and parallel with the 

 costa. In this group it is distinguished 

 by its compoundly anastomosing veins, 

 and by the fructification occupying dis- 

 tinct contracted fronds. The species have 

 sometimesbeen referred to the Acrost ichece, 

 from which, however, the definite linear 

 sori, confined to the receptacular veins, 

 seem to separate them. They are all 

 Eastern tropical plants. [T. M.] 



GYMNOS. In Greek compounds = naked, 

 or uncovered. 



GYMNOSCHCEXUS. A genus of cypera- 

 ceous plants belonging to the tribe Iihyn- 

 chosporece. The inflorescence is in disti- 

 chous two-flowered spikelets. Only one 

 species is described, namely, G. aduxtns, 

 a native of Van Diemen's Land. [D. M.] 



GYMNOSIPHON. A small slender leaf- 

 less herb, from the Indian Archipelago, 

 forming a genus of Burmanniacece, scarce- 

 ly differing from the tropical American 

 genus Bictyostegia. 



GYMNOSPERMA. A genus of Compo- 

 sitce, receiving its name from its chief dis- 

 tinguishing feature, namely, the naked 

 achenes (.without pappus). The two species, 

 found in Texas and Mexico, are smooth 

 glutinous shrubby plants, with twiggy 

 stems furnished with linear entire leaves, 

 and terminating in corymbs of numerous 

 small yellow flower-heads, each containing 

 from eight to fourteen florets, those of the 

 ray strap-shaped and pistillate, and those 

 of the disk tubular and perfect. [A. A. B.] 



GYMXOSTACHYS. An East Australian 

 perennial, with a thick rootstock, and 

 grassy leaves, from among which rises a 

 two-edged stalk or scape, bearing towards 



its summit a number of clustered slender 

 spikes or spadices, each having at its base 

 a short keeled spathe ; stamens four ; 

 ovary one-celled; fruit succulent, blue, 

 one-seeded. G. anceps, the only species, is 

 in cultivation. The genus is nearly allied 

 to Acorus, and is included with it among 

 Orontiacece. [M. T. M.] 



GYMNOSTACHYTJM. A genus of Acan- 

 thacece with the habit of JEranthemum and 

 Cryptophragmium. It comprises dwarf 

 herbs, with spreading often variegated 

 leaves, and erect spike-like racemes of 

 tubular flowers. The calyx is five-parted 

 nearly equal ; the corolla two-lipped, with 

 the upper lip bidentate ; the stamens two, 

 with the anther-cells parallel; the stigmas 

 bifid ; and the capsule columnar and four- 

 cornered. G. ceylanicum, a Ceylon species, 

 is a pretty stove-herb, with the leaves va- 

 riegated with white along the course of 

 the veins ; and G. Verschaffeltii, from Para, 

 is a still prettier plant with the numerous 

 reticulated veins coloured red, as occurs in 

 Hcemadictyon venosum. They are chiefly 

 interesting on account of their prettily 

 marked foliage. [T. MJ 



GYMNOSTEPHIUM. A genus of com- 

 posite plants peculiar to South Africa. 

 The three known species are herbaceous 

 or somewhat shrubby plants, with alter- 

 nate linear entire leaves, and small soli- 

 tary stalked flower-heads terminating the 

 twigs, the ray florets strap-shaped and 

 blue, the disk tubular and yellow. The 

 achenes of the ray being without pappus, 

 and those of the disk being sterile, suffice 

 to distinguish these plants from daisies 

 and their other allies. [A. A. B.] 



GYMNOSTOMUM. A genus of acro- 

 carpous mosses, formerly containing al- 

 most every moss destitute of a peristome, 

 but now restricted to those species which 

 differ only in this character from Weissia. 

 The species mostly, though not exclusively, 

 inhabit temperate regions. [M. J. B.] 



GYMNOSTYLIS. Under the name of G. 

 anthemifolia is sometimes cultivated in 

 botanic gardens a stemless South Ame- 

 rican herb with chamomile-like leaves, and 

 clusters of small woolly flower-heads sit- 

 ting in their midst. The plant is usually 

 placed in Saliva. [A. A. B.] 



GYMNOTETRASPERMOTJS. Having 

 such a four-lobed ovary as is found in la- 

 biates, which was formerly thought to con- 

 sist of four naked seeds. 



GYMNOTHECA. A small genus of ma- 

 rattiaceous ferns, separated from Marattia 

 on account of the absence of an involucre 

 beneath the sorus. They are the same in 

 habit and in general aspect, having large 

 globose scaly rhizomes, and ample bipin- 

 natefronds, with articulated pinnules. The 

 typical species is G. ciaitcefolia. [T. 31.] 



The name has also been given to a 

 Chinese herbaceous plant with thehabit of 

 S'luriirv.s, and referred to the Saururucece. 

 The flowers are small, placed on spikes, in 

 the axils of small somewhat fleshy bracts ; 



