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Settlement, Act of

(Encyclopedia)Settlement, Act of, 1701, passed by the English Parliament, to provide that if William III and Princess Anne (later Queen Anne) should die without heirs, the succession to the throne should pass to So...

minnow

(Encyclopedia)minnow, common name for the Cyprinidae, a large family of freshwater fish which includes the carp (Cyprinus carpio), and of which there are some 2,400 species. Minnows have soft-rayed fins and teeth i...

mandrake

(Encyclopedia)mandrake, plant of the family Solanaceae (nightshade family), the source of a narcotic much used during the Middle Ages as a pain-killer and perhaps the subject of more superstition than any other pla...

fireweed

(Encyclopedia)fireweed, any of several plants that spring up in fire-swept regions, especially the great willow herb Epilobium, which is classified in the family Onagraceae (evening primrose family). ...

moth mullein

(Encyclopedia)moth mullein, common name for the mullein Verbascum blatteria, a plant native to Europe and naturalized as a weed in the United States. It is a member of the family Scrophulariaceae (figwort family). ...

coriander

(Encyclopedia)coriander kōrˌēănˈdər [key], strong-smelling Old World annual herb (Coriandrum sativum) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), cultivated for its fruits. Dried coriander seed contains an a...

coltsfoot

(Encyclopedia)coltsfoot, Eurasian perennial herb (Tussilago farfara) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), now a widespread weed in most northern lands. The scaly flower stalk bears a yellow flower head and down...

gaillardia

(Encyclopedia)gaillardia gālärˈdēə [key], any plant of the genus Gaillardia of the Asteaceae family (aster family), including annual, biennial, and perennial herbs with showy heads of red and/or yellow ray flo...

mullet

(Encyclopedia)mullet, blunt-nosed, tropical and temperate water fishes of the family Mugilidae, found worldwide. Small schools of mullets frequent shallow waters, feeding on aquatic plants and on mud, which is grou...

pampas grass

(Encyclopedia)pampas grass, any species of the genus Cortaderia, tall South American plants of the family Poaceae (grass family) cultivated in warm climates for ornament. The common pampas grass (C. argentea or sel...