CLASS POLYANDRIA. 119 



too common in sandy soils, and in (he latter part of 

 summer seems to grow up like a Hydra. Its flowers, 

 small and yellow, are seldom open, and with the sta- 

 mens, sensitive like those of the Cactus, frequently 

 close at the touch. The calyx is inferior, and bifid ; 

 the petals 5; the capsule 1-celled, opening across in- 

 to 2 cups or hemispheres. The numerous seeds are 

 attached to an unconnected 5-lobed receptacle. 



The Nymphrm, or Pond-lily, the type of the Nym- 

 PHiEACEJE, is one of our most beautiful aquatics, send- 

 ing up numerous floating, roundish, heart-shaped leaves; 

 and scapes, each terminated by large showy flowers ; 

 having a 4 or 5-leaved calyx, and many rows of large 

 petals inserted upon the germ. The filaments appear 

 as so many narrower and inner petals adnate to the 

 anthers, the cells of which are thus, often, widely sep- 

 arated. The stigma is discoid, radiated like that of 

 the Poppy, and the unopening capsule or succulent 

 pericarp contains as many cells as there are rays in 

 the stigma ; the seeds are numerous. 



In the order Di-Pentagynia, or that of flowers 

 with from 2 to 5 pistils, will be found Delphinium, or 

 the genus of the Larkspur, of the natural order Ra- 

 nunculace^. There appears to be no calyx ; a co- 

 rolla of 5 petals, and an inner set, or lepanthium of 2 

 recurved, and pedunculated petal-like processes in the 

 Aconite or Monkshood ; but of only one sessile, but 

 bifid petal, continued backwards into a spur in the 

 Larkspur. The common garden species has but one 

 capsule ; but some of the native species, not very com- 

 mon plants, have as many as 3. 



In the Columbine {Aquilegia), belonging to the 

 same natural family with Delphinium, there is a 

 5-leaved, petaloid calyx ; and 5 very singular, holiow, 

 tubular petals, or rather lepanthia, terminating below 

 in spurs or horns containing honey. The capsules 



