NATURAL FAMILIES. 181 



ved from the Greek polus, many, added to gonu, knot, signify- 

 ing many knots, in allusion to its knotted stems. 



CLASS 7. 



Apetalous, stamens hypogynous (beneath the germ). 



The most important characters of this class are a calyx in- 

 ferior ; scarcely any corolla, though some have scales resem- 

 bling petals, which bear, the stamens and are alternate with 

 them. In this class we find the family Amaranthi, deriving 

 its name from the genus amaranthus, which has its flowers 

 growing in a spike. 



CLASS 8. 



Corollas monopctalous, hypogynous (below the germ). 



The calyx is monophyllous ; corolla regular or irregular, 

 bearing the stamens, which generally alternate with its seg- 

 ments, when of equal number : germ superior. 



The labiate flowers (Labiata), are found here ; they are 

 monopetalous, consisting of one piece; they. are irregular in 

 their outline and appearance. The term Labiate is derived 

 from the Latin word labia, lips ; the flower appearing to be 

 divided at the top into two parts, resembling the lips of an ani- 

 mal. This natural family is subdivided into ringent or gaping, 

 where the entrance into the corolla is open ; and personate or 

 masked, where the corolla seems closed by a prominent throat 

 or palate. 



Botanists have made some confusion in the use of these terms. 

 Linnaeus called them all ringent, and then subdivided them into 

 labiate, having lips ; and personate, closed lips : most other 

 botanists, following him, have made the same division. You 

 can easily see, that to take for a general term, a word which 

 signifies having a gaping mouth or lips, and then to separate 

 the class thus formed into those which have lips, and those 

 which have lips closed, is inconsistent. Thus instead of follow- 

 ing a rule with regard to definitions, that as we proceed in 

 more minute divisions, each branch is to contain all the quali- 

 ties of the whole, or of the generic term, and some property 

 added to mark a specific difference ; in this case, the specific 

 term labiate has a more general signification than the generic 

 term ringent. 



We shall consider Labiate as the general term, and divide 

 this tribe of plants into ringent, those that have lips gaping ; 

 and personate, such as have the lips closed or muffled.* 



* See Eaton's Botanical Grammar, for the same distinction ; also Thornton's 

 Botany. 



Characters of class 7th Amaranthi Of class 8th Family Labitse Two 

 divisions, ringent and personate. 



16 



