CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



been made to this order of late years by Douglas, 

 Jeffrey, Murray, Brown, and others. Vast forests 

 of pines occur in North America, which have 

 yielded many species well adapted to our climate, 

 such as Abies Douglasii, Pattoniana, Pinus Bal- 

 fouriana, M'Nabiana, Jeffreyi, &c. ; and indeed 

 almost every gentleman's estate exhibits examples 

 of this order, not only from America, but from 

 almost every region in the world. The deodar and 

 cedar, from the East ; firs, cypresses, and juni- 

 pers, from the Far West ; araucarias, from Chili 

 and the antipodes ; and cryptomerias, from Japan, 

 form by far the most interesting, the most useful, 

 and the most ornamental of our forest trees, 

 whether planted merely with a view to the raising 

 of timber, or for the purpose of beautifying the 

 landscape. (See ARBORICULTURE.) Many plants 

 of the order are also valuable for their resinous 

 productions ; several kinds of pitch, tar, turpen- 

 tine, gums, and balsams being procured from 

 them. The large seeds of some are edible and 

 wholesome ; the succulent cones, or, as they are 

 familiarly called, berries of the juniper are largely 

 used in the preparation of gin ; and the main 

 ingredient in spruce-beer is an extract from seve- 

 ral species of Abies. Great tanning-powers exist 

 in the bark of the larch ; the savin, juniper, and 

 others, possess stimulating and diuretic properties. 

 TAXACEJ. The yews are nearly related to 

 coniferas, and are usually associated with them. 

 They differ in not producing true cones. The 

 wood of many species is also peculiar, having 

 spirals on the woody tubes, as well as discs ; but 

 this we have recently ascertained to be also the 

 case in some firs such as Abies Douglasii. 



ENDOGENOUS OR MONOCOTYLEDONOUS 

 PLANTS. 



This class includes those plants whose leaves 

 have their veins placed parallel as the palms, 

 the grasses, the hyacinth and crocus, and whose 

 stems have no distinction of pith, wood, bark, 



Sections of Dicotyledonous and Monocotyledonous 

 Stems. 



concentric circles, and medullary rays, like the 

 Exogens (a), but consist merely of a confused 

 mass of tissue (b). Their seed contains an 

 embryo, having only one seed-lobe or cotyledon ; 

 hence the term Monocotvledon. Their trunks 



108 



increase inwardly, instead of by external concen- 

 tric layers ; hence also the term Endogen. They 

 are divided into three sections DICTYOGENJE, 

 differing from all the others in having the leaves 

 more or less net-veined, and usually articulate 

 with the stem. PETALOIDE^:, or FLORIDA, those 

 having a perianth such as the orchis, lily, palm, 

 &c. GLUMIFER^E, those which are destitute of a 

 perianth, but have glumes or husks instead, like 

 the grasses. The trees of this division are strictly 

 tropical ; the herbaceous species are found all 

 over the globe. 



I. DICTYOGENA 



*Dioscoreaceae -Yam order. Roxburghiacea: Roxburghia or- 

 Smilacex Sarsaparilla order. der. 

 "Trilliacea: Trillium order. Philesiaceae Philesia order. 



2. PETALOIDE^. 



Xyridaceae Xyris order. 



PhilydraceaeWaterworts. 



Commelynaceae Spiderworts. 



Mayacacca: Mayaca order. 

 * J uncacea; Rushes. 



1'almaceae Palms. 

 Alismaceae Water-plantains. 

 Juncaginacex Arrow grasses. 

 *Butomacee Flowering-rushes. 



Pandanaceae Screw-pines. 

 Typhaceae Bulrushes. 

 *Aracea: Arum order. 

 Orontiacez Sweet Flags. 



Pistiaceae Duck-weeds. 

 *NaiadaceJc Pond-weeds. 



Triuridaceae Triuris order. 

 *Restiaceae Restio order. 

 *Eriocaulonaceae Pipcworts. 



Desvau.xiaceae Bristleworts. 



"Hydrocharidaceae Frog-bits. 

 "Orchidacez Orchids. 



Apostasiaceae Apostasia order. 



Burmanniaceae Burmannia or- 

 der. 



Zingiberaceae Ginger order. 



Marantaceae Arrow-roots. 



Musaceae Bananas. 

 "Iridacese Iris order. 

 Amaryllidacex Amaryllis or- 

 der. 



Hypoxidaceae Hypoxids. 



Haemodoraceac Blood-roots. 



Taccaceae Tacca order. 



Bromeliaceat-^-Pine Apples. 

 *LiIiaceEE Lilies. 

 *Melanthaceae Colchicum or- 

 der. 



Gilliesiacea: Gilliesia order. 



Pontederiaceac Pontederia or- 

 der. 



3. GLUMIFER/E. 

 "Cyperaceas Sedges. *Gramineae Grasses. 



DICTYOGEN-iE. 



DlOSCOREACE^E. These are twining, somewhat 

 shrubby plants, with unisexual flowers in spikes, 

 natives of the tropics, except Tamns conimunis, 

 or Black Bryony, which represents the order in 

 temperate climates. Various species of Dioscorea 

 yield edible tubers, which are known by the name 

 of yams, and are used like potatoes. D. Batatas 

 is the Chinese Potato. Testudinaria Elephantipes 

 is the Elephant's-foot, Hottentot's-bread, or Tor- 

 toise plant, of the Cape. 



PETALOIDE^E. 



ORCHIDACE/E. This order consists of terrestrial 

 or epiphytal herbaceous plants with enlarged roots 

 and stems. The roots in epiphytal species are 

 clothed with an outer layer of spiral cells, which 

 apparently serve the purpose of absorbing moisture 

 from the atmosphere, and thus enabling the plant, 

 which has no roots in the soil, to subsist and 

 develop itself. The perianth consists of six seg- 

 ments in two rows, one differing in form from the 

 rest, and called the labellum. The pollen-cells do 

 not occur in the form of distinct grains, but are 

 aggregated together in simple or compound masses, 

 which become detached collectively. The flowers 

 often resemble the forms of insects, as the bee 

 orchis of Kent, and the more gaudy butterfly 

 orchid of the tropics. The singular forms and 

 intense colours of their flowers recommend these 

 plants to the attention of horticulturists. Of the 

 3000 existing species, few are conspicuous for their 

 uses. Species of Eulophia furnish salep ; and the 

 fragrant vanilla, used in confectionary and in the 



