'20 BOTANY FOR REGINNEIts. j Cll. XX 



which is said to be of Indian origin, the plant being a native ol 

 the West Indies. It is placed in the class and order we are 

 now considering, because it has but one stamen and one pistil. 

 Its flowers are beautiful, and highly odoriferous. It is the root 

 of this plant which affords the ginger powder, so much u^ed in 

 making gingerbread, beer. &c. The roots are first dried, then 

 ground ; but impositions are often practised by mixing some 

 less valuable substance with the ground ginger. It is therefore 

 best to buy it in the root. The fresh root of ginger is made into 

 sweetmeats in the West Indies ; these are often brought to the 

 United States, and kept by nice housekeepers in order to add a 

 flavour to other preserves. 



511. ORDER 2. DIGYNIA; this has one stamen, and two pis- 

 tils. We here find Blitum; it has no corolla. Look at Fig. 

 72, at c you will find a representation of this flower ; its calyx 

 is deeply three parted ; the germ resembles a berry, and is 

 crowned b^ the two reflexed styles. 



CLASS II. DIANDRIA. Two stamens. 



Order Monogynia, one pistil. 



512. For an example in this class and order, you have here 

 a representation of the blossom of the Lilac, of which the sci- 

 entific name is Syringa, said to be derived from a Turkish 

 word signifying pipe, the stems of pipes being sometimes made 

 of the roots of the plant. 



511. What is the name of the 2d order, and what plant is described 

 under it '? 



512. What plant is spoken of vnder the 1st order of the class Dian- 



dria? 



