CLASS TETRADYNAMIA. 



243 



upon these plants, you can consult remarks on the Labiate 

 flowers. i 



Angiospermia. 



The 2d order contains those plants which have their seed 

 covered, or in a capsule ; the seeds are numerous. Plants of 

 this order appear to have an affinity with some families of the 

 class Pentandria. Many have, in addition to the four stamens, 

 a fifth filament, which appears to be the rudiment of another 

 stamen ; sometimes the irregular corolla varies into a regular 

 form with five divisions. Among those which exhibit the im- 

 perfect fifth stamen, are the Trumpet-flower, Foxglove, and 

 Penstemon. 



In this order the personate corollas are to be found, or such 

 labiate flowers as have closed lips. Fig. 117, c, represents a 

 flower of this kind; at d, is the pistil, shewing the capsule, or 

 that the seeds are angiospermous. It should be observed that 

 not all the flowers of this order are labiate ; some few may be 

 found with bell-form, and funnel-form corollas. Plants of this 

 order differ much in their natural characters, from those of the 

 order Gymnospermia. None of them are used in preparations 

 for food, as are the Thyme and Savory of the first order, but 

 many of them possess powerful medicinal properties, as the fox- 

 glove (Digitalis), and the cancer root (Epiphegus). They are 

 in general a beautiful collection of plants ; few flowers are 

 more splendid than the Gerardia and the Trumpet flower. 

 These flowers are found in the natural order Personate, of 

 Linnseus. 



As plants of this class are numerous in every part of the 

 United States, you will have no difficulty in procuring them 

 for analysis ; they are not usually found in blossom until the 

 middle of summer. 



CLASS XIV TETRADYNAMIA. 



Fig. 118. 



In this class we find the cruciform 

 plants, or such as have four petals in 

 the form of a cross ; the stamens are 

 six, four of which are longer than the 

 remaining two ; the calyx has four 

 leaves. The orders in this class are 

 two, depending on the comparative 

 length of the pods ; this distinction is 

 not so definite as that which marks the 

 orders of the class Didynamia. Plants 

 of this class are not poisonous ; many 

 of them furnish us with useful food. 



Order Angiospermia Class Tetradynamia General Character. 



