BOTANY. 475 



ed on a common receptacle. 5. Ovaries free, but few in number, 

 and forming small capsules. 6. Those of which the fruit is a drupe. 



11. Leguminosce, or Papilionacece of Tournefort. The greater part 

 of the species correspond to the Diadelphous plants of Linnaeus. 



12. Terebinthacece. Aromatic and resinous trees, which furnish 

 by incision of their trunks or branches gum-resins or balms. Their 

 leaves are alternate, without stipulse, generally ternate or winged. 

 Their fruits vary much. 13. Frangulacece or Rhamnoidece. Shrubs 

 with simple leaves furnished with stipulse ; small flowers, with sta- 

 mina in equal number with the petals ; ovary free, surrounded by 

 the centre of the calyx, which changes into a berry or capsule. 



XVI. The last order of the Natural Method, includes Dicoty- 

 ledonous plants with the stamina separate from the pistil, with or 

 without perianth. Their ovary is generally free. This order is 

 divided into five families, viz. 1. Cucurbitacece : Climbing or creep- 

 ing plants with rough stems, alternate, petiolate, lobed leaves, and 

 axillary flowers, which are rarely hermaphrodite, sometimes dioi- 

 cous, but oftenest monoicous. Their perianth is double, and the in- 

 terior hollowed in the form of a bell and persistent ; stamina three 

 to five, and the anthers marked with projecting and sinuous lines. 



2. The Euphorbiacece form a family of plants of all sizes, herbaceous 

 or ligneous, of which the proper juice is milky and acrid. They are 

 distinguished by their capsules being equal in number to the styles, 

 forming monospermous cells, which open with elasticity in drying. 



3. Urticece : Trees, bushes, and herbs, of which the greater por- 

 tion have an acrid and corrosive juice. Their flowers are solitary 

 or clustered, small, greenish, and not very conspicuous. The genera 

 are divided into those of which the fruit is fleshy and the flowers pla- 

 ced on a common receptacle ; and those of which the flowers are soli- 

 tary or united in a spike. 4. Amentacece : The plants of this family- 

 are generally trees with caducous and alternate leaves, not resinous, 

 with a thick bark, the male flowers disposed in catkins, and with- 

 out corolla. The fruits are of various form. 5. Coniferce : This 

 family comprehends all the pines, or resinous trees with monoicous 

 or dioicous flowers, of which the males are disposed in catkins and 

 the females solitary, but generally united in a cone or spike covered 

 by solid crowded scales. 



M. Decandolle, one of the most eminent modern botanists, author, 

 among many other works, of the Theorie Elementaire de la Bota- 

 nique, and Prodrome du Systerne Nalurel du Regne Vegetal, has 

 placed the families in a linear and in consequence somewhat artifi- 

 cial form. Vegetables are, according to this author, arranged under 



