120 



BIRTHWORT. LAURELS. 



Fig. 142. 



APE'TALOUS DICOTY'LEDONS. 



64. This group of dicotyle'donous plants is characterized by 

 the absence of a corolla, or at least of a double floral envelope, 

 for the perianth as often resembles a corolla as a calyx. We 

 place in it Aristolo'chiae, Lauri'nesc, &c. 



65. The FAMILY OF ARIS- 



TOLO'CHIA Birthwort (from 



the Greek, arisos, excellent, and 



lochos, female, because it was 



supposed to be excellent for 



females in particular conditions) 



is composed of twining plants 



with epigy'nous stamens (figure 



142), with alternate and internal 



leaves, some species of which are 



cultivated in gardens the com- 

 mon Aristolo'chia, for example (fg- 143). 

 The Aristolo 1 chia serpentaria Virginia snake- 

 root belongs to this family. 



66. The FAMILY OF LAURI'NE^: (from the Latin, laurus, 

 the laurel or bay tree) belongs to the class of Peristami'nese 

 (from the Greek, peri, around, and stamen fig* 144), and 



is composed of trees or shrubs with per- 

 sistent leaves and fleshy fruit. The type 

 of the family is the laurels, one species of 

 which, the laurel of Apollo, is originally 

 from Greece, and was used by the ancients 

 for decorating the crowns of their conquer- 

 ors. Cinnamon is the bark of another 

 species of laurel which grows in India ; and 

 camphor is derived from another tree of the 

 same genus. 



67. We will also mention in this class the FAMILY OF CHENO- 

 PO'DE^E (from the Greek, chen, a goose, and pous, foot goose- 

 foot), because we find in it one of the plants which at present 

 occupies a good deal of attention among agriculturalists, espe- 



Fig. 143. 



ARISTOLOCHIA. 



Fig. 144. LAURUS. 



Explanation of Fig. 144. Flower of a laurel; a, the perigon ; b, 

 stamen ; c, pistil. 



64. How are Apeta'leae characterized ? 



65. How is the family of Aristolo'chia (pronounced aristolokea) charac- 

 terized ? 



66. From what is cinnamon obtained ? From what genus of plants is 

 camphor derived ? 



67. To what family does the sugar-beet belong ? 



