Linnean System of Plants. 



161 



bark. In the preparation of flax it is necessary to macerate 

 and steep it in water ; which renders the water so poisonous 

 to cattle, that an act was passed, in the reign of Henry the 

 Eighth, prohibiting the steeping of flax in any public stream 

 or pond. 



The sixth order, Hexagynia, contains only one genus, sun- 

 dew (Drosera); formerly ranged, very improperly, in the 

 fifth. The leaves of this plant are set with a number of red 

 hairs, bending inwards, which discharge each a drop of viscid 

 acrid fluid : these little globules, shining in the sun, explain 

 the appellation of sun-dew. Insects are frequently imprisoned 

 by these hairs, and by their juice. Some persons believe that 

 they are irritable, and contract when touched, so as to hold 

 their little prisoners more securely. 



The seventh order, Polygynia, consists of three genera, 

 plants of no great note, of which Britain furnishes one species, 

 the mousetail (Myosurus minimus). It may generally be 

 observed, throughout all the classes, that the pistils seldom 

 exceed the stamens in number. 



Having thus cursorily considered the fourth and fifth classes, 

 we will examine one or two plants attentively, before we pro- 

 ceed further. Fig, 45. represents a sprig 

 of a plant in its perfect state, together 

 with the several parts of the dissected 

 flower ; and I beg of the reader to 

 compare these parts with the passages re- 

 ferring to them. Let us suppose that we 

 have just gathered this plant; how shall 

 we ascertain what it is ? The first thing 

 to be considered is the class ; and, to find 

 this, we must count the stamens : there 

 are four ; the class is Tetrandria, We 

 must now see how many pistils there are ; 

 and as the pistils usually remain in the 

 calyx, and the stamens are attached 

 to the corolla, we will remove the corolla, that we may not 

 confuse them together. The corolla comes off" in one piece, 

 bringing the stamens with it (Jb) : the flower is monopeta^ 

 lous. There is one style remaining in the calyx : it has two 

 germs (below the calyx), between which the style is inserted 

 (c) ; but this, we are to remember, is but one pistil, since 

 we reckon from the base of the style, and many pistils have 

 a plurality of germs: the order, therefore, is Monogy?iia* 

 We will now turn to this class and order in the English Flora 

 (a book which no botanist or botanical student should be with- 

 out), and we shall find there twenty-three genera; but. these 



