VOCABULARY. 
155 
flower, generally referring to the pe¬ 
tals only. 
Antiscorbutics. Substances which cure 
eruptions. 
Apet'alous. (From a, without, and pet- 
alum, a petal.) Having no petals or 
corollas; such flowers are termed 
incomplete; such as are destitute of 
either stamens or pistils are called 
imperfect. 
Apet'alce. A. class formed by some of 
the ancient botanists, including plants 
destitute of corollas. 
A'pex. The top or summit. 
Aphylious. (From a, without, and phyl- 
Lon , a leaf.) Destitute of leaves. 
Aphyl'lre is the name given*by an an¬ 
cient botanist to a class of plants 
without leaves, comprising garlic, 
rush, mushrooms, &c. 
Apothe'cia. The fructifications of the 
lichens. 
Appen' daged. Having bracts, thorns, 
prickles,, &c. 
Appres'sed. Closely pressed; as leaves 
against the stem, &c. 
Approximate. Growing near each other. 
Apterous. Without wings. 
Aquatic. (From aqua, water.) Grow¬ 
ing in, or near water. Aquaticce was 
an ancient name for a class including 
all plants which grow in water. 
Ar'bor. A tree; a perennial plant, 
which rises to a great height. Most 
trees spring from seeds having two 
cotyledons; they are therefore called 
dicotyledonous plants. The ancient 
botanists divided plants into trees and 
herbs; but this distinction is too vague 
to form the basis of classification. 
Arbo'reus. Like a tree. 
Arbusld mis. (From arbustum , a shrub.) 
An ancient class of plants contain¬ 
ing shrubs; as the myrtle, mock-or¬ 
ange ( philadelpkus ,) &c. 
Afelded. Curving above, vaulted. 
Ar'cuate. (From arcus , a bow.) Bent 
like a bow. 
Arena'rius. Growing in sand. 
Argen'tens. Silver-coloured. 
Arid. Dry. 
A'ril, (arillus .) The external coat or 
covering of seeds which, drying, falls 
olf spontaneously. 
Arid late. (From areo, to be dried.) 
Awned, ending a bristle. 
Aro'ides. So called from arum. 
Arms , (armad) Offensive weapons. 
Plants are said to be armed, when 
they are furnished with prickles, 
thorns, &c. 
Aromatic. Sweet-scented. 
Aromaticce. The name of a class of 
Dioscorides, Clusius, Bauhin, and 
34* 
some other botanists, who arranged 
plants according to their virtues and 
sensible qualities. 
Ar'row-form^ Shaped like an arrow¬ 
head, the hind lobes acute, 
Artie'ulated. Jointed ; as in the culm 
or stem of the grasses. 
Arundina'ceous. (From Arundo , a 
reed.) Resembling reeds. 
Arven'sis. Growing in cultivated fields. 
Ascending. Rising from the ground 
obliquely, 
Ascidisate. Pitcher-form. From the 
Greek askidion , a bottle or pitcher. 
Asperifo'lius. Plough-leaved. 
Astrin'gents. Substances which con¬ 
dense the fibres. 
Atten'uated.. Gradually diminished or 
tapering. 
AuricJulate. Having appendages re¬ 
sembling ears. 
Awl-form. Sharp at the point, and 
curved to one side. 
Awn. A short stiff bristle 
Axil. The angle between a leaf and 
stem on the upper side. 
Axillary. Growing out of the axils; 
leaves are said to be axillary when 
they proceed from the angle formed 
by the stem and branch. 
Axis. The elongated part of a petiole, 
upon which are attached many flow¬ 
ers. A centre. A line, real or ima¬ 
ginary, through any body. 
■ ' E 
Ba.'ca. A berry. It is a pulpy pericarp s 
enclosing seeds without capsules. A 
berry is said to be proper, when it is 
formed of the pericarp or seed vessel; 
improper or singular, when it is form¬ 
ed of any other parts. In the mul¬ 
berry and rose, a large, fleshy and 
succulent calyx becomes a berry. In 
the strawberry, a berry is formed of 
the common receptacle; in the rasp¬ 
berry, of a seed. 
Baccif'erus. Bearing berries. 
Ban'ner. The upper petal in a papilio¬ 
naceous flower. 
Barb. A straight process, armed with 
teeth pointing backwards. 
Barba'tus. Bearded. 
Bark. The covering of vegetables, 
consisting of several parts; as cuti¬ 
cle, cellular integument, &c. The 
bark consists of as many layers as 
the tree on which it grows has years : 
a new layer being formed from the 
cambium, or from the alburnum, ev¬ 
ery year. The newest layer of bark 
is called liber. 
Bar'ren. Producing no fruit; contain¬ 
ing stamens only. 
