ORDER DECANDRIA. 251 



port of gratitude, and thanked the Author of Nature for thus 

 beautifying the earth. 



A class called Polydelphia, or many brotherhoods, having 

 stamens united in more than two sets, was formerly admitted, 

 but it was thought to be unnecessary, and the genera which it 

 contained have been transferred to the class Polyandria ; the 

 St. John's wort (Hypericum), is among the plants whioh were 

 in the rejected class ; this Has its numerous stamens in three 

 clusters, not united by their filaments ; but even all the species 

 of the Hypericum are not thus divided into separate parcels 

 of stamens. This distinction, as the character of a class, is 

 very properly laid aside ; and the plants which were in the 

 former 18th class Polydelphia (many brotherhoods), are now 

 placed in the 12th class Polyandria (many stamens}. 



In the last two lectures, you will recollect we have treated 

 of two classes distinguished by the union of their filaments. 

 In one class, Monadelphia, the general character was that of 

 filaments united in one set forming a tube ; the orders of this 

 class were founded on the number of stamens, and bore the 

 same names as those classes which are founded on a similar 

 circumstance in respect to the stamens. In this class, no par- 

 ticular form of the corolla was found to be general, unless we 

 except the last order, in which the hollyhock flowers may serve 

 as an example ; having a double calyx of an unequal number 

 of divisions, a corolla of five heart-shaped petals, united into 

 one piece around the column, formed by the united filaments. 



In the other class, Diadelphia, we found the marks of dis- 

 tinction to be, 



1st. The union of the filaments into two sets, 



2d. The butterfly-shaped corolla ; and, 



3d. The nature of the fruits"; consisting of that kind of pod 

 called a legume, and thus forming one great natural family of 

 Leguminous plants, which furnish many of the most delicious 

 table vegetables ; such as peas, beans, &c. 



The orders of this class are founded on the same circumstance 

 in respect to the stamens, which distinguishes those of the 

 preceding class. 



We make these recapitulations because it is always impor- 

 tant in the consideration of a subject, to have a few clear ideas 

 before you leave it ; this is better than a great many imperfect 

 or confused ones. It would, therefore, be well in all your 

 studies, when you have read upon a subject, to ask yourselves 

 what are the main points to be remembered ; and you will 



Class Polydelphia, why rejected Recapitulation Uses of recapitula- 

 tions. 



