140 GRASSES. 



early as March, there is of this genus a very distinct species, the 

 Crocus officinalis, or the true saffron, which appears among the late 

 flowers of autumn. The following beautiful Unes, respecting these 

 flowers, are from the pen of one* whose early and fervent piety, 

 marked him as a fit inhabitant of a purer sphere ;— a Christian phi- 

 losopher, he could see an invisible hand directing the operations of 

 nature. 



" Say, what impels, arnid surrounding snow 

 Congealed, tlie Crocus' flamy bud to grow ? 

 Say, what retards, amid the summer's blaze, 

 The autumnal bulb, till pale declining days ? 

 The God of seasons, whose pervading power 

 Controls the Sun, or sheds the fleecy shower ; 

 He bids each flower his quickening word obey : 

 Or to each Ungering bloom, enjoins delay." 



The Iris, or Fleur-de-Us,t (pronounced by a corruption of the 

 French language, foiver-de -luce,) is very curious in its structure. It 

 has no proper calyx, but a spatha; its corolla consists of six parts, 

 alternately rejiexed, or bent back, the pistil has three stigmas, which 

 appear at first view like petals. The Iris is so named from Iris, the 

 rainbow, on account of the various colours which it reflects, varying 

 from different shades of purple, into blue, orange, yellow, and white. 

 We have several native species of Iris, one of which, the common 

 blue flag, is found in wet places. The flowers are purple, streaked 

 with yellow; this is sometimes called Poison flag. The Crocus 

 and Iris are found in the natural family of Jussieu called IridcfE ; 

 this family belongs to the division of monocotyledons, having sta- 

 Fig. 123. mens around the germ, or perig-ynotts. Lin 



naeus calls the same plants Ensatce, from 

 the Latin word ensis, a sword, on account 

 of the shape of their leaves, which are long, 

 narrow, and pointed. 



Fig. 123 represents the Ixia, (blackberry- 

 lily ;) a, is an entire flower ; b, is the corolla 

 cut lengthwise, to show the three stamens. 

 The Ixia belongs to the same natural family 

 as the Iris and Crocus. At c, is the flower of 

 the matgrass, (Nardus,) having but one pis- 

 til ; this is separated from the grass family, 

 the greater part of which we shall meet with 

 in the next order of this class. 



Order Digynia. — The Grasses. 



The 2d Or-der of the third class contains the family of the grasses, 

 (Gramina ;) they are distinguished by a straight hollow, and jointed 

 stem, or ctdm j the long and Unear leaves are placed at each joint 

 of the stalk, in alternate order, enclosing it like a sheath. The 

 flower is found in what is called an ear or head ; it consists of a 

 corolla of two green husks, enclosed by a glume calyx of two husks 

 or valves. These husks constitute the chaffi which is separated from 

 the seed by an operation called thrashing. 



These little flowers are also furnished with a nectary; they are 

 green, like the rest of the plant, and you will need a microscope to 



* Henry Kirke White. 



t See Appendix, Plate vi. Fig. 6. At Plate vi. Fig. 5, is another plant of this clasa 

 and order. 



What is said of the Iris 7— In what natural families did .lussieu and LinnsBUS place 

 the Crocus and Iris— E.xplain P'ig. 123— Describe the grass family — The culm— glume. 



