CLASS POLVANDRIA. 115 



merous, and hispid, are attached all round the interior 

 base of the calyx. With some of the principal traits 

 of the other Polygynous genera you are already par- 

 tially acquainted in a former chapter. To these we 

 may odd the character of the Calicanthus, Sweet- 

 Shrub, or Carolina Allspice bush, whose flower, in 

 many respects, resembles that of the Cactus, being 

 composed of a superior, somewhat urceolate, many 

 parted calyx, the segments squarrose, in several 

 series, colored and petaloid ; no corolla ; many 

 styles ; the seeds numerous and naked, included in 

 a venticose, succulent calyx. This genus, in fact, 

 forms the type of a natural order apart, but deserves 

 to be compared with the Cacti. All the species of 

 this North American genus are shrubs with campho- 

 rated roots ; opposite broad leaves, scabrous on the 

 upper surface ; with terminal, and lateral, sessile, brown 

 flowers, giving out, towards evening, principally, a de- 

 lightful odor Tike that of strawberries or ripe apples. 



CHAPTER XX. 



OF THE CLASS POLYANDRIA. 



The class Polyandria, like the preceding, has an 

 indefinite number of stamens, namely, from 15 or under, 

 to 1000 ; but instead of growing out from the sides of 

 the calyx, they originate on the common receptacle 

 beneath the germ, as you will readily perceive by ex- 

 amining the flower of a Poppy, which has a caducous 

 or quickly falling calyx of 2 leaves ; a corolla (when 

 not double) of 4 petals ; and a roundish, large capsule 

 without any valves, but, internally, divided into as 

 many cells as there are rays in the many-toothed, dis- 

 coid stigma. The sides of the capsule, on drying, 



