472 BOTANY. 



family have a regular corolla, generally composed of at least four 

 petals. The stamina are commonly above twenty in number, are 

 inserted upon the receptacle, and are neither attached to the calyx 

 nor the corolla. The ovaries are numerous. The greater portion are 

 herbaceous, with alternate leaves, often deeply cut and as if sheath- 

 ing, but without stipulse. 2. Papaveracece : These have for the 

 most part a caducous calyx composed of two segments ; the corolla 

 is formed of four petals ; and they have but one ovary without a 

 style, which changes into a capsule of one cell. Their leaves are 

 alternate, and almost all have a proper yellowish or white juice. 

 Some have numerous stamina, and others an indeterminate number, 

 commonly below six. 3. Qruciferce, or the Cruciformes of Tourne- 

 fort. These have always four petals disposed in a crucial form, a 

 calyx of four segments, six tetradynamous stamina, a simple ovary, 

 changing into a pod or pouch, herbaceous stems, and alternate leaves. 

 The divisions established by Linnaeus are very convenient for dis- 

 tinguishing the numerous genera of this family. 4. The Cappa* 

 ridecE are herbs or shrubs of which the flowers are composed of a fo- 

 liaceous calyx, four or five petals, numerous stamina, and a simple 

 ovary supported on an elongated pedicle, which changes into a pod 

 or berry with one cell, and in the pulp of which the seeds are 

 lodged. 5. Saponacece : Exotic trees or bushes, with alternate 

 leaves and flowers almost similar to the preceding, generally with 

 eight stamina ; the ovary sessile, and succeeded by a drupe or ber- 

 ry, of which the divisions or cells inclose one seed. 6, 7- The 

 two families Aceracece and Malpighiacece have much affinity to- 

 gether. They are trees and shrubs with the calyx of a single 

 piece, often with five deep divisions, and persistent after the fall 

 of the corolla, which is composed of five petals. The stamina 

 are distinct, and there are two stigmata at most in the first fa- 

 mily ; they are monadelphous, and with three stigmata in the 

 second. 8. The family of Hypericince is composed of herbaceous 

 plants or small shrubs with simple, opposite leaves, dotted, or filled 

 with small semitransparent vesicles when seen against the light. 

 Their flowers are of a yellow colour, in a corymb, composed of five 

 pieces in the calyx and corolla. The stamina are polyadelphous, 

 and the ovary simple, and with many styles. 9. The Guttiferce 

 are exotic trees and shrubs, of which almost all the species furnish a 

 gummy or resinous juice, from their roots, trunk, or branches. 

 They have generally four petals, numerous stamina, and a simple 

 ovary, which forms a capsule of one cell. Some have no style. 1 0. 

 Hesperidece, to which belong the orange, lemon, &c. Their stem is 

 always woody, their leaves alternate, and of a fine green, often dot- 

 ted or vesicular. Their flowers are hermaphrodite, odoriferous, 



