Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/668

CHENOPODIACE^. 586 CHER. •which water is kept within the plant, so that there is not such a thaininfr of the soil and coiiso- <liifnt absorption of salt as woukl be cx|)eit((l in pk.nts growing in salt marshes, etc. Two great groni)s are formed of the geni'ra — the Cyelolobeir, in which the embryo is ring-shaped, or iiorscslioe- shaped, and Spirolobea", in which the embryo is spirally coiled. Beta, Clienopodium, Spinacia, Atriplex, Kochia, C'orispernmm, and .Salioornia belong to the first group, and Sarcobatus, Sucda, and Salsola to the last. CHENOPODIXJM, ke'na-po'dl-iim (Neo-Lat., from Gk. x'l", vhOn, goose + n-oiV, pons, foot). A genus of plants of the order Chenopodiacca?, some species of which are well known by the name of goosefoot, as weeds in gardens, on heaps of rulj- bish. and in waste places. The species are mostly annuals, with entire or tootlicd leaves, which iii some cases have a sort of mealy hoariness. They are mostly natives of Europe, and of the tem- perate parts of Asia ; but some are natives of America, into which, however, some of the com- mon European species have found their way, and are naturalized as weeds. The genus has hermajihrodite flowers with ])erianth of five small green scales, five stamens, and solitary flat seeds. The' leaves of many species are used as a sub- stitule for spinach, jiarticularly those of the good-llcnry. wild spinach, or English mer- cury (Chcnijpodium hoiius-licnricus) . a perennial plant, native of (ireat Britain and other parts of Europe, often found growing by waysides, with stem more than a foot high, powdered with mi- nute, transparent globules, and large, alternate, triangular, arrow-shai)ed, entire leaves. It is cultivated in some places, particularly in Lin- colnshire, chiefly for the leaves, but the young shoots are also used as asparagus. Cheiiopodium vrbiQum, Clienopodium album, etc.. annuals com- mon in waste jilaces. are also excellent substi- tutes for spinach. Clienopoditim olidum and Chrnopodium vuliaria (stinking goosefoot) , an- nuals with an extremely nauseous odor, growing in waste places in Great Britain and elsewhere, especially near the sea, are pojiular medicines, in much repute as antispasmodics and emmena- gogues. Chrnopodium^ to/n/.s, a native of the south of Europe, with ]Mniiatifid leaves resem- bling tho.se of the oak. and hence called .Terusa- leni oak, is in use as an expectorant and anthel- mintic. It is not fetid like the species last named, but agreeably fragrant. Chrnopodium ambrosioiden has a strong aromatic odor, is used in Mexico instead of tea. and is mich cultivated in France, an infusion of it being deemed useful in nervous disfirch'rs. The same species, knowTi in the United States as wormsecd, has a strong and somewhat aromatic odor, and enjoys a high reputation as a vermifuge. Its seeds are chiefly used, or the essential oil extracted from ihem, called oil of wormseed. More important than any of these species, as afl'ording an im- portant article of food in the countries of South .Vmerica, of which it is a native, is quinoa {Chrnopodium i/uiiioa), the seeds of which are large and abiuidaiit and are extensively used. The coast blite (Chrnopodium ruhrum) and the strawberry blite {Chrnopodium rapifntum, for- merly known as Hlitum maritimum and lilifum rnpitalum) are indigenous species along the sea- coast, about the Great Lakes and westward. CHENTJ, >hcnu', Je.x Chable.s (18OS-70). -V I'reii.li naturalist and army [jhysician. He was born in Ab'tz. and was educated in Paris. In lS:i'.) he entere<l llie sanitary corps of the army, and subsequently he was a ])bysician in tlic Cri- mean War. During the Fraiico-rrussian War he was at the head of the ambulance corps of the Paris press. In addition to publishing several valuable works on the medico-surgical statistics of modern French campaigns, he edited the colos- sal publication entitled, Encyclopidie d'histoire naturcUe (."U vols., 1850-61). CHEOPS, ke'ops. The name under which the second King of the Fourth Egyiitian dynasty, who built the greatest of the pyramids, near Ghizeh, is generally known. In that form the name is given by Herodotus. He is called C'heni- bes by Diodorus. Saophis by Eratosthenes, and Soupliis by irauetho; the' hieroglyphic form is Khufu. He carried on successful wars against the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula. Among the Greeks many fables concerning his wickedness, his repentance, and the prostitution of his daughter to gain money for his pyramid, ere current. The Egyptians, however, con- sidered him a wise and powerful ruler, and to him the foundation of many temples was ascribed. Various monuments bearing his name have survived; outside of Egypt there have been discovered only the inscriptions at Wady ilag- harah, near Sinai, where the old copper-mines were worked, under him, by the Egyptians. For an account of his reign, see Egypt; for a de- scription of his tolnb, .see Pyramids. CHEPHREN, or KHEFREN. kef'ien. A King of EgA-pt, the buildci- of the pyramid near (iliizeh. second in size of the great pyramids. The usual form of his name is taken from Herod- otus: other Greek writers call him thabyras I Diodorus), .'<ouphis (ilanetbo). Saopliis i F.ra- tosthenes). In Egy])tian his name is Klia"-f-re". The Greeks, misled' by the similarity of the two names, commonly call him the brother of Cheops; but, according to Egyptian tradition, he was his son. The famous Sjihinx near the pyramids was attributed to Chepliren as early as about B.C. 1450. but whether correctly is much disputed, as is also the question as to whether the iii;igiii(i- cent statues of Chcphren found in a neiglibdriiig pit were erected by that King himself or by worshipers of a later perioil. CHEPSTER. A name used in England to designate the starling (q.v.). CHEPSTOW, chep'stc'i. A market-town and river jiort of Jloiiiiiouthshire. England, on the Wye. about 15 miles east-northeast of Newport (.Maj): England. D 5). It lies between bold clilVs. on a slope rising from the river, in the midst of beautiful scenery. Its castle, dating from the Thirteenth Century, is well preserveil. The river is notable for its high tides, which reach at times the height of 50 feet. In the neighborhood are the fine ruins of Tintern .bbey and Cahliiut Cattle. Population, in ISlll. .'UOO': in lilOl. ;iO00. Consult: Wakeiiian. "The Tuwn and Castle of Chepstow," in Ilritixh Aichwolori- iriil Journal, Vol. X. (London. 18551; Marsh, AiuHil'. ,,f Chipilou- Casllc (Exeter, 1883). CHEQUE, chek. See Check. CHER, shar (Gall. Cams, connected with lird. 'jurr, Lat. carus, dear). A tributary of the