ABRUS PRECATORIUS
\ɐbɹˈuːz pɹɪkɐtˈɔːɹɪəs], \ɐbɹˈuːz pɹɪkɐtˈɔːɹɪəs], \ɐ_b_ɹ_ˈuː_z p_ɹ_ɪ_k_ɐ_t_ˈɔː_ɹ_ɪ__ə_s]\
Definitions of ABRUS PRECATORIUS
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A small ornamental shrub, found from Florida to Brazil, as well as in Egypt and the West Indies; Nat. Ord. Leguminosae. Sex. Syst. Monadelphia Enneandria; having beautiful scarlet seeds with a black spot. The roots and leaves are sweet mucilaginous demulcents. The seeds of the American kind are considered to be purgative and poisonous. They are employed to form rosaries, and hence called, in mockery, Jumble beads.
By Robley Dunglison
Word of the day
basidiomycota
- comprises fungi bearing the spores on basidium: Gasteromycetes (puffballs); Tiliomycetes (comprising orders Ustilaginales (smuts) and Uredinales (rusts)); Hymenomycetes (mushrooms; toadstools; agarics; bracket fungi); in some classification systems considered a division of kingdom comprises fungi bearing spores on a basidium; includes Gasteromycetes (puffballs) Tiliomycetes comprising the orders Ustilaginales (smuts) and Uredinales (rusts) Hymenomycetes (mushrooms, toadstools, agarics bracket fungi).