THE CLASS DIDYNAMIA. 162 



stamens (page 114) ; but they are of value, inasmuch as the number is either the 

 original one, or some multiple of it. 



The order Fentagynia contains five genera of beautiful plants, which have from two 



Fig. 339. Fig. 340. Fig. 341. 



Polyandria Monogynia. Polyandria Pentagynia. Polyandria Polygynia. 



to six pistils, and includes the splendid Paeonia or Paeony, Delphinum or Larkspur, 

 Aconitum or Monkshood, Aquilegia or Columbine, and the Stratiotes. 



There are nine genera in the order Polygynia, each of which have an indefinite 

 number of pistils ; and many of these are remarkable for their sombre beauty. Thus 

 there are the Clematis, Anemone, Hell chorus or Hellebore, Adonis, Ranunculus or 

 Crowfoot, Thalictrum or Meadow-rue, Caltha Palustris or Marsh Marigold, Trollius, 

 and Ficaria. 



This class is therefore remarkable for its powerful medicinal or poisonous properties 

 properties which pervade the class as a whole and for its flowers, of a deep colour 

 and sombre beauty. Amongst the former we may mention the Papaver, which supplies 

 so vast a quantity of Opium (page 51), Helleborus Niger or Black Hellebore, and 

 Aconitum, all of which still supply medicinal preparations ; whilst the Chelidonium, 

 Delphinum, Ficaria, Ranunculus, and several others, are known to be poisonous. The 

 Tilia affords a delicious scent when in bloom ; whilst the flower of the jSympha?a 

 Alba, Pseonia, Helianthemum, Delphinum, Aquilegia, Anemone, and Adonis, may well 

 take rank amongst the most favourite productions of our gardens and ponds. The 

 Nymphsea is also remarkable as yielding beautiful stellate cells (page 11) ; whilst the 

 Papaver and Chelidonium possess a large quantity of laticiferous tissue (page 29) and 

 milky juices. The Ranunculus is the only plant bearing a true nectarium on the 

 claw of its petal (page 69). 



CLASS XIV. DIDTNAMIA. 



"We have now passed in review all the classes which are founded simply upon the 

 number of stamens and their position, and proceed to those which are based on 

 more complex phenomena. The one now under consideration has only one other 

 element added to that of number viz., the relative length of the stamens, not as an 

 accidental but an essential fact. The class Didynamia is characterized by having two 

 long and two short stamens (Fig. 223), and is divided into two orders viz., Gym- 

 nospermia, in which the seeds do not exceed four in number, and appear to be, but 

 really are not, naked at the base of the flower ; and Angiospermia, having the seeds in 



