Acacia is a genus of plants of the family Leguminosae sub-family Mimoseae consisting of trees or shrubs with compoundpinnate leaves. They grow in Africa, Arabia, Australia and the East Indies. The flowers, usually small, are arranged in spikes or globular heads at the axils of the leaves near the extremity of the branches. The corolla is bell or funnel shaped; stamens are numerous; the fruit is a dry unjointed pod. Several of the species yield gum-arabic and other gums; some have astringent barks and pods, used in tanning. Acacia Catechu, an Indian species, yields the valuable astringent called catechu; Acacia dealbata the wattle-tree of Australia, from five to ten metres in height, is the most beautiful and useful of the species found there. Its bark contains a large percentage of tannin, and is hence exported. Some species yield valuable timber; some are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers. Research Acacia
Albizzia is a genus of leguminous trees and shrubs, allied to the genusAcacia, with doubly-pinnate leaves and white, yellow, or red flowers, often in globular heads, and broad, straight, flat pods. They number over fifty species, and inhabit tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Australia. Albizzia lopkanta, a native of south-western Australia, has a bark that contains tannin. Albizzia Lebbek, a. native of Asia and Africa, yields valuable timber, and in Egypt is much cultivated as a shade tree. Albizzia Julibrissin, a tree with rose-red flowers, is found in Asia and Africa, and has been introduced into Southern Europe. Research Albizzia
Aniseed or anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an annual herb of the family Umbelliferae, native to the eastern Mediterranean region, with an erect, branched, ribbed stem, which bears long-stalked, lobed, cordate and coarsely toothed lower leaves and finely divided, feathery, ternate or pinnate upper leaves. The flowers are small, white in colour and arranged in compound umbels. The fruit is a ribbed, roundish double achene. Aniseed was first cultivated and used as a spice by the ancient Egyptians and later by the Greeks and Romans. Research Aniseed
Blue bell (Polemonium reptans) also known as Abscess Root, American Greek Valerian, False Jacob's Ladder and Sweatroot is a plant of the family Polemoniaceae. It grows in damp woods by creeping roots. The stem is about five centimetres long, much branched and bearing pinnate leaves with six or seven pairs of leaflets. The flowers are nodding, blue in colour and hang in loose terminal bunches. A tincture of the root is used in medicine as an expectorant. Research Blue Bell
Burnet is the name of three species of perennial Rosaceous herbs. The Common or Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) is a perennialherb native to Britain and Europe where it grows in damp meadows and pastures. It has a thick branched rhizome, a basal rosette of odd-pinnate leaves with between seven and fifteen long-stalked, ovate, toothed leaflets, and an erect branched stem bearing few leaves. The flowers are small, crimson in colour and arranged in dense terminal rectangular spikes. The fruit is an achene enclosed in a four-winged receptacle.
The common salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) occurs in dry meadows, and bears heads of crimson flowers - the upper ones being female, while the lower are furnished with numerous drooping stamens. The prickly salad Burnet is much like the common salad burnet. Research Burnet
Burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga) is a perennialherb of the family Umbelliferae, native to Britain and Europe, with a spindle-shaped tap root and an erect, finely ribbed and usually downy stem which is branched above. The basal leaves are odd pinnate. The stem leaves have sheath-like stalks and more divided, linear leaflets. The flowers are small, white in colour and arranged in terminal umbels. The fruit is an ovoid, compressed, double achene with five slender ribs. Research Burnet Saxifrage
The cabbage rose (Rosacentifolia) or pale rose, as it is also known, is a deciduous shrub of the family Rosaceae with thin brown branches armed with numerous greatly flattened almost straight prickles. The leaves are odd pinnate, with between five and seven ovate to elliptic, dark-green coloured, serrate leaflets which are softly hairy beneath. The petioles and peduncles are almost thornless, but have glandular bristles. The flowers are fragrant, pink in colour, with many petals which are whiter towards the base. The fruit consists of numerous hairy achenes enclosed in the enlarged, fleshy, flask-shaped, bright red receptacle. Research Cabbage Rose
Caraway (Carum carvi) is a biennial or perennialherb of the family Umbelliferae. It has a spindle-like tap root, finely divided feathery leaves which are two or three times pinnate, and erect branched furrowed stems terminated by compound umbels of white or rose-tinted, deeply notched flowers. The fruit is a rectangular, ribbed achene with two crescent-shaped seeds. Caraway grows throughout Europe and Asia in grassy, sunny locations, especially mountains up to an altitude of 2000 metres. Research Caraway
Caryota is a genus of spineless palms with doubly pinnate leaves. The genus is sometimes known as the fish-tail palms from the shape of the leaflets. When fully grown the plants bear large green or purple flowers, the spadices hanging down in graceful bundles. Research Caryota
Cedrelaceae is the mahogany family, a natural order of dicotyledonous plants, nearly allied to, if really separate from, the Meliaceae. They are trees with alternate pinnate leaves and a woody capsular fruit. Different species yield mahogany, satin-wood, yellow-wood, etc. Research Cedrelaceae
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Acacia
