ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 4 



in large quantity is essential to the admission of a family into his first group of polypetalous 

 plants, but in all his suhsequent ones this, the essence of his first, is sacrificed to the free or ad- 

 herent ovary, or the parietal or axillary position of the placentas, and these again in turn give 

 place to some other point of structure that might for the time happen to assume greater or less 

 importance in the author's estimation. By thus assigning different values at different times to 



the same organs. Dr. Liudley has, I concive, totally failed in the construction of a Natural 

 System of Hotany. 



Exogens have, with a few rare exceptions, dicotyledonous seed, Endogens monocofylednn- 

 )ne8, Acrogens are acotyledonous, hence the foundation of this system is essentially semi- 



ous on 



nal !)enig based on seminal structure. Why then,in the distribution of these primary classes into 

 minor suhdivisions or groups, have recourse to other organs, and these too of the most unsta- 

 ble kind, the presence or absence of one of the floral envelopes, or the union or freedom of its 

 parts, when he could equally well, if not better, have supplied himself with secondary characters 

 from the same organ that gave the primary— the seed ? 



In the discussion of the Affinities of almost every order reference is made to the structure 

 of the seed, whether albumenous or exalbumenous. Assuming that this character possesses 

 the hii^h value assigned to it. and I believe it does, a much better distribution would have been 

 into secondary groups depending, not upon the flowers being polypetalous, monopetalom or ?*«. 

 coyriple'e, l)ut upon the seed being exalbumenous, albumenous or sub-albumenous By this 

 course the high value originally attached to the structure of the seed would have been preserv- 

 ed and a uniform value assigned to its modifications. Characters taken from the flr.wer would 

 then, by having an equally uniform value assigned but of only secondary, in place of primarv 

 importance, have become much more useful in practice. Had this course been adopted I should 

 at once have subscribed to the separation of 'these orders, but so long as our arrangement de- 

 pend. for its primary divisions not on the albumenous or exalbumenous structure of the seed 

 but on the structure of the flower. I cannot subscribe to the logic of separating two orders' 

 closely associated by their floral arrangement because they differ in their seminal formation 

 J^orlhe.e reasons, which I have stated in detail because I think they involve an important 

 prniciiie m our attempts to construct a natural system of plants, I cannot adopt the reasoning 

 o Ur. I>'ndl»y in separating these two orders. I have already under fwoiUeae, indicated the 

 place which I tliink the order ought to occupy on account of the structure of their fruit wiih 

 out reference to that of the seed. * 



Gkoguaphical DisTi.iBUTioN. Nearly the wholc Order are nafives of America thosc found 

 in other countries are so generally naturalized plants that it is justly doubted whether there is 

 one exotic to America. 



Propkktirs and Uses. On this subject nothing very important is known The fruit of 



some of them are eatHble. that of Cactus opxntia beint? highly esteemed all over the South of 

 Europe, where it is known under the name of Indian Kig It is a fruit of ea.sy digestion and 

 on a.TCunt of the acidulous sacharine juice with vihich if abounds, is considered refreshini; and 

 very cooling. Some years ago the succulent stems of the same species were much emploxed in 

 thi? counry as a vegetable and as such were largely supplied to the shipping frequenting the port 

 as a means of preventing scurvy among the sailors, for which, its property of long remaining fre.h 

 and ffreen a<ImiraMy quHl.fi.s it. Of late years it has fallen into total disuse, perhaps from ihe 

 tacilily of procuring more palatable ones. 



It is narrnted that the leaf like stems of the common hedge Cactus when split through the 

 middle and applied to the skin acts in a few hours as an effectual rubifacieut, and is recommend 

 el as a remedy against gout, tooth ache, &c. Dr. Cletjhorn relates that in Minorca, he was 

 m the hahit of applying a to the chest in cases of Pluerisy, and with much relief to his nati 

 ents. h'imi'aily prepared it is applied to painful corns for the purpose of taking them out bv 

 the roots. This it effects by keeping them bathed in moisture for several dajs which complete 

 ly destroys them. A piece of adhesive plaster kept over a corn for several days produces the 

 same effect, by retaining the perspiration on the part. Directly, this or.ler contributes but httle 



to either the necessaries or luxuries of life, but indirectly, it does so extensively, by supply 



