Astera'ceæ, Composites

n. pl. ( Bot. ) An order of plants, of the Campana les alliance. - DIAG. A 1-celled ovary, valvate corolla, syngenesious anthers, erect ovule, and no albumen. They are herbaceous plants or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, without stipules, usually simples, but commonly much divided. Flowers (called florets) unisexual or hermaphrodite, collected in dense heads upon a common receptacle, surrounded by an involucre. Bracts, when present, stationed at the base of the florets, and called paleæ of the receptacle. Calyx superior, indistinguishable from the ovary; its limb either wanting or membranous, divided into bristles, paleæ, hairs, or feathers, called pappus. Corolla monopetalous, superior, usually deciduous, either ligulate or funnel-shaped. Stamens equal in number to the teeth of the corolla, and alternate with them; the anthers cohering into a cylinder. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, with a single erect ovule; style simple, stigmas 3; fruit, a small, indehiscent, dry pericarp, crowned with the limb of the calyx; seed solitary, erect; embryo with a taper inferior radicle. This order, one of the most natural and extensive families of the vegetable kingdom, is divided into three sub-orders- Tubiliflora, Lab i at i flora, Liguliflora. It includes 1,005 genera, and 9,000 species. The uses to which A. or Composites have been applied are as numerous as their forms. They will be noted under the name of the principal genera. Asteria, n. ( Min. ) See ASTERITE. Asteri'adæ, n. pl. ( Zool. ) A family of animals belonging to the cla Echinoderm at a, and known by the name of star-fishes or sea-stars, from the star-like form which they all have more or le . They have a coriaceous skin, in which are implanted spines or tubercles. Their body is expanded into arms of the same structure as itself. The under surface of these arms is marked with gutters or grooves, radiating from the centre, and pierced with several rows of small holes, through which i ue tentacula, with expanded tips capable of contracting and elongating themselves. By means of these filaments acting as suckers, the animals are enabled to walk; their motion is, however, very slow. The animals belonging to this family vary much in form and structure. Most of the species have five rays or arms, but some have more, varying from eight to thirty. They have the Fig . 221. ASTERIAS, ( Star -fish.) power of reproducing these arms or portions of them, if they are accidentally broken off; and if an entire arm be torn off with a small portion of the body attached to it, other arms are reproduced, and a fresh perfect animal is formed. Their mouth is always placed in the inferior centre of the rays. They live chiefly on young shells, crustaceæ, and other marine animals. They are oviparous, and their spawn is said to be venomous to the spines. The genera Pent a ceros and Goniaster have the body or skeleton formed of large roundish tubercles, the skin between which is pierced with small holes, the first having a convex back and a triangular arm, the latter be- ing flat above and beneath, with five broad, short rays edged with larger pieces. Aster in a has the skeleton formed of compre ed pieces, placed one over the other like the tiles of a house, and have always a thin margin. The species are generally flat and pent a gular. Some are many-rayed. Asterias, n. [Gr. aster, a star.] ( Zool .) The star-fish. See ASTERIADE. that they occupy the precise place which, in conformity motion. with Bode's law of distances, ought to have been filled As'ton, in Pa . , a township of Delaware co. by a large planet, Olbers threw out the conjecture that these A. may be the fragments of a planet once existing there, but which, in some mighty convulsion, had burst asunder. Nor, perhaps, if one considers that inherence in all planets known to us, of the same disturbing powers which originate volcanoes and mountain ma es in the earth, can the conjecture be rejected à prior i as entirely fanciful. But a fatal dynamical objection remains. If the groups are fragments arising from the bursting of one body, they would all, in the course of these revolutions, nece arily tend to return to the place where the primary explosion occurred. Laplace, on the other hand, regarded them as an indication that a Aston'ied, pp . of the verb astony . (0.) Aston'ish, v . a. [A. S. stunian, to stun; Ger. staunen, to be astonished; Lat. attono , to thunder at, to stupefy with sudden fear or wonder; 0. Fr. estonner; Fr.etonner.] To strike dumb with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to surprise; to astound. - See AMAZE. primary or large planet had never been formed there, the ring of primary nebulous matter, out of which he imagined every planet to have sprung, had rather resolved itself, in this place, into a multitude of small knots or aggregations. It cannot escape obser- vation, that this group of A. , strange though it may seem, may not, after all, occupy an isolated place, even within our own system. It may, indeed, turn out that our leading planets of the solar system are only the more visible parts; and that when we know our scheme better, its simplicity will no longer be recognized. A large proportion of these minor planets bear mythological names. When but few were known and their profusion unsuspected, not only a name, but also a symbol, was given to each; but when their great number became apparent, a simpler method of symbol i- zati on was adopted, viz., a tiny circle in which, in the order of their discovery, the number of each is inclosed; thus, 50 enclosed in a circle would represent Urania, 117, Lomia, etc. As regards the size of A , they subtend no measurable angle; so estimates of their magnitudes must be deduced wholly from their brightne . But. according to Barnard, this manner of judgment fails in the case of Vesta-the most brilliant one of all, which is sometimes visible to the naked eye. The largest of the A. is Ceres, some 1,200 miles in diameter; that having the least mean solar distance is No. 380 (Adel- berta)-2-09, i. e., 2-09 times the Earth's distance from the Sun; that having the greatest is No. 279, (Thule) 4.26. Of these latter two, the former has the shortest period of revolution of all-3-05 years; the latter the longest-about 8 years. The one most inclined is Pallas 34° 42′ 37′′; that with the least inclination is Ma alia 41'. The least eccentric in form is Philomela 005; the most so is Aethra 38-that is, the distance from the center of its elliptic orbit to the focus occupied by the Sun is equal to 38 of half the major axis. The perihelion distance of Medusa is almost exactly equal to the aphelion of Mars; and, as they revolve around the Sun in nearly the same plane, they must, when the little planet is in perihelion and Mars is in aphelion, both having the same longitude, approach near enough to cause the tiny planet to a ume a new orbit and, pos- sibly, for the bodies to collide. The greatest density of the group is found exactly at the distance indicated by Bode's law, 2-08. Of the twenty-three A. found in 1896, every one was photographically discovered. The tele- scope being for hours held upon a certain star, the negative plate reveals, by a trail thereon, the motion of the new object, and surely indicate its planetoidal char- acter. See SOLAR SYSTEM STAR, NEBULE, PLANET, . Asteroid'a, n . ( Zool .) See ANTHOZOA. Asteroid'al, a . Pertaining to the asteroids. As'teroid, n; pl. ASTEROIDS. [Gr. aster , a star, and eidos , form, species.] ( Astrom .) Asteroids are a group of bodies or small planets (often called MINOR PLANETS and ZODIACAL PLANETS; but as they are not stars, PLANETOIDS is preferable to ASTEROIDS as being expre ive of their planetary character), singularly insignificant in size, that revolve around the sun in planetary orbits, between Mars and Jupiter. The existence of a body or bodies between those two planets, seemed to be indicated by a remarkable hiatus . (See BODE'S LAW.) The celebrated Olbers, of Bremen, ventured to a ert that the applica- tion of telescopes to the search for planets occupying that place would certainly be richly rewarded. Conse- quently, upon this suggestion, Ceres was discovered by Piazzi, of Palermo, on the first day of the 19th century, Jan. 1, 1801; Olbers himself soon after detected Pallas and Vesta , and Harding discovered Juno. Since then the number of A. has been increased to 425 in the beginning of 1897; but the probability is, that they count by many you sands, and that they form a stream or zone of small bodies occupying the place, and in so far performing the function, in the system, of the large planet which, according to Bode's law of distances, might have been expected in that locality. Believing it to be unimportant to give a particular account of dis- covery, size, distance, ., of every one of these small bodies, that every year increase in number, we limit this article to the most interesting information relating to the character of the system. The mean breadth of the zone or ring within which the the A. lie, is 202 millions of miles. But in consequence of the great eccentricity of several of the orbits, some of these cur i- ous bodies can adventure much farther into space. The inclination of the orbit of several of the A. presents an extraordinary contrast with anything that prevails in our solar system. The greatest inclination known among the larger planets is that of Mercury, being 7o As then'ic, a. Relating or belonging to asthenia. 059"; while the inclination of that of Pallas is Asthmatic, Asthmatical, a . Pertaining to, or 34° 42′ 37′′. But their variations in this respect do affected by asthma. See ASTHMA. Aston'ishedly, adv . In an astonished manner. Aston'ishing, p . a . Tending to astonish; derful; amazing; surprising; marvellous. Astonishingly, adv . In a manner or degree to ex. cite amazement. Aston'ville, in Pennsylvania , a mining village of Ly- coming co., 18 m. N. of William sport. Aston'y, v . a. To astonish. (0.) As'tor, in Wisconsin , a village of Brown co., on Green Bay As'tor, JOHN JACOB, B. at Walldorf, in Germany, in 1763, and emigrated to America in 1784, where he em- barked in the fur trade, especially with the Mohawk Indians. Having gradually acquired considerable re- sources, he conceived the idea of forming a fur company in opposition to the Hudson's Bay Company. His pro- ject received the sanction of Congre in 1809, and the "American Fur Company" commenced operations with a capital of $1,000,000. Two expeditions, one by land, and one by sea, which were sent out to the shores of the Pacific, have been described by Washington Irving, in his " Astoria ," and "Adventures of Captain Bonneville." A fort was erected on the Columbia river, which, how- ever, fell into the hands of the English in the war of 1812, and the whole project proved abortive. Meantime, A. acquired immense wealth in the trade to China. At his death he bequeathed funds for establishing and main- taining at New York, a public library of 100,000 vol- umes, largely increased in 1879 by his son, John Jacob A. D. 1818. Astorga, an old town of Spain, prov. of Leon; Lat. 42° 27′ N., Lon. 6° 10' W. Pop . 5,189. Astoria, in Illinois , a post-village and twp. of Fulton co., about 50 m. W.N.W. of Springfield. Astoria, in Mi ouri , a post-village of Wright co., 96 m. S. of Jefferson City. Astound', v. a. [A.S. as tund i an ; probably allied to O. Fr. estonner. See ASTONISH.] To strike dumb with amazement; to astonish. "These thoughts may startle well, but not astound The virtuous mind, that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, conscience."- Milton . Asteroid'eæ, n. pl . ( Bot . ) A tribe of plants, sub-Astound'ing, p . a . Tending to astonish. order Tubuliflore . DIAG. Heads radiate, rarely discoid. Astound'ment, n. The act of astounding. (R.) Branches of the style more or le flattened and linear, Astrabad'. ( Geog .) See ASTER A BAD. equally pubescent above outside. Leaves mostly al- ternate. Aster is its principal genus. A sterol'epis, n . [Gr. aster , a star, and lep is , a scale.] ( Pul . ) A genus of fo il fishes, 18 to 20 ft. long, found in the old red sandstone, and related to the genus Amia . Asterophyllite, n. [Gr. aster , a star, phyllon , a leaf, and lithos , a stone.] ( Pal .) The name given to fo il exogenous plants of the coal-measures. The species are very numerous, but they are of doubtful affinity, and till now their right place in the system has not been found. Asthenia, As'theny, n. [Gr. astheneia , from a, priv., and thenos , strength.] ( Med .) Want of strength; debility. -Dunglison . not involve any deviation as to motion from what Asthmatic, n. One affected with asthma. the law of gravitation would induce us to expect. Asthmatically, adv . In an asthmatical manner. Although the ellipses are eccentric, and the inclination As'ti, a city of N. Italy, in Piedmont, 28 m. E.S.E. of large, every one of these minute orbs obeys the three har- monic laws of Kepler, and so constitutes no exception to the great harmonies of the solar system. From the observations of M. Leverrier it would appear that the sum total of the matter constitnting the small planets lying between the mean distances 22 and 3:19 from the sun (that of the earth being 1), cannot greatly, if at all, exceed one-fourth of the ma of the earth. This restricted ma , however, is very considerable, being upwards of 20 times greater than the ma of our moon; and it dqubtle includes within it multitudes of A. not yet discovered by the telescope. The contemplation of this very curious group gives rise to singular reflec- tions. How odd the motions of ma es of small orbs, within paths so near that they must often pa within hailing distance-like ships at sea! But whence came they? What means this extraordinary exception to that general law which has constituted the solar system for the most part an orderly arrangement of large orbs moving through spheres far apart from each other, and Turin, on the railway to Genoa, is a fine and very ancient city, and was burned by the Emperor Frederic Barb a ro a in 1154. From 1387 to 1529, it belonged to France; in the latter year it was ceded to the Emperor Charles V., who made it over as a marriage dowry to the House of Savoy. Manf . Silks and stuffs. The vineyards furnish a celebrated white and red wine, called Vino d'Asti , and sparkling as Champagne. The poet Alfieri was born here in 1749. Рор . 20,223. - A. is the capital of a province of same name, bounded by the provinces of Turin, Alba, A le and ria, and Casale. A. is hilly and picturesque; soil , generally fertile. Pop . 125,335. As'tible, n. ( Bot .) A genus of plants, order Saxifra gaceæ, q. v. The species po e no known properties. The A. japonica is cultivated as a garden ornament. Astigmatism, n. [Gr. a, priv., and stigma , a point.] ( Med .) An affection of the eye characterized by a decided difference of refraction, in the different meridional planes of the dioptric apparatus, and a consequent diminution of sharpne in vision. Astrac'amite, n. (Chem.) A native sulphate of mag- nesium and sodium, SO4MgNa2H2O, occurring in white, opaque, prismatic crystals, together with ordinary sul- phate of magnesium, in the bitter-salt marshes on the E. side of the mouth of the Volga. As'tracan. ( Geog .) See ASTRAKHAN. A-strad'dle, adv . [From a, and straddle .] Astride with the legs acro a thing, or on different sides. Astræ'a, ( Myth . ,) daughter of Zeus and Them is, or of Astræus and Aurora, was the Godde of Justice, the last of all the godde es who left the earth when the golden age had pa ed away, and men began to forge weapons and perpetrate acts of violence. She took her place in heaven as the constellation Virgo in the zodiac. -Greek art usually represents her with a pair of bal- ances in her hand, and a crown of stars on her head. projecting from a perpendicular diameter, so called from its resemblance to the projection of the heel of the human foot. It is principally used at the upper ends and bases of the shafts of columns, and in the entablatures of the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders of architecture, and also in Roman Doric. It is the most simple of all mouldings, being the only one that can project from a plane surface without the aid of a fillet. Its chief use seems to be to bind the different parts of columns and entablatures together, being generally found at the junction of the shaft of a column with the capital and base. The Egyptians sometimes divided their columns into sections by clusters of A. surrounding the shaft at intervals. It is generally plain, but sometimes carved to represent reeds bound together with a ribbon, leaves, and beads of various forms. IMG:content-0379.png:[blocks in formation] (Gunnery.) A moulding encir- 1. Astragal.-2. Scotia.cling a cannon, about 6 inches 3. Torus.-4. Plinth. from its mouth.