/h. XXII. 1 CLASSES AND ORDERS. 131 



556. ORDER 2, DIGYNIA, two pistils. In this order of the fifth 

 class is a very large natural family of plants, called Umbellifer- 

 ous, or umbellate, from the manner of t *eir inflorescence, which 

 is in the form of an umbel, or umbrella, as you can see in Dill, 

 Fennel, or Carroway. 



557. Plants with umbels are to be found every where in sum- 

 mer ; such as are poisonous grow in low, wet ground, as the 

 Poison-hemlock, Cowbane, &c. Some useful table vegetables 

 belong to this family, as Celery, Parsnips, &c. Some of these 

 plants produce seeds useful in medicine and confectionary, as 

 Anise and Coriander. 



558. ORDER 3, TRIGYNIA, three pistils. You will find here 

 the Elder, a shrub with delicate, white flowers, growing in 

 clusters called cymes ; children very early learn to know this 

 plant, not only by its flowers, but by its dark red berries, with 

 which they sometimes mischievously stain their clothes and 

 faces. The Snow-ball is a very showy, handsome, and orna- 

 mental shrub ; there is a wild plant which is common in the 

 woods, that is not less beautiful than this ; it is a species of the 

 same genus Viburnum, and is well worth being transplanted 

 to cultivated grounds. 



559. ORDER 5, PENTAGYNIA, Jive pistils. The flax is found 

 here. Its botanical name is Linum, so called from a Celtic 

 word, lin, a thread. The blossom of the flax is very pretty; 

 its colour is pale blue, and it stands upon a straight, erect stalk. 

 This is one of the most valuable of the vegetable productions. 



There are other orders in the fifth class, but we cannot now 

 stop to consider them ; when you have learned what this book 

 contains, your kind parents will be willing to furnish you with 

 the larger volume to which this is an introduction :* in that, 

 you will find a great many interesting facts with respect to 

 p/aftts, that could not be mentioned in so small a book as this 



CLASS VI. HEXANDRIA, six stamens. 



.to). ORDER 1, MONOGYNIA, one pistil. In this class are a 

 5yai many beautiful exotics ; most of which are distinguish 



* Familiar Lectures on Botany. 



55t?. What large family of plants do we meet with in the second 

 order of the sixth class *? 



557. Are these plants common ? 



558. What plants are mentioned in the 3d order of the class p^nt- 

 tndrial 



559. Describe the F'ax. 



560. What is said of some of the plants of the 6'h class 1 



