BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 33 



est number of species, the best botanist is 

 shown. A species is a family agreeing with 

 each other in every particular, except in some 

 instances where cultivation produces what are 

 called varieties. Thus, all the yellow roses 

 form one species, the damask roses another, the 

 Frrnch roses a third, and so on through a great 

 number. 



L. But is there not some mode of grouping 

 the roses under one head which will distinguish 

 them from pinks, and lilacs, and other flowers, 

 as the species show a difference between them- 

 selves? 



E. Yes. A number of species form a genus. 

 All flowers with a pitcher-shaped calyx, which 

 is fleshy, contracted at the base, and divided 

 into five parts that adhere to each other the 

 corollas of which have fine petals, and inside 

 many hairy seeds affixed to the calyx belong 

 to the rose genus. A genus may be compared 

 to an ordinary family, all of whom bear the 

 same surname, though each person is distin- 

 guished by a particular specific name. The 

 genus is constituted by the presence, or absence, 

 the number, figure, proportion, and situation of 

 the several parts : in fixing on these it was, of 







