HEXANDRIA. 9 1 



parts of England. It exhibits a mode of fructification 

 scarcely to be paralleled among British plants. The 

 flowers appear very late in the autumn 3 the germen 

 afterwards remains latent underground, quite close to 

 its bulbous root, till the following spring, when the 

 seed vessel rises above the surface, with several long 

 upright leaves, and the seeds are ripened about June; 

 so that at first sight the seed would seem to be ripened 

 before the flower was produced 3 but on more ac- 

 curate investigation, it is found to conform, in common 

 with other plants, to the established laws of nature, 

 though in a manner unexpected, and almost peculiar 

 to itself. The juice of the root is so acrid, as to pro- 

 duce violent effects on the human constitution ; this 

 quality also prevents it from being eaten by subterra- 

 nean insects ; and thus the seed-vessel is protected 

 during the winter. 



Linnaeus observes that the defoliation of deciduous 

 trees is announced by the flowering of the Meadow- 

 Saffron ; of these, the Ash is the last that puts forth 

 its leaves, and the first that loses them. 



British Plants of this Order. 



Botanical Generic Names. Common Names. 



36 Rumex* 12 Dock 



l Tofieldia 1 Marsh Tofieldia 



3 Triglochiv 2 Arrow-grass 



3 Colchicum 1 Meadow Saffron 



1 Rumex ascetosa and acetosella have the stamina growing 

 on one plant and the pistilla on another, and therefore these two 

 species strictly belong to the Class Dioecia. 



