246 DODECANDRIA. 
SEEDS many, globila, but depressed, encompassed by a 
border, with a notch in it. 
Oss. This genus is distinguished from the Cerastium, by the 
entire petals. Spergula pentandra has only 5 stamens, Liny. 
CLASS XI. 
: DODECANDRIA. 
————— 
Atrsoucr the name given to this Class would induce 
one to suppose that the flowers arranged under it contained = 
~ only 12 stamens, it is in fact an assemblage of plants whose 
flowers contain from 11 to 19 stamens, inclusive. uch 
as contain fewer than 11, where the character depends | 
upon number only, will be found in some of the preceding 
Classes, and nok as have more than 19, in the class Icos- 
andriaor Polyandria, ts ‘4 
_ The Evprorsta, or Spurge, is the most difficult gent 
in this Class, caused by the number of stamens being — 
uncertain, those which do exist standing forth only a few 
at a time, and the effusion of milky juice which makes — 
the dissection of the flowers very difficult to accomplish. ~ 
But this very milky juice which abounds in all our specie’) __ 
and the peculiar habits of the plants is such, that the young 
Botanist will soon learn to distigitnet the genus at fist 
ae and the different species by attending closely to the 
subdivisions of the genus, and to the following circum 
stances, fie Oe 
‘Root be annual, biennial, or perennial. mde 
Stem be naked, cylindrical, or angi 
Leaves be opposite or alternate; and @ 
what. shape. oe hee 
Umbel be cone or partial ; 
Whether the ¢ 22d subdivisions; and the 
partial involucrums. "eh 
Flowers have only stamens, or both — a 
mens and pistils, | es a 
Petals be entire, crescent-shaped, or hant= 
shaped, &c. et es 
_ Capsules be hairy, warty, or smooth, 
