No. i86. 



Herbs with Netted- Veined Leaves (Nos. 187-961.) 



(Dicotyledonae) . 



All the plants in this group, making up much the largest 

 part of our flora, have one or sometimes several main veins 

 to their leaves, but except in a few instances noted below, 

 none of these is parallel. There is always some sort of a net- 

 work arrangement of the leaf-veining, lateral branches of the 

 principal veins criss-crossing, sometimes rather regularly, but 

 often without apparent pattern. 



The flowers in this large group of netted-veined herbs may 

 be of any color, but all agree in having the parts of the flower 

 (petals etc.) in fours or fives, or multiples of these numbers. 

 Some families always have four petals, as in the mustard 

 and its relatives, for instance, others always five, as in the 

 rose family. In some cases, as explained at number 244, 

 there are no petals, and in the false mermaid, number 382, 

 there are only three. 



In such a large group of flowering plants it is obvious 

 that some general scheme of separating them must be de- 

 vised, and a major one is presented to us at once. All of 

 them must either be erect plants on the one hand, or climbing 

 or twining vines on the other, so we may begin separating 

 them thus: 



Plants not climbing, or twining, or sprawling over the ground. 

 Sometimes they may be weak and prostrate, but never true 



vines no. 243 



Climbing, or twining, or sprawling vines no. 187 



No. 187. 



Vines (Nos. 188-242.) 

 Vines are often many feet long, like the morning glory, 

 or short, like the ground nut, but all these have herbaceous 



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