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The bean or seed of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi.)

icinus communis, or Palma Christi. When fresh the oil is inodorus and insipid. Castor-oil plant. Same as Palma Christi.

A plant (Nepeta Glechoma) of the same genus with catnip; ground ivy.

A plant with the joints of the stem, and sometimes other parts, covered with a viscid secretion to which small insects adhere. The species of Silene are examples of the catchfly.

To instruct by asking questions, receiving answeres, and offering explanations and corrections, -- esp. in regard to points of religious faith.

extract, obtained by decoction and evaporation from the Acacia catechu, and several other plants growing in India. It contains a large portion of tannin or tannic acid, and is used in medicine and in the arts. It is also known by the names terra japonica, cutch, gambier, etc. Ure. Dunglison.

A plant of the genus Scorpiurus, with pods resembling caterpillars. Caterpillar catcher, or Caterpillar eater (Zoöl.), a bird belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on caterpillars. The name is also given to several other birds. -- Caterpillar hunter (Zoöl.), any species of beetles of the genus Callosoma and…

A well-know plant of the genus Nepeta (N. Cataria), somewhat like mint, having a string scent, and sometimes used in medicine. It is so called because cats have a peculiar fondness for it.

That part of optics which explants the properties and phenomena of reflected light, and particularly that which is reflected from mirrors or polished bodies; --- formerly caled anacamptics.

hout a branch, as of a palm or a tree fern; also, the pernnial rootstock of an herbaceous plant.

A slender, elastic process, to which the masses of pollen in orchidaceous plants are attached.

The edible head or "curd" of a caulifower plant.

A stem structure or stem axis of a plant, viewed as a whole. -- Cau*lom"ic (#), a.

rve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. -- Caustic lime. See under Lime. -- Caustic potash, Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same. -- Caustic silver, nitrate of silver, lunar caustic. -- Caustic surfa…

A group of ruminants whose horns are hollow, and planted on a bony process of the front, as the ox.

The inner planking of a vessel. Camp ceiling. See under Camp. -- Ceiling boards, Thin narrow boards used to ceil with.

A perennial herbaceous plant (Chelidonium majus) of the poppy family, with yellow flowers. It is used as a medicine in jandice, etc., and its acrid saffron-colored juice is used to cure warts and the itch; -- called also greater celandine and swallowwort. Lasser celandine, the pilewort (Ranunculus Ficaria).…

A plant of the Parsley family (Apium graveolens), of which the blanched leafstalks are used as a salad.

A description of apparent spots on the disk of the sun, or on planets.

ry structures, of which the greater part of the various tissues and organs of animals and plants are composed.