IBS' Introdzictory Fiew of the 



are ranged under five different heads, or sections, by which 

 our enquiry will be greatly facilitated. The first section has 

 ** flowers, monopetalous, superior, and single-seeded." Our 

 plant, as we have seen, has two seeds. The second section 

 has " flowers moiiopetalous, superior, and two-seeded." The 

 plant is in this section ; and, by attention to these characters, we 

 have reduced the number of genera, in which we have to seek 

 it, from twenty-three to four. We had before us one plant, the 

 name and character of which was to be discovered among fifty 

 thousand ; and, within a few minutes, we have (thanks to the 

 illustrious Swede) been able to reduce that number within this 

 small compass ! When we think of this, we cannot suf- 

 ficiently admire the accurate judgment and patient investigation 

 which earned for us this power. Nor is it to Linnaeus alone 

 that we are indebted, since, though he was the founder of this 

 admirable system, the number of plants classed by him has 

 been quadrupled since his time ; and many zealous naturalists 

 have devoted their time, health, and money to the discovery 

 of the natural productions of foreign countries. But we are 

 leaving our plant to wither ; and we have yet to learn to which 

 of these four genera it belongs. — " Rubia, Corolla bell- 

 shaped," &c. We need not proceed with this, for it cannot be 

 the right ; we will try the next. — ** Galium, Corolla flat, fruit 

 dry." This answers to it very well. We will turn to the full 

 description of this genus, and compare it further. " Calyx 

 superior, very minute, with four teeth {d) ; corolla monopeta- 

 lous, wheel-shaped *, in four deep, acute, often long-pointed 

 segments, without a tube {b) ; filaments, from the base of the 

 corolla, awl-shaped, shorter than the limb f {e) ; anthers of two 

 round cells [f) ; germs inferior, of two combined globes {c) ; 

 style thread-shaped, the length of the stamens, cloven at least 

 half way down (g) ; stigma capitate % (Ji); seeds two, naked, 

 combined, globular, not crowned by the calyx {i) ; flowers 

 terminal or lateral ; the skin of the seed either smooth, granu- 

 lated, or bristly." 



These characters perfectly describe the plant before us ; it 

 is a Galium. But there are seventeen British Galiums. We 

 must next ascertain the species. The genus is ranged under 

 two divisions ; the species which have smooth, and those which 

 have bristly^ fruit. Of the latter there are but two ; and as 



f * A wheel-shaped corolla is monopetalous, with little or no tube, and the 

 limb spreading horizontally. 



t The limb is what is sometimes called the border, or margin : it is the 

 spreading part of a flower, above the tube, cup, or bell, which composes the 

 lower part. 



;, % Capitate signifies headed; having a little head, or knob, like a pin. 



