414 
VOCABULARY. 
Melliferous. Producing 1 , or contain- 
ing honey. 
Mem 'branovs. Very thin and delicate. 
Mes'ocarp. The middle substance of 
pericarp, or leaf, having the epicarp 
on the outer, and the cndocarp on the 
inner side. 
Mes'osperm. That part of the seed 
which corresponds to the mesocarp 
of the pericarp. 
Mid'rib. The main or middle rib of a 
leaf running from the stem to the 
apex. 
Minia'tus. Scarlet, Vermillion colour. 
Mola'rcs. Back teeth, grinders. 
Mol'lis. Soft. 
Mollus'cous. Such animals a3 have a 
soft body without bones : as the oys- 
ter. 
Monadel'phous. Having the stamens 
united in a tube at the base. 
Monil'iform. Granulate, strung to- 
gether like heads. 
Monocotyledons. Having but one co- 
tyledon. 
Monas' cions. Having pistillate and 
staminate flowers on the same plant. 
Monopet'alous. The corolla all in one 
piece. 
Monophyl'lous. Consisting of one leaf. 
Moriosper'mus. One seed to a flower. 
Monta'nus. Growing on mountains. 
Moon-form. See crescent form. 
Mosses. The second order of the class 
Cryptogamia. 
Mu'cronate. Having a small point or 
prickle at the end of an obtuse leaf. 
MuUiflo'rus. Many flowered. 
Multiplex. Many fold, petals lying 
over each other in two rows. 
Mul'tus. Many. 
Mu'ricate. Covered with prickles. 
N. 
Naked. Destitute of parts usuallyfound. 
Na'nus. Dwarfish, very small. 
Nap. Downy, or like fur, tomentose. 
Napifor'mis. Resembling a turnip. 
Narcot'ic. (Prom narco, to stupify.) 
A substance which has the power of 
procuring sleep — Opium is highly 
narcotic. 
Na'tant. Floating. 
Natural Character. That which is 
apparent, having no reference to 
any particular method of classifi- 
cation. 
Natural History. The science which 
treats of Nature. 
Nectary , (from nectar, the fabled 
drink of the eods.) The part of 
a flower which produces honey: 
this term is applied to any appen- 
dage of the flower which has no 
other name. 
Nemoro'sus. Growing in groves, of- 
ten given as a specific name, as 
Anemone nemorosa, the ending in 
a denotes the adjective as being in 
the feminine gender : the adjec- 
tive in Latin varying its termina- 
tion to conform to the gender of 
the substantive. 
Nerves. Parallel veins. 
Nerved. Marked with nerves, so 
called, though not organs of sensi- 
bility like the nerves in the animal 
system. 
Nictitans. From a word which sig- 
nifies to twinkle, or wink ; applied 
as a specific name to some plants 
which appear sensitive ; as the 
Cassia nictitans. 
Niger. Black. 
Nit'idus. Glossy, glittering. 
Niv'eus. Snow white. 
Nod'ding. Partly drooping. 
Node , Nodus. Knot. 
No'men. A name. 
Notch'ed. See crenate. 
Nu'cleus. Nut, or kernel. 
Nu'dus. See naked. 
Nut , Nux. See nucleus. 
Nu'lant • See nodding, pendulous. 
O. 
Ob. A word which prefixed to other 
terms, denotes the inversion of the 
usual position ; as, obcordate, in- 
versely cordate. 
Obcon'ic. Conic with the point 
downwards. 
Obcordate. Heart-shaped with the 
point downwards. 
Oblance'olale. Lanceolate with the 
base the narrowest. 
Obli'que. A position between hori- 
zontal and vertical. 
Oblong. Longer than oval, with the 
sides parallel. 
Obo'vale. Ovate with the narrowest 
end towards the stem, or place of 
insertion. 
Obsolete. Indistinct, appearing as 
if worn oub 
Obtu se. Blunt, rounded, not acute. 
Odora tus. Scented, odorous. 
