162 NATURAL ORDERS OF PLANTS. 



in their whole structure, and appearance, that 

 botanists are enabled to arrange them into sets or 

 groups, which they call Natural Orders ; and the 

 circumstances that distinguish these, are called the 

 Natural character ; because they form distinctions 

 which are pointed out by nature itself. Whereas 

 the classes and orders which depend upon the num- 

 ber of the stamens and pistils, though they afford a 

 very convenient method of finding out the names of 

 plants, sometimes separate plants that are in reality 

 very like each other. The umbelliferous plants, 

 for example, have a very obvious natural character. 

 The lilies, of which the orange and white lilies and 

 the Crown Imperial in the garden are good ex- 

 amples, form a very distinct natural family ; and 

 may easily be known from other tribes, by their 

 bulbous roots, long slender leaves, and handsome 

 flowers, and by having either no calyx, or instead 

 of one a sheath. 



EDWARD. 



But the hyacinth and tulip are very like what you 

 describe, as well as the lilies. 



MOTHER. 



So they are; and from this general resemblance, 

 they are placed in the same natural order, and the 

 whole together are called Lilia'ceous plants. 



The grasses form another natural tribe ; which 



