SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



which the stamens are inserted on the petals, as 

 in the annexed dissection of the acanthus, or in a 



Acanthus : 



, corolla opened, shewing the stamens and pistil ; b, one stamen ; 

 c, pistil ; d, ripe seed-vessel, covered with its calyx and bracts ; 

 e, seed-vessel burst previously to shedding its seeds ; f t seed 

 opened, shewing the radicle and plume. 



few cases on the receptacle, the parts of the corolla 

 being united together. The Monochlamydece are 

 those having only one, or sometimes no floral 

 envelope. 



Monocotyledonous plants are divided into those 

 with petals, called Petaloidece, and those with 

 glumes, as grasses, Glumiferce. 



Flowerless or Cryptogamous plants are divided 

 into two classes those formed of a cellular ex- 

 pansion without distinct stem or leaves, which are 

 called Thallogens (a) ; and those with leaves 

 (fronds) borne upon a distinct stem or rhizome, 

 Acrogens (b). 



Cryptogamous Plants. 



The distinctions between the orders are drawn 

 from the number and arrangement of petals, 

 'sepals, and stamens ; the construction of the 

 anthers, and the manner in which they burst ; the 

 structure of the seed-vessel and of the seeds, with 

 the position of the embryo ; the position of the 

 leaves, whether alternate or opposite, or with or 

 without stipules ; and the general habits and pro- 

 perties of the plants. 



Having thus explained the basis of arrange- 

 ment, we shall now proceed to consider the 

 ORDERS premising that while the whole are 

 tabulated, our space will only permit us to 

 detail the more interesting and important ones. 

 This, however, we shall endeavour to do in such 

 a. manner as may at once present an outline of 

 the System, and render the reader familiar with 

 the phraseology and plan of procedure. 



In this and the subsequent lists of natural 

 orders, those orders marked with an asterisk con- 

 tain species indigenous in Britain. 



EXOGENOUS OR DICOTYLEDONOUS 

 PLANTS. 



*Ranunculaceae Crowfoots. Chbenacez ChUenads. 



Dillemacea: Dilleniads. TemstrOmiaceae Tea order. 



Magnohaceae Magnoliads. Olacaceac Olax order. 



Anonaceae Anonads. Icacinacez Icacina order. 



Schuandraceae Schizandra or- Cyrillacez Cyrilla order. 



-,- Aurantiaceac Orange order. 



Memspermaceae Moonseeds. "Hypericaceae St John's worts. 



Lardizabalacese Lardizabala Guttifera: Guttifers. 



*t> ^"j Marcgraviacese Margraviads. 



Berbendaceae Barberry order. Hippocrateaceae Hippocra- 



Cabombaceae Watershields. teads. 



*Nymphaeaceae Water-lilies. Malpighiaceae Malpighiad*. 



Nelumbiacea: Water-beans. Erythroxyleae Redwoods. 



Sarraceniaceae Water-pitchers. Aceraceae Maples. 



*Papaveraceae Poppy order. Sapindacez Soapworts. 



*Fumariaceae Fumeworts. 

 Cruciferae Crucifers. 



Capparidaceae Capparids. 

 *Resedaceae Weldworts. 



Flacourtiaceae Arnotto order. Vitaceae Vineworts. 

 'Cistaceae Rock-roses. *Geramaceae Cranes'-bills. 



*Violaceae Violets. 

 *Droseraceae Sun-dews. 

 Polygalaceae Milkworts. 



Rhizobolaccae Su warro w-nuts. 

 Meliaceae Meliads. 

 Humiriaceae Humirium order. 

 Cedrelaceae Mahogany order. 



Linaceae Flaxworts. 

 *Oxalidaceae Wood-sorrels. 

 Balsaminaceae Balsams. 



Krameriaceae Rhatany order. Tropatolacez Indian Cresses. 



Tremandraceae Poreworts. 

 *Tamaricaceae Tamarisks. 

 * Frankeniaceae Frankeniads. 

 *Elatinaceae Water-peppers. 

 *Caryoi>hyllaceae Cloveworts. 



Vivianiaceae Viviania order. 

 "Malvaceae Mallowworts. 



Sterculiaceae Silk-cottons. 



Limnanthacex Limnanthids. 



Pittosporaceae Pittosporum or- 

 der. 



Brexiaceae Brexia order. 



Zygophyllaceae Bean-capers. 



Rutaceae Rueworts. 



Xanthoxylaceae Prickly-ash or- 

 der. 



Byttneriaceae Chocolate order. Ochnacez Ochnads. 

 "Tiliaceae Lindenblooms. Simarubaceae Quassia order. 



Dipteraceae Dipterads. 



RANUNCULACEJE. The plants constituting this 

 order are herbs, or rarely shrubs, with generally 

 deeply cut, rarely stipulate leaves, and stem-clasp- 

 ing petioles. The majority of the species are 

 hardy, and abound in an acrid poisonous juice, as 

 is well exemplified in the common buttercups of the 

 meadows, belonging to the genus Ranunculus, from 

 which the order takes its name. The plants of the 

 order are very variable in their flowers ; many of 

 them having merely one floral envelope, and others 

 having a coloured calyx, with only very small and 

 inconspicuous petals. When the flowers are regu- 

 lar that is, when the parts are all of one size 

 the corolla consists generally of five petals, and 

 the calyx of five sepals, though the number of the 

 petals sometimes varies from three to fifteen. 

 There are numerous stamens which grow from 

 beneath the pistil, and are always separate, having 

 their anthers bursting outwardly. The seeds are 

 for the most part contained in carpels which are 

 separate. The embryo is very small, and placed 

 at the base of the albumen, which is either fleshy 

 or bony. In consequence of the variable character 

 of their flowers, the Ranunculacea are somewhat 

 perplexing to the learner, though they may be 

 generally known by their numerous distinct sta- 

 mens springing from below the pistil, and by their 

 distinct carpels, which frequently grow in several 

 whorls round an elevated receptacle, as in the 

 crowfoot and pheasant's-eye. The calyx generally 

 falls off with the petals, but in the paeony it 

 remains till the seed is ripe. The carpels are in 

 many cases only one-seeded, and are sometimes 

 winged, as in the anemone and clematis, in order 

 to scatter the seeds, as the carpels in this case 

 do not open naturally, but fall with the seed. 



89 



