140 HEPTANDR1A. 



France and England. The Horse Chestnut is magnificent 

 from its size, and form, and when in blossom, few trees can 

 compare with it in beauty. The contrast between its spikes 

 of delicate white and pink flowers, and the deep green of its 

 noble digitated leaves, produces a charming effect. Consid- 

 ering the rapidity of its growth, and cleanliness, perhaps 

 there are few trees better adapted to avenue and street or- 

 nament than this. The nuts, or capsules, are large and ma- 

 hogany colored, and form a fine looking fruit. But its taste 

 is astringent and disagreeable, being obviously not formed for 

 the food of man. It is said, however, that deer eat them with 

 avidity, and that in Turkey they are ground, and mixed with 

 provender for the food of horses. 



GENUS Trientalis. Name, from the Latin, tricns, the 

 third of a thing ; but why so named no one seems to know. 

 Trientalis Americana, has oblong lanceolate leaves, which 

 grow in a whorl at the top of the stem. The plant is about 

 six inches high, and above the whorl of leaves ascends a 

 filiform peduncle, bearing a delicate white flower consisting 

 of seven ovate acuminate petals. The divisions of the ca- 

 lyx, the number of petals in the flower, and the number of 

 leaves in the whorl, are each most commonly seven. It is 

 common in damp woods, among Pine trees, and flowers in 

 May and June. 



ORDER II. DIGYNIA. Stamens 7. Styles 2. 



This order contains only one genus, Limeum, a poisonous 

 African plant. 



ORDER III. TETRAGYNIA. Stamens 7. Styles 3. 



This order contains two or three genera only, and these of 

 no use or interest. 



ORDER IV. HEPTAGYNIA. Stamens 7. Styles 7. 



GENUS Septas. Name, from septem, seven, by which 

 number it is well characterized. It is a little plant from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, with umbels of white flowers, each 

 flower having its calyx in seven segments, with seven petals, 

 seven germens, and consequently seven capsules. 



What is said of the horse chestnut, as an ornamental tree ? 



