BOTANY. 



ments, a circumstance which is only an 

 index to other characters in the flower, 

 for there is a correspondent irregularity 

 in the form of the corolla. The class in 

 question is almost perfectly a natural one, 

 containing the Labiate, Ringens, or Per- 

 sonate flowers in general. The orders 

 are as natural as the class, being only 

 two, and founded on the structure of the 

 fruit. 



1. Gymnospermia. Seeds naked in the 

 bottom of the calyx, almost always four. 

 The plants are aromatic and wholesome. 

 Some of the principal genera are, Teucri- 

 um, Me nth a, Lavandula, Lamium, Thy- 

 mus, and Mehtis. 



2. Ang-iospermia. Seeds inclosed in a 

 seed-vessel, and generally very numerous. 

 The plants of this order are handsome, 

 but foetid and poisonous, quite distinct in 

 nature from those of the former, and 

 more akin to the Pentandria Monogynia. 

 The genera Bignonia and Antirrhinum 

 sometimes vary, with five stamens and re- 

 gular flowers. Interesting genera of this 

 order are, Pedicularis, Chelone, Antirrhi- 

 num, Linnsea, Orobanche, and Acanthus. 



XV. Tetradynamiu. Stamens four long 

 and two short. A natural class, compris- 

 ing the cruciform flowers, except Cleome, 

 which is thought to have been erroneous- 

 ly placed here. The orders are two, per- 

 fectly natural. 



1. Siliculosa. Fruit a roundish pod or 

 pouch, Myagrum, Draba, Lunaria, Aly- 

 sum, Cochlearia, Thlaspi. 



C 2. Siliquosa. Fruit a very long pod, 

 Dentaria, Cardamine, Cheiranthus, Bras- 

 sica, Sinapis. 



XVI. Monadelphia. Stamens united by 

 their filaments into one tube. This is the 

 first class in which the connection of those 

 parts is taken into consideration. Num- 

 ber therefore being here ot secondary 

 importance, serves to discriminate the 

 orders. 



1. Triandria. Sisyrinchium, Ferraria, 

 Tamarindus, Aphyteia. 



2. Pentandria. Erodium, Hermannia. 



3. Heptandria. Pelargonium only, se- 

 parated from Geranium by L'Herritier, 

 an eminent French botanist. 



4. Octandria. Aitonia, named by the 

 younger Linnaeus after the late Mr. Aiton 

 of Kew garden. 



5. Decandria. Geranium. 



6. Endecandria. Brownea only. 



7. Dodecandria. Stamens generally fif- 

 teen. Pterospermum, Pentapetes, &c. 



8. Polyandria. The finest order of the 

 whole, contains Malva, Sida, Althsa, La- 

 vatera, Gossypium, Hibiscus, Camellia, 



and others ; most mucilaginous emollient 

 plants. 



XVII. Diaddphia. Stamens united by 

 their filaments into two parcels, both 

 sometimes cohering at the base. Flowers 

 almost universally papilionaceous. 



1. Pentandria. Monnieria only. 



2. Hexandria. Saraca, Fumaria. 



3. Octandria. Polygala. 



4. Decandria. The largest and most 

 natural order, the sections of which re* 

 quire to be studied with care. 



* Stamens all united. These plants are 

 strictly monadelphous, and it is only on 

 account of their close affinity to the rest 

 of the order, that Linnaeus look the liber- 

 ty of placing them here. Some of them, 

 indeed, as Lupinus and Ulex, have the 

 tenth stamen unlike the rest, though unit- 

 ed with them below. No confusion arises 

 in practice from this seeming contradic- 

 tion of the character of the class, because 

 the habit of these flowers is so clear and 

 distinct from all others. If, however, a 

 papilionaceous plant has its ten stamens 

 all separate and unconnected, it is neces- 

 sarily to be referred to the tenth class. 



** Stigma downy. Without the cha- 

 racter of the foregoing section. Phase- 

 olus, Dolichus, Orobus, Pisum, Lathyrus, 

 Vicia, to which Dr. Smith has added. 

 Eroum, after separating from the latter 

 some species erroneously referred to it. 

 See Flora Britanica, 776. 



*** Legume imperfectly divided into 

 two cells. Always without the charac- 

 ter of the preceding sections. Biserrula, 

 Phaca, Astragalus, the last a very exten- 

 sive and intricate genus. 



**** Legume with scarcely more than 

 one seed. Psoralia, Trifolium, the latter a 

 very irregular genus in character, though 

 distinct in habit, sufficiently known for its 

 agricultural uses. 



***** Legume composed of single 

 valved joints, which are rarely solitary. 

 Hedysarum, Hippocrepis, Coronilla, Smi- 

 thia, the latter furnished with irritable 

 leaves like the true Sensitive plant or 

 Mimosa. 



****** Legume of one cell with seve- 

 ral seeds. Many species of Trifolium pro- 

 perly belong here, and have been sepa- 

 rated by some authors under the name of 

 Melilotus: also the valuable Indigofera, 

 with Cytisus, Robinia, Lotus, and Medi- 

 cago. 



XVIII. PalyadalpMa. Stamens united 

 by their filaments into more than two 

 parcels. Orders characterised by the 

 number or insertion of their stamens. In 

 this class Dr. Smith has made many cor- 



