A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 3 



are with the rest of this group. The false mermaid has only- 

 three petals, but is nevertheless classed with other plants (see 

 no. 382). 



The parts of the flower, such as the petals, etc., are nearly 

 always in 3's, or in multiples of 3, the only exception being 

 the False lily of the valley (no. 85) where they are in 4's. 

 Besides their structural diflferences these herbs always sprout 

 with a single seed leaf appearing above ground, hence their 

 group name of MONOCOTYLEDON AE, while all other 

 herbs always thrust two seed leaves above ground at germina- 

 tion, and are consequently called DICOTYLEDON AE. 



Familiar examples of these two great groups of herbs are 

 in the present series (Monocotyledonae) , corn, Lily of the 

 valley. Iris, Ladies' slipper, Gladiolus, and in the tropics, all 

 the palms. Grasses and sedges would come in here, if they 

 were admitted into this book. The other large group (Dicoty- 

 Icdonac) with netted-veined leaves, contains all other herbs, 

 such as the Daisy, Buttercup, Violet, Thistle, Mint, and hun- 

 dreds of others. 



Look, also among the plantains, No. 273, and at Painted 

 Cup, No. 626, for plants treated at those numbers, although 

 they have parallel-veined leaves. 



This first group, with parallel-veined leaves, and parts 

 of the flower in 3's, is divided thus : 



Individual flowers not minute, the petals well developed, and 

 often showy no. 2tZ 



Individual flowers minute, the petals often wanting, never showy 

 (except in the Water-plantain Family, No. 6), in various 

 kinds of clusters * 



* The flower clusters in this group of plants are often made up of 

 hundreds of tiny flowers. Each individual flower is usually too small 

 to attract general notice, but the clusters in which they are crowded 

 are familiar enough. Common examples are the Cat-tail, No. 4, 

 where the flower is reduced to a .few mere bristles (see Fig. 4), 

 and the Hur-reeds, Nos. 16-18, where the "bur" is made up of scores 

 of tiny flowers with scale-like parts, (see Figs. 16 and 18). Notice 

 carefully the distinction between the flower which may be too in- 

 conspicuous to attract notice and the flower-cluster which is often 

 quite striking. 



