BOTANICAL TEEMS. 
509 
superior properties, is so great, that every 
raiser of seedling fruits would do well to set 
his face so far against the practice, as to 
chance to err slightly on the other side, rather 
than uselessly encumber the fruit lists with 
the names of varieties which, at the highest 
estimate that can be put on them, are no better 
than we already possess. In cases where 
varieties are obtained that really do possess 
superior, though very slightly improved pro- 
perties, it would be better to retain such 
varieties as breeders, than to propagate and 
distribute them for general cultivation. The 
possessor of such improved varieties would 
have a direct advantage over others not so 
circumstanced, as regards the additional im- 
provement to be looked for in the succeeding 
races ; and we contend, that it would be better 
for all parties if this course were followed, and 
the horticultural world not troubled with the 
results until something really good and dis- 
tinct were obtained. 
Experiments of this kind are the better for 
being conducted on a limited scale. One case 
of cross-breeding, carefully wrought out, on 
correct principles, is more pregnant with 
really useful and valuable results, than a 
thousand promiscuous ones, or a hundred 
carelessly prosecuted ; while, of course, the 
labour and trouble attending the experiments 
become lessened a hundred, or a thousand-fold. 
Those, too, who have time and opportunity 
for more extensive operations, should take 
care to multiply carefully — instead of care- 
lessly — conducted experiments. 
BOTANICAL TERMS, 
CHIEFLY APPLIED TO FIGURE, AND THE DI- 
VISION OF PARTS. 
Abnormal (abnormis) ; applied where some 
departure occurs from the ordinary structure. 
Accisus; terminated by an acute incision 
or sinus between two rounded angles. 
Acetabuliform (acetabuliformis) ; concave, 
depressed, round, with a border a little turned 
inwards, as in the fruit of some kinds of 
lichens. 
Acinaciform (acinaciformis) ; scimetar- 
shaped ; curved, fleshy, with the convex bor- 
der thin, as in some leaves. 
Acuminate (acuminatuni) ; pointed, ending 
very gradually in a tapering or awl-shaped 
point, as in most of the grasses. 
Acuminose (acuminosus) ; terminating 
gradually in a flat narrow end. 
Acut angular ; forming a sharp angle. 
Acute {acutuni) ; sharp, ending in an acute 
angle ; that is, terminating at once in a point, 
neither abruptly nor tapering ; this term is 
exemplified in lanceolate leaves generally. 
Alate (alatus); winged, that is, having a 
thin broad margin. 
Ambitus; the outline of any body, the figure 
represented by its margin. 
Anatomicum; dissected, laciniated. 
Anceps; two-edged, that is, compressed, with 
two sharp edges, as in the stem of an iris. 
Angular, (angulatus, angulosus); furnished 
with projecting longitudinal angles ; it is called 
obtuse-angled when they are blunt or roundish, 
and acute-angled if they are sharp. 
Apex ; the tip or point of any body. 
Apiculate (ajriculus) ; pointletted, that is, 
terminating abruptly in a little point, and 
differing from mucronate, in the pointlet being 
part of the limb, and not arising wholly from 
a costa or rib. 
Apterous; without the membranaceous 
margin, to which botanists apply the term 
wing ; wingless. 
Aquilinus; having the figure of an eagle : 
applied to a section of the stem of some 
ferns. 
Araniferus; having the figure of a spider, 
as in what is called the spider orchis. 
Arcuate (arcuatus); curved, bent so as to 
represent the arc of a circle, as in the fruit 
of Medicago falcata. 
Arietinum; resembling a ram's head. 
Aristate (aristatus) ; awned, abruptly ter- 
minated by a hard, straight, awl-shaped point, 
as in the palea or scales of the flowers of 
grasses, 
Armillaris ; formed like a bracelet. 
Arthriticus; gouty, swollen, puffed out. 
Arundinaceus ; having the appearance or 
character of a reed. 
Aspergilliform (aspergilliformis) ; a kind of 
brush shape, resembling that used for sprink- 
ling holy water in the ceremonies of the 
Romish church ; the stigmas of many grasses 
are of this form. 
Asterias; stellate, having the figure of a star 
Attenuate (attenuatus) ; diminishing very 
gradually in breadth, tapering. 
Beaked (proboscideus) ; terminating in a 
hard horny point, as in the fruit of Martynia, 
and other plants. 
Biceps; a compound word signifying two 
heads ; the prefix is varied, thus triceps means 
having three heads, and so on. 
Bicornis; two-horned; tricornis is three- 
horned, and so on. 
Bidentate (bidentatus); furnished with two 
teeth-like lobes ; this is different from what is 
termed double-toothed, which is duplicato- 
dentate. 
Bifid (bifidus); two-cleft or divided; three- 
cleft is expressed by trifidus, four cleft by 
quadrifidus, and so on ; for the sake of brevity 
these words are often written thus : — 2-fid, 
3-fid, 4-fid, and so on. 
Bilobed (bilobus); two-lobed; by an altera- 
tion of the prefix any number of lobes may be 
