150 DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. PART /. 



having the pistils and stamens separate in distinct 

 whorls, but grafted together into one column, on the 

 summit of which the anthers are seated near the 

 stigma. This class is principally made up of the 

 natural order Orchidese, which includes all those sin- 

 gular flowers commonly known by the name of orchises 

 and air-plants. 



The next two classes are characterised by having 

 unisexual flowers, expressed by the word GJXO; (a house) ; 

 intimating that, in Monoecia, flowers of both sexes 

 are found on the same plant ; whilst in Dioecia the 

 stameniferous flowers are on one plant, and the pistili- 

 ferous on another. 



In Polygamia, 7*<*{ (marriage), we have three 

 kinds of flowers, which may all, or some only, be 

 placed on the same plant. In these cases, it should 

 seem that the flower in its most perfect form contains 

 both stamens and pistils ; and that in those flowers, 

 where either of these organs is wanting, it is from abor- 

 tion, and not that any difference of construction pre- 

 cludes its development. 



And lastly, Cryptogamia, from xpvirTo? (hidden), 

 and yxpos (marriage), there being no flowers apparent 

 from whence seeds are produced. 



(139-) lAnnaean Orders. The orders of the se- 

 veral classes depend upon circumstances, connected either 

 with the stamens or pistils. 



In the thirteen first classes, the orders are fixed en- 

 tirely by the number of the pistils, and this is expressed 

 by the word ",uvij (a woman) in composition with the 

 Greek words signifying the number present. In some 

 compound pistils, however, this number is calculated 

 from the number of the styles or stigmas rising from 

 the top of the ovarium, when those organs happen to be 

 remarkably distinct. 



In class fourteen, there are two orders, characterised 

 by the manner in which the ovaria are developed into 

 seed-vessels. One (Angiospermia) is named from ayyo/; 

 (a vessel) and a-nif^y, (a seed), and in this case the 



