98 DIALYPETALOUS EXOGENS 



the ovary; pistils 2, united at base; capsule woody, 2-beaked, opening at summit, 

 2-celled below ; seeds bony, 1 in each cell; embryo surrounded by fleshy albumen. 



148. HAMAMEXIS, L. 



[Gr. Hama, with, or like, and melis, an apple-tree ; application not obvious.] 

 flowers in little axillary clusters, with an involucre of 3 scale-like 

 leaflets : calyx 4-parted, with 2 or 3 bractlets at base. Petals 4, long 

 and linear. Stamens 4, perfect and alternate with the petals, with 

 as many intervening scale-like staminodia. Capsule loculicidal r 

 opening elastically. 



1. H. Virginica, L. Leaves obovate or oval, sinuate-dentate, 

 subcordate at base, stellately pubescent. 

 VIRGINIAN HAMAMELIS. Witch-Hazel. 



Stem 6 to 10 or 12 feet high, with straggling flexuose or geniculate branches. 

 Leaves 4 to 6 inches long ; petioles about half an inch in length. Flowers greenish- 

 yellow, clustered in threes, on a common peduncle near half an inch long ; petals 

 narrow, linear, a little crisped, about % of an inch in length. Seeds black and 

 shining. 

 Hob. Moist woods, and thickets: frequent. Fl. Octo. Fr. Sept. the next year! 



Obs. The twigs of this native shrub have furnished a capital sub- 

 stitute for the Divining Rod, of Europe, with which crafty opera- 

 tors were wont to impose upon the credulous. 



ORDER XLIY. UMBELLIF'ERAE. 



Herbs; flowers in (usually involucrate) umbels; calyx-tube entirely adherent to the 

 ovary ; petals 5 ; stamens 5, inserted (alternately) with the petals, on the disk that 

 crowns the ovary and surrounds the base of the 2 styles; fruit consisting of 2 

 seed-like dry carpels;* seeds solitary, suspended; embryo minute, in the apex of 

 copious horny albumen. Stems usually hollow ; leaves alternate, generally much 

 dissected, exstipulate, but the petioles more or less dilated and sheathing at base. 



The plants of this Order are much less numerous in our country, than in the 

 old world. Of the 28 species here described, 9 have been introduced, and of these, 

 6 or 7 are cultivated. 



* The carpels of the umbelliferae are usually marked with a definite number of 

 longitudinal ribs, which are sometimes dilated into wings; the intervals, or chan- 

 nels, between the ribs as also the commissure (or face, by which the carpels are 

 joined) often contain one or more linear receptacles of aromatic oil, which re- 

 ceptacles are called vittae, or fillets. Those ribs on the carpels, are distinguished 

 into primary, and secondary. The primary ones (10 in number on the 2 carpels 

 or 5 on each,) are pretty constant, and more or less conspicuous, representing 

 the midribs and sutures of the 5 sepals, which, by their union, form the tube of the 

 calyx and coating of the fruit. The 5 ribs which answer to the midribs of the 

 sepals, are termed carinal ribs, and their extension at apex forms the 5 calyx- 

 teeth. Alternating with these primary ribs, there is sometimes a development of 

 secondary ones, which Prof. DE CANDOLLE regards as representing lateral nerves 

 (i. e. one on each side of the midrib) of the sepals. The ribs and vittae together 

 with the form, or manner of compression, of the fruit afford important aid in de- 

 termining the generic character of the plants of this remarkably natural family : 

 and consequently, the student, or young herborizer, should always bear in minti 

 that it is requisite to have specimens of umbettiferae with full-grown fruit. 



