Bal a no pho raceæ, ( bal a no for a i see,) Cynomoriums

pl. ( Bot.) An order of plants, cla Rhizogens. DIAG. Stems amorphous, fungoid; peduncles scaly; flowers in spikes; ovules solitary, pendulous; fruit one-seeded. These plants are parasites, and are found growing on the roots of various woody plants, especially in the tropical and sub-tropical mountains of Asia and South America. They have no leaves; their stems are of various colors, but never green; their peduncles are naked or scaly, bearing spikes of flowers, usually white. Species. Many are remarkable for their astringent properties; others are edible, and a few secrete a kind of wax. Two plants of this order are worthy of note; namely, Cynomorium coccineum and Langsdorffia hypogœa. The first is the fun gus mel i tens is of pharmacologists, formerly highly valued as a styptic; the second yields large quantities of wax, which is used for making candles by the inhabitants of Colombia. The order includes 37 species, divided into 14 genera.