Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/159

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QUILOA QUINCE" 151 ance of the plants is that of a tuft of linear leaves, attached by their enlarged bases to a very short rootstock, from the lower part of Quillwort (Isogtes lacustrls). A small plant of natural size ; magnified bases of two leaves, showing macrospores and microspores ; and macrospores greatly magnified. which roots are produced. The organs of re- production are curiously concealed; the spo- rangia or spore cases are orbicular or ovoid, plano-convex, and sessile in the axils of the leaves, the bases of which are hollowed out to receive and partly cover the sporangia, which are united to them by the back. The spores are of two kinds, those in the cases of the outer leaves being very much larger than those near the centre of the cluster. The large spores (macrospores) are from 20 to 200 in a spore case, and are divided into two hemispheres by a line, one of the halves being marked by three radiating lines ; the minute spores of the inner leaves (microspores) are so small that it is estimated that each case contains over a million ; they are obliquely oblong and trian- gular. Ten or a dozen species are found in the whole country, one of which, /. lacmtris, occurs also in northern Europe and Asia, and is found along our northern border from New England to Lake Superior; it has 10 to 25 leaves, 2 to 6 in. long ; the largest species, /. Engelmannii, has from 50 to 200 leaves, often 25 in. long. These singular plants are not rare, but they escape general notice from their resemblance to submerged grasses. QUILOA. See KILWA. QUDIPER, a town of France, capital of the department of Finistere, on the Odet, 32 m. S. E. of Brest and 13 m. from the Atlantic ; pop. in 1872, 13,159. It is partly surrounded by ancient walls and watch towers. The ca- thedral of St. Brentin, begun in 1239 and fin- ished in 1493, was rebuilt in 1858 from the de- signs of Viollet-le-Duc. There are ship yards, manufactories of pottery, fisheries, and trade in grain, horses, honey, and cattle. Formerly it was the capital of Cornouailles. QH, James, an English actor, born in Lon- don, Feb. 24, 1693, died in Bath, Jan. 21, 1766. He was educated at the university of Dublin, and when 20 years old went to London, and began to study law in the Temple. Having obtained an engagement at Drury Lane, he at first acted subordinate parts, but gained some reputation in the character of Bajazet. In 1720 he secured his fame by acting Falstaff in the " Merry Wives of Windsor," and greatly increased it in 1731 by excelling Barton Booth in the part of Cato ; and on the appearance of Garrick in 1741, he stood at the head of his profession. In 1748 he retired from the stage, thereafter residing at Bath, but per- formed Falstaff every year till 1753, refusing to play afterward because he had lost his voice. He received a pension from George III., whom in his youth he had instructed in elocution. QUINARY SYSTEM. See ENTOMOLOGY, and ORNITHOLOGY. QUINAULT, Philippe, a French dramatist, born in Paris, June 3, 1635, died there, Nov. 26, 1688. When about 18 years old he produced on the stage a five-act comedy, Les rivales, which was received with applause. He studied law, married a rich widow, assumed the title of councillor before the parliament, and bought an office as auditor in the court of exchequer. In 1664 he produced La mere coquette, ou Les amants corriges. Astarte (1663), his only tragedy which is now remembered, was ridi- culed by Boileau. He wrote lyrical tragedies to which Lully furnished the music. He was elected a member of the French academy in 1670. His complete works were published in 1739 and 1778 (5 vols. 12mo). QUINCE (the plural of old Eng. coine, from Fr. coing, which is derived from the Lat. cy- donia, from the Cretan town of Cydonia), a Apple-shaped Quince (Pyrus Cydonia). tree long cultivated in temperate climates for its fruit, and which is found wild in southern Europe, northern Africa, and in various parts