Fig. 121. a CLASS I.-MON ANDRIA. Order Monogynia. In the United States we have very few examples of plants of this class; the Hippuris, an aquatic plant, is sometimes found in stagnant water; it is the most simple of all perfect* flowers, having neither calyx nor corolla, and but 1 stamen, 1 pistil, and 1 seed. The germ, in maturing, hardens into a naked seed without any kind of appendages. The genus Hippuris contains but one species, the vulgaris. Fig. 121, a, represents the Hippuris ;† the stem is erect and simple; the leaves are linear, acute, and arranged in whorls. At b, is the flower of the Hippuris, showing an egg-shaped germ; a short filament crowned with a large anther composed of two lobes; the style is long and awl-shaped; the stigma is acute and inconspicuous; the germ is crowned by a border which resembles the upper part of a calyx. The Marsh-samphire, (Salicornia herbacea,) with a bushy stem about a foot high and flowers in a short spike, grows in salt marshes near the sea-coast. It has a saltish taste, and is used for pickling It has been supposed that this was the plant alluded to by Shakspeare in his description of the cliffs of Dover: "How dreadful, And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low! Hangs one that gathers Samphire: dreadful trade!" It is probable, however, that the poet here refers to the Sea-Sam phire, (Crithmum maritimum,) whose habit it is to grow on rocks near the sea; this, according to English botanists, is still found upon the Dover cliffs, from which those who gather it are let down in baskets. The Salicornia is found in great quantities on the coasts of the Mediterranean, where it is burned, and its ashes used in the manufacture of soda. It is also found at Onondaga Salt Springs. und on the sea-coast in North America. Although the plants of this class are so very limited in the northern countries, some of the most valuable vegetable productions of the tropical regions are found here. The Arrow-root, (Maranta arundinacea,) received its name from having been used by the Indians of South America, to extract the venom from wounds made by their poisoned arrows; from its roots, a substance is obtained, resembling starch, which is valued as nutritious for the sick. The Curcuma, sometimes called the Indian Crocus, furnishes from its root the tur meric imported from the East Indies; it is remarkable for the peculiar yellow colour of its bark, and is valuable as a chemical test of the presence of alkalies. It is an ingredient in the curry-powder. The ginger, whose root is so extensively used in cooking and in medicine, was first known to the Arabians, and called by them Zinziber, which is now generally received as its generic name, though * Although so destitute of other organs, it is called perfect, because it has stamens and pistils. + See Appendix, plate iii. fig. 4. + See also Appendix, plate vi. fig. 7. How many orders in the class Monandria ?-- Describe the Hippuris-Fig. 121– Marsh-Samphire-Arrow-root-Ginger. Linnæus called it Ammomum. It belongs to the Natural Order Canne, which embraces several genera of aromatic plants. The distinguishing marks of this natural family are an herbaceous stem, very broad leaves, a germ with three corners, and a liliaceous flower which is beautiful and fragrant. The red valerian (VALERIANA rubra) having but one stamen would belong to this class, but as other species of this plant have three stamens, this species is carried with the majority into the class Triandria. Order Digynia, Contains an American plant, BLITUM. At Fig. 121, c, is a flower of this genus; its calyx is deeply three-parted; it has no corolla; the germ resembles a berry, and is crowned by two styles, which give the plant its place in the order Digynia. Fig. 122. CLASS II. DIANDRIA. Order Monogynia. This, though more extensive than the preceding class, is somewhat limited. We can however, without difficulty, find examples for its illustration. The lilac (Syringa) is cultivated in all parts of our country, and is exceeded in beauty and fragrance by few ornamental shrubs. The corolla is salver form, or with a tube which spreads out into a flat, fourparted border. You might, at first view, suppose the corolla to consist of several petals, but if you attempt to pull them out, they will all come off together, and you will plainly perceive there is but one piece, or that it is monopetalous. In flowers of one petal, the stamens are generally fastened to the corolla; where there are several petals, the stamens are mostly attached to the receptacle. You will perceive in the lilac the two stamens standing opposite to each other, and fastened to the corolla. The form in which the blossoms are crowded together, forming a large bunch, is called a thyrse. d Fig. 122, a, represents a flower of the lilac; at b, is the same, cut lengthwise to show the two stamens. The lilac, although so common with us, is an exotic; the species most cultivated are the vulgaris or common, which has heart-shaped leaves, and the persica, or Persian, with narrower leaves. The Jasmine, of which twenty-eight species are said to have been discovered, is an exotic of this class. The prim or privet (Ligustrum) is found growing wild in some parts of New England; though, in general, it is seen but little in the United States, except when cultivated. In England it is planted for fences; as it grows rapidly, it soon becomes useful for this purpose, and with its green leaves and white flowers, gives to the farms an air of neatness and taste. The Sage, (Salvia,) on account of the form of the corolla, belongs to the natural family of the labiate flowers; these are, mostly, placed in the class Didynamia, having four stamens, two long and two short; but in some cases, the labiate flowers have but two stamens; this circumstance, according to the rules of classification, separates Valerian-Blitum-Class Diandria-Lilac-Jasmine-Sage. them from their natural family, and brings them under the class we are now considering. You may understand this better, if we compare it to taking a person from his relations, to place him among strangers. But this evil must sometimes be borne for the sake of some attendant good; we are also obliged to submit to the necessity of occasionally separating the flowers from their natural relations, because we cannot turn aside from our rules of classification to ac commodate a few plants which deviate from the ordinary laws of nature. The sage seems to have made an effort to escape this misfortune, for it seems almost to have attained four stamens, by doubling its filaments, but two of these having no anthers cannot be considered as stamens; therefore the plant falls back into the second class, and is placed by the side of the lilac, to which it has no kind of resemblance, except in its two stamens. This plant, however, is not the only one of the labiate flowers which is removed from its natural family in the 13th class; for the rosemary and the mountain-mint accompany it into the second class; but these have not the two imperfect filaments which were remarked in the sage. The genus Salvia contains one hundred and fourteen species; the one most commonly cultivated with us is the officinalis, a shrub-like, perennial plant; to this we give more particularly the name of sage. Another species of the same genus is the sclara, called Clarry; this has larger and broader leaves than the common sage; it is cultivated for its medicinal properties. A very small plant called Enchanter's night-shade, (Circæa,) may be found growing wild in shady places; it is a harmless, modestlooking plant, notwithstanding its name. It has a small white blossom, in the parts of which great uniformity as to number may be observed; it has two stamens, a corolla with two petals, a calyx with two sepals, capsule with two cells, each of which contains two seeds. (The symmetry of structure observable in the plant just described, is seen in many flowers; as those of two stamens often have this number in the other parts of the flower; the number is frequently doubled; as in the lilac, which has two stamens, and a four-parted corolla. In a plant with three stamens, the number three or six usually prevails in the divisions of the calyx, corolla, capsule, &c. A knowledge of this fact will assist you in determining the class of a plant; for example, if you have a flower whose calyx has five or ten divisions, and the corolla the same number, you may expect, if the flower is a perfect one, to find either five or ten stamens; or if the divisions of the flower be two, there will generally be two or four stamens; if three, either three or six stamens; if four, either four or eight stamens. The number five, as divisions of the calyx, corolla, and capsule, is generally united to five or ten stamens, and found in the fifth or tenth class. Another native plant of the second class, is the Veronica. Of the seventy species which this genus is said to contain, no more than six O eight are common to North America. The Veronica and the Circea both turn black when dried; although they do not add to the beauty of an herbarium, they are desirable in a collection of plants, as our country contains few specimens to illustrate the second class. At Fig. 122, c, is a representation of a flower of the Veronica; at 1, is the Circæa. Why is the sage removed from its place with the labiate flowers-Are there any marks of four stamens in the sage?-How many species of the genus Salvia ?-What two are mentioned in particular?-Enchanter's night-shade-What is observed repecting the symmetry of structure in many flowers?-Veronica. Among the exotics of this order we find a singular plant, peculiar to the East Indies, the NYCTANTHES arbor tristis, or sorrowful tree; its boughs droop during the day, but through the night they are erect, and appear fresh and flourishing. The Olive, (Oiea,) is common on the rocks of Palestine; it may now, according to the accounts of travellers, be found upon the same spot which was called, eleven centuries before the Christian era, the mount of Olives, or mount Olivet. Order Digynia. In the second order of this class is the sweet scented spring-grass (ANTHOXANTHUм odoratum,) which is found in blossom in May; to this grass the pleasant smell of new made hay is chiefly owing; its odour is like that of clover. This plant is separated by the artificial system from the other grasses, on account of its having but two stamens. This is the kind of grass used in this country as a sub stitute for the Leghorn grass, in the manufacture of hats. The first hat of the kind was made a few years since by an ingenious female in the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut; since which time, many hats, not inferior to the best Leghorn, have been made from the same material. The Catalpa, an elegant tree, with flat, cordate, or heart-shaped leaves, is indigenous to the Southern United States; its white flowers, striped with purple, grow in panicles similar to the Horse-chestnut. Only one species is found in North America. Order Trigynia. This order contains the genus PIPER, one species of which, the nigrum, is the common black pepper. The cayenne pepper belongs to the genus CAPSICUM, which is found in the eighth class. The flowers of the Piper genus have neither calyx nor corolla, but the fruit is borne on a spadix. We have in this lecture remarked upon the use of botanical terms; we have considered the few groups into which the classes of Linnæus may be arranged, with the names of the classes, and the characters of each ;—and have given a sketch of the two first classes, with some examples under each of their orders. In doing this, we have been obliged to pass by many plants which had an equal claim to notice, but as knowledge must be gained by the observation of particular cases, we have thus selected a few examples, in order that you may be prepared to examine the others with pleasure and advantage. LECTURE XXV. CLASS III.-TRIANDRIA. Order Monogynia. IN the first order of this class we find among our common exotics the Crocus, which is particularly interesting as being one of the earliest flowers of our gardens, not unfrequently blossoming in the neighbourhood of a snow-bank. It has a bulbous root, long and narrow leaves, a spatha, and six petals. Besides the CROCUS vernus, or spring crocus, which often appears even in our own climate as What is said of the Nyctanthes ?-Of the Olive?-Sweet scented spring-grass--Ca talpa-Pepper-Order Trigynia-Recapitulation-First order of the third class-Differ ent species of Crocus. early as March, there is of this genus a very distinct species, the CROCUS officinalis, or the true saffron, which appears among the late flowers of autumn. The following beautiful lines, respecting these flowers, are from the pen of one* whose early and fervent piety, marked him as a fit inhabitant of a purer sphere;-a Christian philosopher, he could see an invisible hand directing the operations of nature. 66 Say, what impels, amid surrounding snow The Iris, or Fleur-de-lis,† (pronounced by a corruption of the French language, flower-de-luce,) is very curious in its structure. It has no proper calyx, but a spatha; its corolla consists of six parts, alternately reflexed, or bent back, the pistil has three stigmas, which appear at first view like petals. The Iris is so named from Iris, the rainbow, on account of the various colours which it reflects, varying from different shades of purple, into blue, orange, yellow, and white. We have several native species of Iris, one of which, the common blue flag, is found in wet places. The flowers are purple, streaked with yellow; this is sometimes called Poison flag. The Crocus and Iris are found in the natural family of Jussieu called Irideœ; this family belongs to the division of monocotyledons, having sta Fig. 123. mens around the germ, or perigynous. Lin næus calls the same plants Ensate, from the Latin word ensis, a sword, on account of the shape of their leaves, which are long, narrow, and pointed. Fig. 123 represents the Ixia, (blackberrylily ;) a, is an entire flower; b, is the corolla cut lengthwise, to show the three stamens. The Ixia belongs to the same natural family as the Iris and Crocus. At c, is the flower of the matgrass, (Nardus,) having but one pistil; this is separated from the grass family, the greater part of which we shall meet with in the next order of this class. Order Digynia.-The Grasses. The 2d Order of the third class contains the family of the grasses, (Gramina ;) they are distinguished by a straight, hollow, and jointed stem, or culm; the long and linear leaves are placed at each joint of the stalk, in alternate order, enclosing it like a sheath The flower is found in what is called an ear or head; it consists of a corolla of two green husks, enclosed by a glume calyx of two husks or valves. These husks constitute the chaff, which is separated from the seed by an operation called thrashing. These little flowers are also furnished with a nectary; they are green, like the rest of the plant, and you will need a microscope to *Henry Kirke White. + See Appendix, Plate vi. Fig. 6. At Plate vi. Fig. 5, is another plant of this class and order. What is said of the Iris ?-In what natural families did Jussieu and Linnæus place the Crocus and Iris-Explain Fig. 123-Describe the grass family-The culm--glume. |