604 



BOTANY. 



The seventh order, OCTANDRIA, has separate male 

 flowers, bearing eight stamens. This is a very sinal 

 order, containing only one genus, the Duvaua, a lofty 

 tree, indigenous to Chile. There are two species, one 

 of them from Owhyhee. 



Moncecia. 



Pentandria. 



Tetrandria. 



The eighth order is ICOSANDRIA, containing plants 

 which have male flowers separate, and bearing many 

 stamens inserted into the calyx. Botanists have 

 as yet discovered only one genus which can with 

 propriety be placed here, and this a tree from New 

 Holland, called Atherosperma moschata. 

 Monoecia. 



Polyandria. Hexandria 



The ninth order is POLYANDRIA, which contains 

 plants whose male flowers are separate, and which 

 bear many stamens, seated on the receptacle. This 

 is a pretty large order, and comprises the beautiful 

 Begonia, the chestnut, beech, hazel, walnut, and above 

 all, the lordly oak. Here also we find the planetree, 

 Salisburia, and humble yet numerous tribe of arums, 

 &c. 



Monoecia. 



Monadelphia. 



The tenth order is MONADELPHIA, that is, plants 

 naving male flowers distinct, and whose stamens are 

 united at the base into one brotherhood. This is the 

 largest order of the class, and contains some of the 

 most magnificent forest trees, as the pines and 

 firs, larch, cedar, cypress, &c. Here are also the 

 enormous gourd, useful melon, and cucumber, the 

 poisonous janipha manihot, and the medicinal palma 

 Christi. 



The twenty-second class is DIOZCIA, which is com- 

 posed of plants which have unisexual flowers, not on 

 the same, but on different roots. In modern nomen- 

 clatures this class has arranged in it one hundred and 

 three genera, and six hundred and sixty species. It 

 is divided into no less than thirteen orders, which are 

 as follow, viz. : 



The first order is MONANDRIA, consisting of plants 

 bearing unisexual flowers on different roots, those of 

 the male plant having but one stamen. This is a 



small order, containing only two genera, one being 

 the remarkable screw-pine ; so called because the 

 leaves resemble those of the pine apple, only much 

 larger, and they issue from the stem in a very differ- 

 ent manner ; that is, neither opposite or alternately, 

 but the last always a little to the left of the former, 

 so that they are expanded spirally like the worm of 



Dioecia. 



Diamlria. Monandria. 



The second order is DIANURIA, containing plant? 

 having unisexual flowers on different roots, the males 

 bearing two stamens. This order contains four ge- 

 nera, of which the common willow is the principal ; 

 there being of this genus no less than one hundred 

 and sixty-seven species already described. The 

 Valisneria spiralis, so beautifully described by Dr. 

 Darwin in his " loves of the plants," belongs to the 

 order. 



Dioecia. 



Triandria. 



The third order is TRIANDRIA, having male flowers 

 on one plant, and females on another, the former 

 being furnished with three stamens in each. This 

 order contains twelve genera, among which one is a 

 common trailing plant, found on our moist moors 

 namely, the crow-berry. The date-bearing palm, so 

 useful to the common people in Persia, and other 

 countries where it grows naturally, also belongs to 

 this order. 



The fourth order, TETRANDBIA, consists of plants 

 having flowers of one sex, but on distinct roots. The 

 male plants have four stamens in each flower. This 

 order contains fifteen genera, among them we find 

 the candle-berry myrtle, one species of which is found 

 wild in Britain, namely, the sweet gale. The parasite 

 mistletoe is also common in England on oak trees, 

 white-thorn, and particularly in apple orchards. It 

 is said that the oaks on which mistletoe grew, were 

 particularly valued by the Druids, and under them 

 they performed their devotions. 



The fifth order is PENTANDRIA, the male plants of 

 which bear flowers having five stamens. This order 

 contains thirteen genera : among which are the well- 

 known culinary vegetable spinach, and the no less 

 valuable hop. All the other genera are exotics. 

 Respecting the hop, it has been said that it was for- 

 merly the custom to root out all the male plants from 

 every hop-garden ; but that now the custom is found 

 erroneous ; and one male plant to every twenty 

 females is allowed by the growers, in order, to give 

 weight to the sample. 



