LESSONS IN BOTANY. 241 



from which to study the characteristics of the dicotyledons ; the 

 same general plan may be followed as in the study of the trillium 

 and oat. The bean plant can be grown easily at any time of the 

 year, and its whole life history can be studied easily by starting 

 a number of plants, and examining different individuals in the 

 various stages of germination, growth and maturity. 



The Ericaceae or Heath Family is composed mainly of shrubby 

 plants which have monopetalous regular or irregular flowers, 

 and the calyx tube sometimes free and sometimes adherent to 

 the ovary. This family includes the huckleberry, cranberry and 

 blueberry; the wintergreen, trailing arbutus, laurel and other 

 beautiful flowering shrubs. 



The Solonacese or Nightshade Family includes the potato, 

 tomato, and tobacco; red pepper, henbane, belladonna, bit- 

 ter-sweet, and other important plants. These plants have regu- 

 lar monopetalous flowers, a two-celled many seeded ovary, and 

 generally a colorless poisonous juice, with a strong unpleasant 

 odor; many of them are cultivated for their beautiful flowers. 

 While this family is important and interesting, it is peculiar, 

 presenting many sharp contrasts. The potato and tobacco, 

 natives of America, are now cultivated and used in all parts of 

 the earth. 



The Figwort Family is made up mostly of herbs and shrubs, 

 with a more or less irregular monopetalous corolla and a two- 

 celled ovary. There is often an interesting irregularity among 

 the stamens, only a portion of them bearing anthers. In the 

 pentstemons and others there are four anther-bearing stamens, 

 the fifth represented by a barren filament or a scale. The family 

 includes many plants that are cultivated for ornament, as the 

 pentstemon, castilleia, veronica and others. Digitalis, used in 

 medicine, and many coarse weeds are also members of this family. 

 These plants are widely distributed from the tropics to the limits 

 of vegetation towards the poles. A castilleia and a mustard 

 were found at higher elevations on Mount Orizaba than any 

 other flowering plants. 



The Labiatss or Mint Family consists of square-stemmed, 



L. S. 16 



