DIRECTIONS FOR THE BEGINNER. 



After you have carefully examined the plant and at least mentally described every 

 part of it, read the first line of the key on the opposite page. If the sepals and petals 

 together number 8 or 10 — as is usually the case — then the plant belongs to CLASS I., 

 which refers us to the prominent heading below, under which we read, " Calyx and 

 corolla both present." If so, read the next line, which, we will suppose, does not fit our 

 plant ; then the petals must be united, and we turn to DIVISION 2, page 9, where we 

 are called upon to say whether the ovary is inferior or not. Suppose it is superior. 

 Turn, then, to *' B. Ovary superior." But our flower is one-sided, so, instead of 

 searching under " 1. Flowers regular or nearly so," we look ahead till our eyes 

 catch on page 10, the similar line, " 2. Flowers irregular : style 1 ; stigma en- 

 tire or 2-Iobed." Strangely enough there is but one style, and there are two flat stig- 

 mas. The leaves being opposite we pass the first line and try the next, having the same 

 marginal distance, reading, " Leaves opposite or whorled: stamens 2 or 4." Reading the 

 three lines under this head, beginning with the word "Ovary," we easily determine from 

 the negative evidence (the ovary not in 4 pieces; the flowers not small, or in spikes) that 

 the plaat belongs to the order Scrophulariaceae, page 93. We are there confronted 

 by another key. The leaves of our plant not being alternate, we must look junder " B." 

 Pleading the lines marked with asterisks we take the first, for our plant has 4 stamens. 

 We then read all the lines under this head and decide that our genus must be No. 10; 

 viz., " 10. MIMXILXJS, Linnaeus," which we find on page 98. Our plant, then, is one 

 of the 40 species of Mimulus there named. Fortunate indeed are we if it happens to be 

 one of the distinctly marked species like Mimulus glutinosus, the Shrubby Mimulus; or 

 Mimulus cardinalis, the Cardinal or Scarlet Mimulus. In any event we work with this 

 key as with the others. The chief heads are indicated by stars. Suppose the corolla is 

 yellow but the plant not viscid ; then it must be sought under the 6-starred head. Here 

 we must read all the lines beginning with " Leaves." Having reached a conclusion, we 

 look \jp the species under the number given at the end of the line ; say. No. 23, where 

 we find a few more words descriptive of Mimulus luteus. We next look in the index for 

 •'Mimulus " and there find a reference to p. 92 of the Popular Flora, where there is a 

 more ample description of the species. Finally we turn to the Glossary of Generic and 

 Specific Names, where we learn that mimulus means, ape, or mimic ; and luteus means, 

 yellow. Perhaps Linnaeus, who delighted in fanciful namei, saw in the gaping corolla a 

 monkey like grin. Since there are many yellow species now known, the name is not 

 significant ; but wo may call it the Common Yellow Mimulus, or Monkey Flower. 



