DIRECTIONS FOR THE BEGINNER 



After you have carefully examined the plant and at least mentally described every 

 part of it, read tho first lino of the k&y on the opposite page. If the sepals and petals 

 together number 8 or 10 as is usually tho case then the plant belongs to CLASS I., 

 which refers us to the prominent heading below, under which we read, " Calyx and 

 corolla both present." If so, read the next line, which, we will suppose, does not fit our 

 plant ; then tho petals must be united, and wo turn to DIVISION 2, page 9, where we 

 aro called upon to say whether the ovary is inferior or not. Suppose it is superior. 

 Turn, then, to " B. Ovary superior." But our flower is one-sided, so, instead of 

 searching under "1. Flowers regular or nearly so," we look ahead till our eyes 

 catch on pago 10, the similar line, " 2. Flowers irregular: style 1 ; stigma en- 

 tire or 2-lobed." Strangely enough there is but one style, and there are two flat stig- 

 mas. The leaves being opposite we pass the first line and try the next, having tho same 

 marginal distance, reading, " Leaves opposite or whorled: stamens 2 or 4." Heading the 

 three lines under this head, beginning with the word "Ovary," we easily determine from 

 the negative evidence (tho ovary not in 4 pieces; the flowers not small, or in spikes) that 

 the plant belongs to the order Scrophulariacere, pago 93. Wo are there confronted 

 * by another key. Tho leaves of our plant not being alternate, we must look under " B," 

 Reading the lines marked with asterisks we take the first, for our plant has 4 stamens. 

 We then read all the lines under this head and decide that our genus must be No. 10; 

 viz., "10. MIMULUS, Linnaeus," which we find on page 98. Our plant, then, is one 

 of the 40 species of Mimulus there named. Fortunate indeed are we if it happens to be 

 one of the distinctly marked species liko Mimulus glutinosus, the Shrubby Mimulus; or 

 Mimulus cardinalis, the Cardinal or Scarlet Mimulus. In any event we work with thia 

 key as with tho others. The chief heads aro indicated by stars. Suppose tho corolla is 

 yellow but the plant not viscid ; then it must bo sought under the 5-starred head. Here 

 we must read all tbe lines beginning with "Leaves." Having reached a conclusion, we 

 look up the species under the number given at tho end of the line ; say, No. 23, where 

 we find a few more words descriptive of Mimulus luteus. We next look in the index for 

 " Mimulus " and there find a reference to p. 92 of tho Popular Flora, where there is a 

 more ample description of the species. Finally we turn to the Glossary of Generic and 

 Specific Names, where we leam that mimulus means, ape, or mimic ; and luteus means, 

 yellow. Perhaps Linnaeus, who delighted in fanciful names, saw in the gaping corolla a 

 monkey-like grin. Since there are many yellow species now known, the name is not 

 ignificant ; but wo may call it the Common Yellow Mimulus, or Monkey Flower. 



