188 PROSERPINA. 



lias been formed among flowers, not in distant and 

 monstrous geologic &ras, but in the human epoch ; that 

 its c grace ? or favor has been in all countries so felt as 

 to cause its acceptance everywhere for the most perfect 

 physical type of womanhood ; and that the characteristic 

 fruit of the tribe is so sweet, that it has become symbolic 

 at once of the subtlest temptation, and the kindest min- 

 istry to the earthly passion of the human race. " Com- 

 fort me with apples, for I am sick of love." 



20. Therefore I shall call the entire order of these 

 flowers * Charites,' (Graces,) and they will be divided 

 into these five genera, Rosa, Persica, Pomnm, Eubra, 

 and Fragaria. Which sequence of names I do not think 

 the young learner will have difficulty in remembering ; 

 nor in understanding why I distinguish the central group 

 by the fruit instead of the flower. And if he once 

 clearly master the structure and relations of these five 

 genera, 1) will have no difficulty in attaching to them, 

 in a satellitic or subordinate manner, such inferior 

 groups as that of the Silver-weed, or the Tormentilla ; 

 but all he will have to learn by heart and rote, will be 

 these six names ; the Greek Master-name, Charites, and 

 the five generic names, in each case belonging to plants, 

 as he will soon find, of extreme personal interest to him. 



21. I have used the word ' Order ' as the name of our 

 widest groups, in preference to ' Class, ' because these 

 widest groups will not always include flowers like each 

 other in form, or equal to each other in vegetative rank ; 



