vanadous

[Mod. Lat. vanad ( ium ); Eng. adj. suff.-ous.] Of or pertaining to vanadium. văn-côu-ri-er, *vant-cur-reur, *van-currier, s . [Fr. avant - courier , avant - coureur , from avant (Latin abante )=from in front, and courier , coureur a runner, a courier (q.v.).] An avant-courier, a precursor. văn-da, subst . [Sansc. vánda =a parasitic plant, generally considered to be of this genus, but regarded by Prof. Watt as Loran thus long i flor us .] Bot.: The typical genus of Vandese (q.v.). Leaves distichous, coriaceous, from a few inches to two feet in length. Flowers in racemes, beautifully IMG:content-0395.jpg:[graphic] colored-blue, red, yel low, brown, . and highly fragrant. They occur in India, China, the Moluccas, ., as parasites upon trees in dense forests, from which they have been introduced into hot houses in America and Europe. They may be attached to a piece of wood or a wire-basket, as their nourishment is derived from the atmosphere and not from the soil. More than twenty_species are known. The fra IMG:content-0396.png:[graphic][merged small] grant root of Vanda roxburghii is given by Hindu doctors in various forms in rheumatism. It also enters into the composition of several medicinal oils. Văn'-dal, s. & a. [Lat. Vandal us =a Vandal, one of the tribe of Vandali, lit. the wanderers; cogn. with Eng. wander (q. v.).] A. As substantive : even, brittle. Composition: Vanadate and chloride morpho us with pyromorphite. Recently found in beautiful crystals of a bright red color in Colorado.