THE MAGNOLIA FAMILY. 97 



The garden species of Papaveracea;, after the gaudy and offensive true poppies, 

 which comprehend numerous varieties of the Papdver somnifentm, the Papdver 

 Rhceas, the Papdver Orientdle, and the Papdver bractcdtum, though pretty 

 numerous as a list, are very Uttle in demand for general culture. The only 

 common one is the well-known annual with dazzling crocus-coloured flowers, 

 weak decumbent stems, and finely-divided leaves, called Chryseis or Eschseholtzia 

 Califdrnica. The calyx in this plant is pushed off by the expanding petals in 

 the shape of a candle extinguisher. The others are the yellow poppy-face or 

 Meconopsis Cdmbrica, (E. B. i. 66.) resembling a poppy except in colour; the 

 homed-poppies, which are different species of Glaucium ; ihe Sanguiridria or 

 blood root, so called from the resemblance of the root, when cut across, to a 

 bleeding wound, an elegant little white-flowered plant; the bane-berry or Actaa ; 

 (E. B. xiii. 018.) another pretty Californian, with lanceolate leaves, and flowers 

 of a delicate cream colour, called Platystlmon ; and a very curious little annual 

 called Hyptcoum procumbens. The common yellow horned-poppy, or Glaucium 

 luteum, is admirably figured in Curtis (iii. 49il), being a plant indigenous to our 

 sea coasts. 



VI.— THE MAGNOLIA FAMILY. Magnolideece. 



Noble and richly- foliaged trees of the East Indies and the warmer 

 parts of North America. Leaves large, alternate, simple, perfectly 

 smooth, and with their stipules curled inwards and covering the buds. 

 Flowers several inches across, solitary, strikingly beautiful, white, 

 purple, or orange-coloured, and generally fragrant. Stamens 50 to 

 100 ; ovaries equally numerous, and piled up in a cone-like manner. 

 The tulip-tree or Liriodendron, immediately known by its singular 

 leaves, which are as large as the palm of the hand, square at the top, and 



with the lower edge in two elegant curves, like a bracket, '• y ', 



occurs in every well-planted pleasure-ground ; and in the Botanic 

 Gardens is accompanied by two or three species of Magnolia, with 

 oval leaves, and white or purple corollas. Economically the family is 

 bitter, tonic, and aromatic, and in many cases useful for timber. 



VII.— THE TOUCH-ME-NOT FAMILY. Balsaminece. 



Herbaceous plants, from one to three feet high, the stems swollen 

 at the joints, and often succulent with watery juice. Leaves simple, 

 petiolate, undivided, oblong, ovate, or lanceolate, toothed, and usually 



9 



