HOW TO ANALYZE, 127 



Lucy. "Stamens on the torus," &c. I think they are on the torus, and 

 not on the calyx. Next to No. 22. 



Emily. " Pistils few or many, distinct (at least as to the styles). 



"Pistils (styles, also, if any), completely united," I see many little 

 green pistils, quite distinct, in the centre of the flower. Goto No. 23. 



Caroline. "Petals five or more, deciduous. Leaves not peltate," &c. 

 This flower has five petals, but I do not know whether they are deciduous 

 or not. 



Teacher. Will some of you relieve Caroline's doubts? 



Emily. I think they are deciduous, for they have already fallen off from 

 several of my flowers. 



Teacher. True. Then what is Caroline's decision ? 



Caroline. I suppose, then, that the plant belongs to the " Order of the 

 Crowfoots," which is the first natural order. 



Teacher. Well done. This brings us to the order of which our plant 

 seems to be a member. Let us now turn to that order and learn the 

 genus of the plant. But before we look into the " Analysis of the Gen- 

 era," we should carefully compare our plant with the characters of the 

 order, so that we may be sure that we have not erred in our conclusion. 

 John will read aloud these characters, and the class will consider whether 

 their specimens answer to each. 



John (reads). "Herbs, rarely shrubs, with a colorless, acrid juice" (&c., 

 to the end). 



Teacher. Since we are now confident that we have a plant belonging 

 to the order of the Crowfoots, let us commence the "Analysis of the 

 Genera." Edward, the first couplet. 



Edward. " Sepals four, valvate in the bud. Achenia tailed. 



" Sepals imbricate in the bud." The sepals are imbricate. No. 2. 



Sarah. " Ovaries one-seeded, achenia in fruit. 



"Ovaries with two or more seeds." I find one seed in each ovary, — 

 indeed, the ovary is itself like a little seed. Pass to No. 8. 



Eliza {after reading the coiq^let). The greenish sepals are quite differ- 

 ent from the yellow petals. Go to the triplet marked d. 



Jane {after reading tlie three lines). As this plant has leaves on tlio 

 stem, and a little scale with honey at the base of each petal, I must pro 

 nounce it a Crowfoot, genus No. 4. 



Teacher. We now turn to that genus (page 147), and read its character 

 for the sake of confirmation and a better knowledge. 



