INTBODUCTOBY. 7 



is called the germ or ovary, the stalk of the pillar is the style, 

 and the top or capital is the stigma. There are generally 

 nectaries or honey-cups situated near the base of the petals 

 of the Celandine." 



Here the pupils declared that they had heard enough for the 

 first lesson. They would con it over again and make it fully 

 their own, and would ask further information on the morrow. 



" Now, Esther," said Fanny, as soon as the breakfast-cloth 

 was withdrawn on the following morning, "be so good as to 

 proceed to the next lesson in botany. We remember the great 

 divisions into Two-lobed, One-lobed, and Lobeless classes, and 

 the six parts of the plant; and the calyx, corolla, stamens, 

 pistil, and germen. What comes next?" 



" The next division is into subclasses," began Esther. " These 

 arc decided according to the various arrangements of the parts 

 of the flower. In the first subclass the stamens and petals 

 are inserted into the part of the stem beneath the ovary, 

 which is called the receptacle or thalamus. In this subclass 

 the petals are always distinct ; the plants belonging to this 

 group are called THALAMIFLOBALS. 



" In the second subclass the petals and stamens are inserted 

 on the calyx or close to its base, and the petals are generally 

 distinct. These plants are called CALYCIFLOBALS. 



" In the third subclass the stamens are fixed either upon the 

 petals, or inserted on the receptacle, as is the case in the first 

 subclass ; and the petals are no longer distinct, but joined 

 together so as to form what is called a monopetalous corolla. 

 These plants are called COKOLLIFLOEALS. 



" In the fourth subclass either the calyx or corolla, or both, 

 are wanting ; the plants are called APETALS. These four sub- 

 classes comprise the great class of Dicotyledons, or Two-lobed 

 plants. The two first are many-petalled, the third one-petalled, 

 and the fourth petalless. 



" The One-lobed class is but once divided, the first sub- 

 class having petals, and the plants being called PETALIDS ; 



