186 CLASS MOXffiCIA. 



important species, in a medicinal view, is the A. ser- 

 pentaria, or Virginia Snakeroot, the fibrous root of 

 which is highly aromatic ; it has a short erect zigzag 

 stem, set with cordate, oblong, acuminated leaves ; the 

 peduncles radical, and the lip of the corolla lance- 

 olate. — The A. Sipho, or Dutchman's pipe, from the 

 singular form of the corolla, produces woody and pro- 

 fusely spreading twining stems, with large heart-shap- 

 ed, acute, smooth leaves; the peduncles 1 -flow- 

 ered, and with an ovate bracte ; the corolla ascending 

 (brown), and the border slightly 3-lobed, and equal. 



In Dodecandria is now arranged the genus Asa- 

 rum, allied to the preceding. Our common species, 

 so similar to that of Europe (A. canadense), known 

 by the name of Indian-Ginger, has creeping, aromatic, 

 thick roots of nearly the same taste and smell with the 

 Snakeroot, from which arise clusters of very short 

 stems, each with two leaves ; in the centre of them 

 comes out an overshadowed brown flower, externally 

 hairy consisting merely of a campanulate, 3 or 4- 

 cleft calyx, without any corolla. The anthers have 

 the peculiarity of being adnate to about the middle of 

 the filaments. The capsule is inferior, 6-celled, and 

 crowned with the calyx. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



OF THE CLASS MONffiCIA. 



In this, and the following class, there exist two kinds 

 of flowers necessary to the perfection of the species. 

 The infertile ones are, of course, those which pro- 

 duce stamens only, and disappear without any suc- 

 ceeding fruit. We have, already, probably met with 

 occasional species in some of the preceding classes 

 whose flowers are in this condition. Such are all the 



