i8 FIVE CONSPICUOUS PLANT FAMILIES. 



The stamens do not exceed ten and are usually united by their 

 filaments. The leaves are mostly compound, with entire leaf- 

 lets. Papilionacese is the name that is now used as distinctive 

 of this family and in preference to that of Leguminosae, under 

 which they were formerly known. 



THE PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



PrzmulacecE. 



We may look upon the primrose family as a group that shows 

 us regular, perfect flowers. And after having tried our pa- 

 tience over the unexpected developments of other families it is 

 certainly a pleasure to come upon one of these straightforward 

 little blossoms, whose motto seems to be, to jog along as com- 

 fortably as possible and to make no mystery of its ways. There 

 is no lack of originality, however, among the primroses. The 

 shooting star is a very different-appearing flower from the spread- 

 ing poor-man's weather-glass, or the yellow loosestrife. It is not 

 a very large family and may be known on the whole as gamopet- 

 alous herbs that are arranged in divisions of five, rarely six or 

 seven. There are as many stamens as there are lobes of the 

 corolla, which are inserted on and opposite the latter. The 

 stigma and style are undivided. In fruit the ovary, which is 

 one-celled, enlarges into a pod ; and in different species the 

 number of seeds varies greatly. The leaves may be generally 

 said to be simple. The generic name, Primula, is from primus, 

 spring. Bryant says of the primrose : 



" Emblem of early sweetness, early death, 

 Nestled the lowly primrose." 



THE COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



Composites. 



The composite family, like the majority of mortals, has its 

 good and its bad characteristics; but if we drink deep enough 

 of knowledge of the family and put ourselves in friendship with 



