N Y C 
1 he ground intended for the flower-nur- 
se 1 '}' should be well situated to the sun ; and 
defended from strong winds by plantations 
of trees, or by buildings. The soil also 
should be light and dry, especially for bul- 
bous-rooted flowers ; for in this nursery the 
offsets of all bulbous-rooted llowers should 
be planted, and remain there till they be- 
come blowing roots, when they should be 
removed into the pleasure-garden, and plant- 
er either iu beds or borders, according to 
the goodness of the flowers. These flow- 
ers may also be raised in the nursery from 
seed. The seedling auriculas, polyanthuses, 
ranunculuses, anemonies, carnations, &c. 
should be raised in this nursery, where they 
should be preserved till they have flowered, 
when all those should be marked that are 
worthy of being transplanted into the flower- 
garden: this should be done in their proper 
seasons ; for all these seedling flowers ought 
not indiscriminately to be exposed to public 
view in the pleasure-garden, because it al- 
ways happens, that there are great numbers 
of ordinary flowers produced among them, 
which will there make but an indifferent ap- 
pearance. 
NUT. See Corylus. 
Nut-galls. See Gallic Acid. 
NU RATION, in astronomy, a kind of 
tremulous motion of the axis of the earth, 
whereby, in each annual revolution, it is 
twice inclined to the ecliptic, and as often 
returns to its former position. Sir Isaac 
Newton observes, that the moon has the 
like motion, only very small, and scarcely 
sensible. 
NUTMEG. See Myristica. 
NUTRITION. See Digestion, Ma- 
teria Medica, and Physiology. 
NUX VOMICA, a flat, compressed, 
round fruit, about the breadth of a shilling, 
brought from India. See Strynchus. 
NYCTANTHES, Arabian Jasmine, a 
genus of the monogynia order, in the dian- 
dria class of plants ; and in the natural method 
ranking with the 44th order, sepiariae. The 
corolla and calyx are octolid : the perian- 
tliium dicoccous. There are seven species, 
the most remarkable of which are: 1. The 
arbor tristis, or sorrowful tree. This tree, 
or shrub, the pariaticu of the Bramins, grows 
naturally in sandy places in India, particu- 
larly in the islands of Ceylon and Java, 
where it is procured in great abundance, and 
attains the height of 18 or 20 feet. It rises 
with a four-cornered stem, bearing leaves 
that are oval, and taper to a point. The 
flowers, which are while and highly odorifer- 
ous, having a sweet delectable smell emu- 
lating the best honey, consist of one petal 
N Y M 
deeply divided into eight parts, which are 
narrower towards the stalk, and dilated to- 
wards the summit. The fruit is dry, capsu- 
lar, membranaceous, and compressed. 
It is generally asserted of this plant, that 
the flowers open in the evening, and fall off 
the succeeding day. Fabricius and Paluda- 
nus, however, restrict the assertion, by af- 
firming, from actual observation, that this 
effect is found to take place only in such 
flowers as are immediately under the influ- 
ence of the solar rays. Grimmius remarks 
in his Laboratorium Ceylonicum, that the 
flowers of this tree afford a fragrant water, 
which is cordial, refreshing, and frequently 
employed with success in inflammations of 
the eyes. The tube of the flower, when 
dried, has the smell of saffron ; and being 
pounded and mixed with sanders-wood, is 
used by the natives of the Malabar coast for 
imparting a grateful fragrancy to their bodies, 
which they rub or anoint with the mix- 
ture. 
2. The angustifolia, of which the flowers 
are white, inexpressibly fragrant, and gene- 
rally appear in the warm summer-months. 
Strong loam is its proper soil. 
NYMPH, among naturalists, that state of 
winged insects between their living in the 
form of a worm, and their appearing in the 
winged or most perfect state. See Ento- 
mology. 
NYMPHjEA. See Anatomy. 
Nympho, the water-lily, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the polyandria class of 
plants ; and in the natural method ranking 
under the 54th order, miscellanea. The 
corolla is polypetalous ; the calyx tetra- 
phyllous or pentaphyllous ; the berry multi- 
locular and truncated. There are six spe- 
cies, of which the most remarkable are : 1. 
and 2. The lutea and alba, or yellow and white 
water-lilies ; both of which are natives of 
Britain, growing in lakes and ditches. Lin- 
nams tells us, that swine are fond of the 
leaves and roots of the former; and that the 
smoke of it will drive away crickets and 
b I attic, or cock-roaches, out of houses. The 
root of the Second has an astringent and bit- 
ter taste, like those of most aquatic plants 
that run deep into the mud. 3. The lotus, 
with heart-shaped toothed leaves, a plant 
thought to be peculiar to Egypt, is men- 
tioned by ylerodotus, M. Savary men- 
tions it as grow \<xf* : q the rivulets and on the 
sides of the lakes ; and that there are two 
sorts or varieties of the plant, the one with a 
white, the other with ablueish flower. “ The 
calyx (he says) blows like a large tulip, and 
diffuses a sweet smell, resembling that of 
the lily. The first species produces a round 
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root like that of a potatoe ; and the inhabit- 
ants of 'the banks of the lake Menzall feed 
upon it, The rivulets in the environs of 
Damietta are covered with this majestic 
flower, which rises upwards of two feet above 
the water. 4. In the East and West Indies 
grows a species of this plant, named nelumbo 
by the inhabitants of Ceylon. The flowers 
are large, flesh-coloured, “and consist of nu- 
merous petals, disposed as in the other spe- 
cies of water-lily, in two or more rows. The 
seed-vessel is shaped like a top, being broad 
and circular above, narrow and almost 
pointed below. It is divided into several 
distinct cells, which form so many lar^e 
round holes upon the surface of the fruit, 
each containing a single seed. With the 
flower of this plant, which is sacred among 
the heathens, they adorn the altars of their 
temples. The sta’lks, which are used as a 
pot-herb, are of a wonderful length. The 
root is very long, extends itself transversely, 
is of the size ot a man’s arm, jointed and 
fibrous, with long intervals between the 
joints. The fibres surround the joints in 
verticilli or whorls. 
NYSSA, a genus of the order of dioecia, 
in the polygamia class of plants ; and in the 
natural method ranking under the 12th order, 
holoraceje. The hermaphrodite calyx is 
quinquepartite; there is no corolla; the 
stamina are five ; there is one pistil ; the 
fruit a plum inferior. The male calyx is 
quinquepartite, no corolla, find ten stamina. 
There are two species : 1 . The integrifolia, 
entire-leaved ; and, 2. The denticulata, or 
serrated-leaved tupelo. 
The entire-leaved tupelo-tree, in its native 
soil and climate, grows to near 20 feet high ; 
ill this country its size varies according to 
the nature ot the soil or situation. In a 
moist rich earth, well sheltered, it comes to 
near 20 feet ; in others, that are less so, it 
makes slower progress, and in the end is 
proportionally lower. The branches are 
not very numerous; and it rises with a re- 
gular trunk, at the top of which they gene- j 
rally grow. In England they seldom' pro- 
duce fruit. 
The serrated-leaved tupelo-tree grows 
usually nearly 30 feet in height ; and divides i 
iota branches near the top like the other. 
The leaves are oblong, pointed, of a light- 
green colour, and come out without order 
on long footstalks. The flowers come out 
from the wings of the leaves on long foot- j 
stalks. 1 hey are small, of a greenish-colour ; j 
and are succeeded by oval drupes, contain- ! 
mg sharp-pointed nuts, about the size of a 
French olive, 
i 
