

377 



family is compound of two genera, now well known in 



'. ban ooriH-t -liaji 



;iud Vi'iitrii-oM', tinifi-d I--.1 almnf tli i- 

 and on tln margin* ; flowers ivd, purplo without, and gr< 



I nllV/l III 1>: i Fig. 



irs purplo (lowers, has vry 



elegant grotesque i-ornota, and ita 

 height is about two foot. 



SECTION CIII. -CARYOPHYLLA- 

 OLOVEWOBT8. 



i-istics : Sepals five or 

 four, frrt< or coherent ; petals five 

 or four, hypogynoua or sub-prri- 



is, frequently joined together 

 :::;! with tho boHO of the stamens; 

 stamens double in number to tho 



, and arranged in two * 

 thy interior ones opposite to the 

 petals ; sometimes equal to 

 them in number ; pistil on a 

 stalk, two or three carpelled, co- 

 herent into one single ovary; 



European I opkyllacea are very general favourite* on account of their 

 ad leaves, floral beauty and their sweet odour. A representation of tare 

 the veins, favourite varieties of the sweet-william ( WotUAiu toroofau) 

 n within. I is subjoin-d , i :/ _. 



. . 



BUCKWH1 



Characteristic* : Perianth her- 

 baceous or petaloid ; sepals three, 

 four, or six, coherent to a variable 

 extent; stamens perigynous or hy- 

 pogynons, four to ten ; ovary nni- 

 locular, uni-ovulate, triangular or 

 oompreMed; ovule, erect, ctraight; 

 ntyles two or three ; fruit, an 

 achamium or oaryopeia; aeed dico- 

 tyledonous, inverted ; embryo 

 Htraight or curved, embedded in a 

 I'.trinaceouH albumen ; stem ordi- 

 nurjly herbaceous; leaves alter- 

 nate, stipulate, the stipules form- 

 ing an ochrea which envelopes the 

 stem ; flowers minute, arranged in 

 cymes, spikes, or corymbs. 



261. VEKUi'S FLY-TRAP (l)IONA. MUSCIPULA) . 

 262. THE SWEET-WILLIAM (DIANTHUS 

 BABBATUS). 



styles free, stigmatiferous on their in- 

 ternal side ; ovary pluri-locular in the 

 young plant, ordinarily becoming nni- 

 locnlar by the absorption of commis- 

 sures ; ovules curved ; fruit capsular 

 and dehiscent, or bacciform and inde- 

 hiscent ; seed dicotyledonous ; embryo 

 curved, surrounding a farinaceous albu- 

 men ; stem herbaceous or sub-ligneous ; 

 loaves opposite, entire, rarely stipuled ; 

 inflorescence definite. 



The Caryophyllacece are cosmopolites, 

 but inhabit for the most part the extra- 

 tropical repiona of tho northern hemisphere. Tho soapwort, 

 or Saponaria officinalis, is a plant indigenous to England, the 

 root of which contains a soapy matter, lathering with water 

 almost like soap, a soft resin, and gum. 



The carnations which belong to tho natural order Cewy- 



263. THE CAMPHOR TREE (CAKFHOKA UTWl- 

 fINALIS). 264. TUB CIHMAMOH TUW 

 (CIHNAMOXUM DCLCE). 



The members of this natural family 

 have a similarity of chemical and phy- 

 siological properties, which confirm.- 

 the propriety of botanical classifica- 

 tions. The herbaceous portions of 

 many species contain oxalic, citric, and 

 malic acids, and are for the most part 

 both medicinal and alimentary. The 

 farinaceous seeds of many species serve 

 as good substitutes for the cereals. 

 The roots of many species contain 

 astringent matters, united sometimes 

 to a resinous and uittor principle, in 

 virtue of which they possess medical qualities. In the first 

 rank amongst the medicinal Pvhjijonacfct! is rhubarb, celebrated 

 from times of remote antiquity as a medicine. Rhubarb owes 

 it* valuable properties to the presence of a substance deno- 

 minated by chemists rhubarbarint^ a fixed oil, a little gum. 



