SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



genus Scoliopus. Turning to the description of the only species de- 

 scribed, we find it satisfactory. Upon referring to the Glossary of 

 Generic and Specific Names in the back part of the book, we find why 

 the plant was named Scoliopus Bigelovii. 



This picture represents part of a plant whose yellow 

 flowers are among the first to greet the new year. 

 It is shown as it would appear if cut down through 

 the center after removing most of the outer leaves. 

 The leaves and flowers all grow from the flat summit 

 of a thick root-stock. It will be noticed that the 

 buds are younger as the center is approached. Possi- 

 bly you have tried to analyze one of these flowers. 

 If so. you probably got on nicely till you tried to 

 find the ovary. I hope you kept searching and at 

 last felt the satisfaction which rewards the discoverer. 

 However, you can determine the name, and thus 

 have the book tell you where the ovary is. The 

 poorest eyes can see that the leaves are all radical; 

 that the four divisions of the calyx are reflexed; that 

 four broad petals and eight stamens grow upon it; 

 and that there is one pistil whose slender style bears 

 a globose stigma. You can not doubt that the plant 

 is to be sought under B., in Division 1, but you are 

 unable to say whether the ovary is superior or not. 

 In such a case, search first for the order under the 

 head ' ' OVARY SUPERIOR;" and, if not satisfied 

 there, try the head " OVARY AND FRUIT INFERIOR." 

 Since there is but one pistil, you look under " * * Pis- 

 til only one. " The plant is not a shrub, so you next 

 stop at "ff Herbs.'" The first division under this is. 

 the only one admissible, because the leaves are all 

 radical. But in no case under this head is the num- 

 ber of stamens eight. We therefore try the sub- 

 head "2. OVARY AND FRUIT INFERIOR," etc. It is 

 evident that the descriptive line, "Parts of the flower 

 mostly in 4's," etc., is the only one that fits our 

 plant, so we turn to p. 59, where we find nothing in 

 the description of the order Onagracese to rule our 

 plant out. The lines descriptive of the genera are 

 unsuited to our plant, except one, which refers us to the genus (Enothera, the de- 



