SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



genus ScoUopuf.. Turning- to the description of the only species de- 

 scribed, we find it satisfactory. Upon referring,' to the Glossary of 

 Generic and Specific Names in the back part of the book, we find wliy 

 the plant was named Scoliopus Bir/doviL 



This piotm-e represents part of a plant "wliose yello\v' 

 flowers are among the first to greet the new year. 

 It is sliown as it wouM ap-pear if cut down througli 

 the center after removing most of the outer leaves. 

 The leaves and flowers all grow from the flat sunnnit 

 of a tliick root-stock. It will be noticed that the 

 buds are younger as the center is approached. Possi- 

 bly you have tried to analyze one of these flowers. 

 If so, you probably got on nicely till you tried tO' 

 find the ovary. I hope you kept searching and at 

 last felt the satisfaction which rewards the discoverer. 

 Howevcr, you can determine the name, and thus 

 have the book tell you where the ovary is. The 

 poorest eyes can see that the leaves are all radical; 

 that the four divisions of the calyx are reflexed; thfcf. 

 four broad petals and eight stamens grow upon rt;; 

 and that there is one pistil whose slender style bears 

 a globose stigma. You can not doubt that the plant 

 is to be sought under B., in Division 1, but you are 

 unable to say wliether the ovary is superior or not. 

 In such a case, search first for the order under the 

 head "Ovary Stpekior;" and, if not satisfied 

 there, try the head "Ovary and Fruit Inferior..'^ 

 .Since there is but one pistil, you look under " * * Pls^ 

 fil oiili/ one." The plant is not a shrub, so you next 

 stop at "ft //p/V;.s-." The first division iinderthis is 

 tlie only one admissible, because the leaves are all 

 radical. But in no case under this head is the num- 

 ber of stamens eight. We therefore try the sub- 

 head '"2. Ovary and Friit Inferior," etc. It is 

 evident that the descriptive line, "Parts of the flower 

 mostly in 4's, " etc., is the only one that fits our 

 jtlant, so we turn to p. 59, where we find nothing in 

 the description of the order Onagraceaj to rule our 

 plant out. The lines descriptive of the genera are 

 all unsuited to our i)laiit, excc]>t one, which refers us to the genus fEnothera, the de- 



