216 CLASS PENTANDRIA. 



LECTURE XXVI. 



CLASS PENTANDRIA continued. 

 Order Digynia. 



IN this order of the fifth class is the family Gentiana, which 

 affords some delicate flowers, as well as medicinal plants. The 

 fringed gentian is a beautiful plant with a blue flower. This 

 genus sometimes presents an irregularity in the number of sta- 

 mens. The pigweed (Chenopodium), notwithstanding the 

 low esteem in which it is usually held, you will see, is dignifi- 

 ed with a long and high sounding name. Shakspeare says, 

 " A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet ;" so, not- 

 withstanding its great name, the pigweed is a very uninterest- 

 ing plant ; it is grouped by natural characters with the beet 

 and dock, flowers which are destitute of beauty. 



The Umbellate plants which belong to the order and class 

 we are now considering, have already been described under 

 the 12th class of Jussieu's arrangement. Parsley, fennel, &c. 

 belong to this natural family. The water cow-bane (CICUTA 

 virosa), grows in ponds and marshes, and is a deadly poison. 

 Cows are often killed in the spring by eating it ; but as the 

 summer advances, the smell becomes stronger, and they care- 

 fully avoid it. Linnaeus relates, that in a tour made into Lap- 

 land for scientific purposes, he was told of a disease among 

 the cattle of Torneo, which killed a great many of them in 

 the spring, when they first began to feed in the pastures. The 

 inhabitants were unable to account for this circumstance ; but 

 the Swedish botanist, examining the pastures, discovered a 

 marsh where the CICUTA virosa grew in abundance ; he ac- 

 quainted the people with the poisonous qualities of the plant, 

 and thus enabled them to provide against the danger, by fencing 

 in the marsh. 



Among the Umbellate plants is the Poison- Hemlock (CONI- 

 UM maculalum), which has a peculiarly unpleasant, nauseous 

 smell ; its stalk is large and spotted, from whence its specific 

 name maculatum, which signifies spotted. This plant is suppo- 

 sed to be the poison so fatally administered by the Athenians, 

 to Socrates and Phocion. 



Before we leave the Umbellate plants, as they are not so 

 simple of analysis as many others, we will present you with a 



Gentianae Pigweed Umbellate planU Water Cowbane Poison Hem 

 lock. 



