ANNUALS. BIENNIALS. PERENNIALS. 127 



as they blow, continues to bear flowers from yeai 

 to year, like a perennial. You recollect what the 

 words Annual and Perennial mean ? 



EDWARD. 



An annual is a plant that bears leaves and 

 flowers within one year, and 'then dies. 



MOTHER. 



Very well. Several plants which are annual in 

 warmer climates become Biennial, or live for two 

 years with us : because the heat of this country is 

 not sufficient to bring them to perfection in one 

 year, and the seeds do not ripen till the second 

 summer. Some, that in warm countries are Peren- 

 nial, which means lasting many years, become an- 

 nual with us ; the root being killed by our severe 

 winters. And some which are perennial in cold 

 climates become annuals when they are trans- 

 planted to a warmer one, the heat and drought 

 causing the roots to dry away. 



But we must finish the eleventh class, that we 

 may go on to the twelfth, which is very extensive, 

 and contains several plants that you will be pleased 

 to hear of. 



The Chesnut-tree, Fa'gus casta'nea, which, ac- 

 cording to Withering, is in the class Dodecandria *, 

 and order Trigynia, is one of the finest of our 



* In the class and order Moncecia Polyandria, of Lin- 

 naeus. 



