SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



in this order, though some botanists have sug- 

 gested the removal of the latter plant to the class 

 DIDYNAMIA, because, in addition to the two perfect 



Trigynia. Digynia. Monogynia. 



stamens, there are the rudiments of two others in 

 the flower. 



III. TRIANDRIA. Almost all the grasses, 

 including the grain-bearing cereals, are found 



Trigynia. 



Digynia. Monogynia. 



in this class. The crocus, corn-flag, and iris, and 

 many allied foreign genera, also belong to it 



IV. TETRANDRIA. Flowers with four stamens 

 of equal length. The equal length of the stamen 

 should be specially kept in mind, because the four- 

 teenth class (DIDYNAMIA) has also four stamens, 

 but of these two are longer than the others. Many 

 of the genera of this class are beautiful shrubs and 



<t 



Tetragynia. 



Digynia. 



Monogynia. 



trees, chiefly natives of the Cape of Good Hope 

 and Australia as the Proteas, Hakias, Banksias, 

 and the splendid waratah or Telopia speciosissima. 

 The common pond-weeds (Potamogetori), the 

 bed - straws (Galiutri), and the Lady's - mantle 

 (Alchemilla), also belong to this class. 



V. PENTANDRIA. The curious Stapelia, bear- 

 ing flowers of uncommon character both in shape 



Digynia. Monogynia. 



and colour, and moreover diffusing a scent so 



Tetragynia. 



loathsome, that blow - flies lay their eces on 

 the petals! The dodder 

 (Cuscuta Europ<za), the 

 elm-tree, the ornamen- 

 tal laurustine, the elder, 

 the sumach family, the 

 Grass of Parnassus, 

 pansy, primrose, forget- 

 me-not, hemlock, flax, 

 potato, and other plants, Pentagynia. 

 belong to this class. 



VI. HEXANDRI A. Flowers 

 with six stamens of equal 

 length. By far the greater 

 number of our bulbous flower- 

 ing and culinary plants as 

 the narcissus, the tulip, the 

 lilies, the long-lived Ameri- 

 can aloe, the magnificent 

 Crinum and Pancratium, the 

 pine-apple, the onion, aspara- 

 gus, &c. belong to this class. 



VII. HEPTANDRIA. This class is illustrated 

 by the jEsculus 



and Pavia, better 

 known by the name 

 horse - chestnuts. 

 It is remarkable 

 that among above 

 3000 genera, so few 

 should occur with 

 seven stamens. 



Digynia. 



Digynia. 



Monogynia. 



The chickweed winter-green (Trientalis EuropcecC) 



Heptagynia. 



Tetragynia. 



is the only British plant belonging to this class. 



VIII. OCTANDRIA. The heaths are the most 

 conspicuous and numerous examples of the class. 

 Of this family alone there are about 550 species 



Trigynia. 



Digynia. Monogynia. 



already described, chiefly natives of the southern 



parts of Africa. Six are found 



in Britain, and several in other 



parts of Europe. The curious 



Rhexia, the day and night 



flowering (Enothera, the Fuchsia, 



the Mezereon, the sea-side grape 



and soap-berry of the West 



Indies, the curiously organised 



Bryophyllum, and other genera, 



belong to the class. 



Tetragynia. 



-3 



