ARTIFICIAL KEY TO THE FAMILIES OF PLANTS, 



AND TO THE EEMAEKABLE AND EXCEPTIONAL SPECIES DESCRIBED IN THIS VOLUME. 



PRELIMINAKY CLASSIFICATION. 



I. — Perfect or Floioering Plants. 

 A. — Flowers Complete, and truly or apparently Compound, consisting of numerous 

 smaller flowers standing side by side in a basket or " anthodium," and with 

 the anthers united (except in Petasites). 

 Ovary one-seeded (true compound flowers) — The Daisy family, p. 290. 

 Ovary many seeded; flowers blue — Jasione, p. 287. 



B. — Flowers Complete and Simple. If many together in a basket, the anthers 

 not united. 



* 

 Flowers consisting of a distinct perianth, which is perfectly regular, or with the 

 sepals and petals respectively of equal size and shape. In a very few 

 cases the sepals are rather unequal, and sometimes a calyx only is 

 present. Either stamens or pistils, in a perfect state, always present, 

 and usually both stamens and pistils. 

 + Not more than 10 stamens. 



Flowers trimerous, p. 58. 

 Flowers tetramerous, p. 59. 

 Flowers pentamerous. 



Stamens exactly 10, p. G2. 

 Stamens exactly 5, p. 63. 

 Stamens 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, or 9, p. 65. 

 ft More than 10 stamens (usually a considerable number), p. 66. 

 f+f Stamens absent ; ovary alone present, p. 68. 



** 

 Flowei's with a distinct perianth, which, as in the preceding section, is usually 

 composed of both calyx and corolla, but in form irregular, i. c., the 

 component pieces of different shapes and sizes. Stamens and pistils 

 both present, either in the same flower or in separate flowers, p. 69. 



C. — Stamens and pistils protected by simple scales or bracts, usually very few in 

 number, or even solitary ; often exceedingly minute, and sometimes 

 altogether wanting, p. 71. 



D. — " Double flowers," p. 73. 



II. — Imperfect or Floiverless Plants, p. 75. 



