2 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 
sible qualities, the Ranunculacee have many structural affinities ; their numerous carpels, the 
number of their floral divisions, indefinite stamens, and the analogous habit observed in many 
species of both orders, all indicate this relationship; but, they are at once distinguished by the 
petals and stamens in Rosacew, being inserted on the calyx, or perigynous, while in Ranuncula- 
cew, they are both inserted under the ovaries, or, hypogynous. 
lany other analogies might be indicated, hut enough has been said to show the absolute 
necessity of attending to every point of structure in determining the order of any plant under 
examination, for, the order once ascertained, it is in general a comparatively easy task to make 
out the genus: one, and not the least of the advantages which the natural method possesses 
over the artificial, or sexual, system ; as in it, a glance often serves to ascertain the class and 
order of a plant, but leaves the difficulty of determining the genus little of all diminished, 
while in all cases of departure from the regular form, such as the addition or suppression of a 
stamen or pistil, not a very rare occurrence, the Botanist unacquainted with the laws which 
give rise to, and regulate these metamorphosées, has no guide to direct him, where else in the 
system, to look for the plant under investigation. With the view therefore of facilitating the 
determination of orders, I shall usually append a summary of the essential characters of each ; 
promising, however that these. summaries must be received with considerable latitude, as it 
is often impossible to compress within a few words even the leading characters only: but they 
may serve as helps, by directing attention to those points of structure which are considered es- 
sential to the order. : ae 
_. Essentian Cuaracter. Flowers polypetalous, polyandrous, ovaries wholly superior : leaves 
without stipules ; seeds without an aril, with copious fies men. A few have definite 
stamens, and Clematis, Thalictram, and some others, are without petals; but agree in all 
other respects with the characters indicated, | 
Grocrapuicat Disrripution. As already stated this considering its gre 
: = td ; at extent 
in @remarkable degree an extra-tropical order. A few only are found in Fuidia = within’ the 
learn by analogy those of a whole order, a sort of alebriacal method, if I 
self, of studying vegetable physiology, which has within the last few yea 
important discoveries in that ‘scienc is is no | i 
