THE POLYPETAL.E 75 



its spike of blue^ flowers and its digitate leaves, these 

 being spread out like the fingers on the liand. 



One species {L^ipinus alb us) was cultivated by the 

 ancients on account of the food value of its seeds, and 

 in France this species is cultivated to-day in order to 

 supply food for sheep. Some species of Lupin are, how- 

 ever, indubitably poisonous, and therefore experiments 

 on this species with the view of increasing our supj^ly 

 of food or fodder should only be undertaken by experts. 



Scarlet Eunner (Phaseolus multiflorus). — The root 



is poisonous. 



Yellow Vetchlixg (Lathy vus A 2^haca).—'£\ie seeds 



have been known to cause headache and vomiting. 



>Ielilot {Melilotus Ojffici7ialis).— From this plant was 

 prepared an old-f^ishioned but now almost obsolete remedy 



for rheumatism. 



In the lists of plants used by herbalists only three of 

 the Leguminosoe appear, viz. Broom, Melilot, and Fcenu- 

 greek. With regard to the last-named, Mr. Holmes states 

 that it is doubtful whether it would pay to cultivate it 

 in this country, though it grows readily here. Its habitat 



is West Asia. 



Rosaceae. — This important order contains the vast 

 majority of our fruits, such as Apple, Pear, Strawberry, 

 Cherry, &c. As is shown below, it contains wdthin its 

 fold also a few medicinal, as well as a few poisonous 

 plants. The recognition of uienibers of this order is not 

 always easy. Al^the flowers have free petals, numerous 

 stamens, just as the Ranunculacese have, but in the 

 Rosacea the perigynous condition always holds (see 

 fig. T for explanation). Sometimes the perigyny is 

 tlifRcult to distinguish from hypogyny. For example, 

 the Water Avens (Rosacea;) would by most beginners 

 be placed among the Ranunculacese. It is a good rule 



1 Sometimes white, yellow, or lilac. 



