The treasury of botany: a popular dictionary of the vegetable kingdom; with which is incorporated a glossary of botanical terms . end tobind together by their delicate rootlets, andhave stiff erect stems capable of support-ing themselves. But in warmer regions,and even in Lisbon, as E. debile and elonga-tum, they require the support of bushesto which they cling. They sometimesattain a considerable size, as E. giganteum,though never reaching the dimensions ofundoubted fossil Equisetacece. An immensequantity of silica, amounting sometimes tohalf their weight when consumed, is takenup into their
The treasury of botany: a popular dictionary of the vegetable kingdom; with which is incorporated a glossary of botanical terms . end tobind together by their delicate rootlets, andhave stiff erect stems capable of support-ing themselves. But in warmer regions,and even in Lisbon, as E. debile and elonga-tum, they require the support of bushesto which they cling. They sometimesattain a considerable size, as E. giganteum,though never reaching the dimensions ofundoubted fossil Equisetacece. An immensequantity of silica, amounting sometimes tohalf their weight when consumed, is takenup into their substance : and, according tothe observations of Brewster, the par-ticles, each of which has a double axis ofrefraction, are disposed in rows parallel tothe axis, and occasionally forming ovalsconnected together like the jewels of anecklace. In consequence of this abund- iance of silica, like Tripoli, some of the jspecies are used for polishing various articles, and large quantities of E. 7>?/< maleare imported into this country under thename of polishing or Dutch rushes. Someof the species have been used in medicine,. Equisetum xylochsetum. but their virtues are doubtful. Therhizomes contain a considerable quantityof starch, and the starch cells sometimesexhibit a kind of circulation. [M. J. B.] EQUITANT. When the two sides of aleaf are brought together and adhere ex-cept at the base, where they enclose an op-posite leaf whose sides are in the samestate : hence they look as if they rode oneach other. ERABLE. (Fr.) Acer. — DENORVEGEAcer platanoides. — DURET. Acer opu-Ufolium. — JASPB. Acer pensylvanieum.— NEGUNDO. Negundo. — OBIER. Aceropulifolium. ERAGROSTIS. A very extensive genusof grasses, belonging to the tribe Festu-cece, distinguished by having the inflor-escence in more or less compound or decom-pound panicles ; glumes four to ten-flower-ed; pales imbricated in two ranks, theupper reflexed with the edges turnedback ; stamens two or three; styles two,with
Size: 1649px × 1516px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisher, booksubjectbotany
