K A L 
K E E 
natural method ranking under the sixth or- 
der, ensatie. The corolla is hexapetalous, 
patent, and equal ; there are three stigmata, 
a little upright and petalous. There are 
fifty-four species, consisting of herbaceous, 
tuberous, and bulbous-rooted ilowery pe- 
rennials, from one to two feet high, termi- 
nated by hexapetalous (lowers of different 
colours. They are propagated by offsets, 
which should be taken off in summer at the 
decay of the leaves: but as all the plants of 
this genus are natives of warm climates, few 
of them can bear the open air of this country 
in winter. 
IXOKA, a genus of the tetrandria mono- 
gynia class of plants. The corolla consists of 
a single petal; the tube is cylindric, very 
long and slender ; the limb is plane, and di- 
vided into four oval segments; the fruit is a 
berry of a roundish figure, with only one 
cell ; the seeds are four in number, convex on 
one side, and angular on the other. There 
are nine species, very ornamental shrubs for 
the stove. 
JUSTICIA, Malabar nut; a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the diandria class of 
plants;’ and in the natural method ranking 
under the 40th order, person at a\ The co- 
rolla is ringent; the capsule bilocular, part- 
ing with an elastic spring at the heel; the 
stamina have only one anthera. There are 
eighty species, most of them natives of the 
East Indies, growing many feet high; some 
adorned with line large leaves, others with 
small narrow ones, and all of them with mo- 
nopetalous ringent flowers. Only two species 
are commonly cultivated in our gardens, viz. 
the adhatoda, or common Malabar nut, and 
the hyssopifolia or snap-tree. The first grows 
ten or twelve feet high, with a strong woody 
stem ; and from the ends of the branches 
short spikes of white flowers, with dark spots, 
having the helmet of the corolla concave. 
The second has a shrubby stem, and white 
flowers, commonly by threes, from the sides 
of the branches ; succeeded bv capsules, 
which burst open with elastic force for the 
K E I 37 
discharge of the seeds ; whence the name of 
snap-tree. 
JYNX, the wryneck, a genus of birds be- 
longing to the order of pica: ; the characters 
of which are, that the bill is slender, round, 
and pointed; the nostrils are concave and 
naked ; the tongue is very Ions', very slender, 
cylindric, and terminated by a hard point; 
and the feet are {firmed for climbing. There 
is only one species, viz. the torquiila. 
The colours of this bird are elegantly 
pencilled, though its pumage is mark- 
er! with the plainest colours. 1 he wryneck, 
Mr. Pennant apprehends, is a bird of pas- 
sage, appearing with us in the spring before 
the cuckoo. Its note is like that of the kos- 
tril, a quick-repeated squeak; its eggs are 
white, with a very thin shell; it builds in the 
hollows of trees, making its nest of dry grass. 
It has a very whimsical way of turning and 
twisting its neck about, and bringing its head 
over its shoulders, whence it had its Latin 
name torquiila, and its English one of wry- 
j neck. 
K. 
T7" or k, the tenth letter of our alphabet; 1 
5 as a numeral, denotes 250; and with a 
line over it, K, 250000. 
K.EMPEEKIA, zedoary, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the inonandria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the eighth order, scitamiueas. The co- 
rolla is sexpartite, with three of the segments 
larger than the rest, patulous; and one only 
bipartite. The species are, 1. The galanga, 
common galangal, or long zedoary. 2. The 
rotunda, or round zedoary. Both are peren- 
nial in root; but the leaves rise annually in 
spring, and decay in winter. They flower in 
summer; each flower is of one petal, bibu- 
lous below, but plain above, and divided into 
six parts; they continue three or four weeks 
in beauty, but are never succeeded by seeds 
in this country. Both these plants must be 
potted in light rich mould, and always kept 
in the hot-house. 
KALI, a genus of marine plants, which are 
burnt lo procure mineral alkali. 
IvALMlA, a genus of the monogynia or- 
der, in the decandria class of plants, and in 
the natural method ranking under the ISth 
order, bieornes. The calyx is quinquepar- 
tile ; the corolla salver-shaped, formed with 
five nectariferous horns on t lie under or outer 
side; the capsule quinquelocular. Of this 
genus there are four species. Those chiefly 
in cultivation with us are, 
1. The l'atifolia, a most beautiful shrub, 
which rises usually to the height of five or 
six feet, and sometimes twice that height in 
its native places. The flowers grow in 
bunches on the tops of the branches to foot- 
stalks three inches long; they are white, 
stained with purplish red, consisting of one 
petal in form of a cup, divided at the verge 
into five sections; in the middle are a stylus 
and 12 stamina, which, when the flower 'first 
opens, appear lying close to the sides of the 
cup at equal distances, their apices being 
lodged in 10 little hollow cells, which being 1 
prominent on the outside, appear as so many 
little tubercles. This plant is a native of 
Carolina, Virginia, and other parts of the 
northern continent of America, yet is not 
common, but found only in particular places; 
it grows on rocks hanging over rivulets 
and running streams, and on the sides of 
barren bilk. 
2. The angustifolia, rises to the height of 
about lti feet, with evergreen leaves. The 
flowers grow in clusters, and when blown, 
appear white; but on a near view, are of a 
faint biueish colour, which as the flower de- 
cays grows paler. 
KAOLIN, the name of an earth which is 
used as one of the two ingredients in oriental 
porcelain. See Porcelain. 
KECKLE, or Kecklinc, in the sea lan- 
guage, is the winding of old ropes about 
cables, to prevent them from galling. 
KEDG1NG, in the sea-language, is when 
a ship is brought up or down a narrow river 
by means of the tide, the wind being contrary. 
KEEL, the lowest piece of timber in a 
ship, running her whole length, from the 
lower part of her stem to the lower part of 
her stern-post. Into it are all the lower fut- 
tocks fastened ; and under part of it, a false 
keel is often used. 
KEELSON, a principal timber in a ship, 
fayed withinside cross all the floor-timbers ; 
and being adjusted to the keel with suitable 
scarfs, it serves to strengthen the bottom of 
the ship. 
KEEP, in antient military history, a kind 
of strong tower winch was built in the centre 
of a castle or fort, to which the besieged re- 
treated, and made their last efforts of defence. 
Of this description is the keep of Windsor 
castle. 
KEEPER of the great seal, is a lord by 
his office, is styled lord-keeper of the great 
seal of Great Britain, and is always one of 
the privy council. All grants, charters, and 
commissions of the king under the great seal, 
pass through the hands of the lord-keeper, 
for without that seal many of those grants, 
&c. would be of no force, the king being, 
in the interpretation of the law, a corporation, 
and therefore passing nothing but by the great 
seal, which is also said to be the public taith 
of the kingdom, being in the highest esteem 
and reputation. Whenever there is a lord- 
keeper,' he is invested with the same place, 
authority, pre-eminence, jurisdiction, or exe- 
cution of laws, as the lord chancellor of Great 
Britain is vested with. 
Keeper of (he privy seal. See Privy 
Seal. 
K EISELSC IT IEFER. Thtf mineral oc- 
curs usually in blocks and amorphous masses 
'of different rizes; very often in the beds of 
rivers: colour various shades of grey : struc- 
ture slaty: usually opaque: brittle: specific 
gravity from 2.880 to 2.4 1 5 : infusible per se. 
This species is divided into two subspecies. 
Keiselschiefer, common: colour blackish 
grey or greenish: often traversed by veins 
of quartz: surface smooth: texture com- 
pact: fracture splintery, or imperfec ly fcou- 
choidak: composed according toWiegleb of 
75.00 silica 
10.00 lime 
4.58 magnesia 
3.54 iron 
5.02 inflammable matter 
98.14 
Lydian stone is another species of keisel- 
schiefer: commonly intersected by veins of 
quartz: fracture even: sometimes inclining to 
conchoidal: specific gravity 2.59b: powder 
black: colour greyish black. 
'I'his, or a stone similar to it, was used by 
the undents as a touchstone. They drew 
the metal to be examined along the stone, 
and judged of its purity by the colour o' the 
metallic streak. On this account they called 
it gacravos, “ the trier.” They called it also 
Lydian stone, because, as r I Iveophrastus in- 
