NATURAL FAMILIES. 187 



their petals at the setting of the sun, and expanding them with 

 its rising. The poet Chaucer, who lived in the fourteenth 

 century, is said to have first noticed this circumstance, and to 

 have called the flower Day's-eye. The French name for the 

 daisy is La belle Margarite. 



CLASS 11. 



Corolla monopetalous, epigynous (above the germ). Anthers 

 distinct. 



The most important family in this class is the Rubiacea, in 

 which we find the Peruvian bark, (Cinchona,) a native of 

 South America ; it was discovered by the Jesuits, and by them, 

 introduced into France towards the middle of the eighteenth 

 century. It was at first called Jesuit's bark. Some of the 

 French chemists have recently discovered in this bark two 

 alkaline principles, which they call quinine and cinchonine ; 

 these alkalies united to sulphuric acid, forming sulphates, are 

 found to be of great use in medicine. 



The family Rubiacece contains some other valuable medi- 

 cinal plants';' and some which are of great use in dyeing, as 

 the Rubia tinctoria, which gives to wool a fine red colour. 

 This family contains a genus very common in our fields, the 

 Galium, and some other important genera, not distinguished 

 by striking peculiarities of natural character. 

 CLASS 12. 



Corolla polypetalousj stamens epigynous (above the germ). 



This class presents us with one important family, the Umbel- 

 late ( Umbelliferce). 



The plants of this natural family are found in the artificial 

 class Pentandria ; they derive their name from the Latin word 

 umbella, an umbrella, on account of the manner in which the 

 peduncles or flower stalks extend from the main stem. 



The umbellate plants are mostly herbaceous ; those which 

 grow on dry ground are aromatic, as dill, fennel, and caraway ; 

 those which grow in wet places, or the aquatic species, are 

 among the most deadly poisons, as water-hemlock, &c. Plants 

 of this family are not, in general, so beautiful to the sight, or 

 so interesting, as objects of botanical analysis, as many 

 others.* 



* " Botanists in general shrink from the study of the Umbelliferse ; nor have 

 these plants much beauty in the eyes of amateurs ; but they will repay th 

 trouble of a careful observation. The late M. Cusson, of Montpelier, bestow- 

 ed more pains upon them than any other botanist has ever done ; but the world 



Characters of Class 11 Rubiacea? Peruvian bark What two alkaline 

 principles obtained from it ? What term is given to these alkalies when 

 united with sulphuric acid ? Other genera in the family Rubiaeese Charac- 

 ters of Claas 12Umbellifer8e. 



