402 
VOCABULARY. 
as far as possible be excluded from 
the science. Were it to be other- 
wise, the study of botany ought to 
be limited to the medical profession. 
Of all studies, that of botany should 
be unaccompanied by aught that 
might pain or disgust a delicate 
. mind. Plants without any visible 
stamens or pistils are by French 
botanists called agamous. 
A'ges of plants. Ephemeral are such 
as spring up, blossom and ripen 
their seed in a few hours or days ; 
annual live a few months or one 
summer. 
biennial, spring up one summer and 
die the following. 
perennial , live an indefinite period. 
Ag'gregate. (From aggregare , to as- 
semble); many springing from the 
same point ; this term was at. first 
applied to compound flowers : but 
there is at present a sevenfold divi- 
sion of aggregate flowers ; the 
aggregate properly so called ; 
compound, 
umbellate, 
cymose, 
amentaceous, 
glumose, 
spadiceous. 
Jlower, has its flower erected 
on peduncles or footstalks; which 
all have one common receptacle on 
the stem ; they sometimes have one 
common calyx, and are sometimes 
separately furnished with a calyx. 
Aigrette. See egret. 
A'la. A Latin word signifying a wing. 
It is sometimes used to express the 
angle formed by the stem with the 
branch or leaf. Linnaeus and some 
others use the term ala as the name 
of a membrane, affixed to some spe- 
cies of seeds which serves as a wing 
to raise them into the air, and thus 
promotes their dispersion. 
A'loe. The two lateral or side petals 
of a papilionaceous flower. 
Albu'men. The farinaceous fleshy or 
horny substance which constitutes 
the chief bulk of monocotyledonous 
seeds ; as wheat, rye, &c. 
Albur'num. (From albas , white) the 
soft white substance, which, in trees, 
is found between the liber, or inner 
bark and the wood, and becoming 
solid in progress of time is convert- 
ed into wood. From its colour and 
comparative softness, it has been 
styled the fat of trees. 
It is called the sap uood, and is 
formed by a deposit of the cambium 
or descending sap ; in one year it 
becomes wood ; and a new layer of 
alburnum is again formed, by the 
descent of the cambium. 
Al’gce. Flags ; these by Linnaeus com- 
prise the plants of the order Hepat- 
icae and Eichenes. 
Alpine. Growing naturally on high 
mountains. 
Alter'nate. Branches, leaves, flowers, 
&c. are alternate, when beginning at 
different distances on the stem ; op- 
posite is when they commence at 
the same distances, and base stands 
against base. 
Alternately pinnate leaf; when the 
leafets are arranged alternately on 
each side of the common footstalk 
or petiole. 
Alve'olate. Having cells which re- 
semble a honey-comb. 
Am'bitus. The outer rim of a frond, 
receptacle, &c. 
A'ment. Flowers collected on chaffy 
scales, and arranged on a thread or 
slender stalk; these scales mixed 
with the flowers resemble the chaff 
in an ear of corn; in the willow and 
poplar, an ament supports both stam- 
inate and pistillate flowers on dis- 
tinct roots. Flowers supported by 
an ament are generally destitute of 
a corolla. 
Amplexicau'lis. ClaspiDg the base of 
the stems. 
Analysis. To analyze a plant botani- 
cally, is to ascertain its name, by 
observing its organs, and comparing 
them with scientific descriptions of 
plants. 
Ancip'etal. Having two sharp edges 
like a sword. 
An'dria. Signifies stamen. 
Androgynous plants. Such as bear 
staminate and pistillate flowers on 
the same root; as the oak and In- 
dian corn ; such plants belong to the 
class monoecia. 
Angiocar'pus. Fungi bearing seeds in- 
ternally. 
Angiosper'mal. (From angio a ves- 
sel, and sperma seed,) plants whose 
seeds are inclosed or covered. 
Angular. Forming angles ; when the 
