143 CLASS PENTANDRIA. 



The Atropa mandragora must be distinguished from the Arilerican 

 mandrake ;* the latter bears a fruit which is pleasant to the taste, 

 and quite inoffensive ; its botanical name is Podophyllum ; and it is 

 found in the class Polyandria. You can see in this instance the im- 

 portance of botanical names. The common name, mandrake, has 

 been given to two plants essentially different ; but by the use of sci- 

 entific names, there is no danger of one being taken for the other, 

 by those who know any thing of botany. 



Before leaving this extensive natural order, M'e will notice the Mul- 

 lein, ( VerbascitM,) Which you must have seen too often to need any 

 description of its general appearance ;t but though its vatnral cha- 

 racters may so far have attracted your attention, that you know a 

 mullein from every other plant, you may not have examined its dif- 

 ferent parts M'ith a view to scientific arrangement ; — it has, like all 

 the plants of this natural order, a five-parted calyx, wheel-shaped 

 corolla with five unequal divisions. The stamens are declined, ot 

 turned downward, and bearded. The capsule is two-celled and 

 many-seeded. The leaves are oblong, acuminate, and decurrent. Or 

 with their bases extending downward around the stem ; they are 

 downy on both sides. The flowers are arranged along their stem, in 

 such a manner as to constitute what is called a spike. The botanical 

 name of the common mullein is Verbascum ihapstts ; a species small- 

 er and more deUcate than the common mullein, is often found in 

 woods ; this is the Verbascum blnttaria. This genus is less active in 

 its medicinal qualities than most others of the same family ; it is said 

 to possess anodyne prof^erties, and to be intoxicating to fish4 



L/ysimachice tr Priinulacecc.% 



The fifth class contains, in its lirst order, a family with wheel-form 

 corollas. Its most important genus is the Lysimachia or Loose- 

 strife, (see Fig. 127, a;) several species of it may be found in blos- 

 som in June and July, alon^ the banks of little brooks, and in low 

 meadow grounds. The racemosa, or cluster-flowered loose-strife, is 

 from one to two feet in height ; it bears a profusion of fine yellow 

 blossoms, in a loose raceme. It sometimes bears bulbs in the axils 

 of the leaves, and small branches. These bulbs, like those of the 

 crocus and omon, contain the rudiments of a new plant. 



The Primuld, from which this natural family was named by Pro- 

 fessor Lindley, is a beautiful genus ; most of its species blossom 

 early, whence its name, primula, from primus, first. The primula is 

 the proper prmrose ; it received its name in England, where it is 

 very common. The Primula vulgaris, is the common English prim- 

 rose ; — then there is the cowslip, {verts,) and oxlip, (elatior,) and 

 Scottish primrose, (scotica,) all difFefent species of the same genus. 

 These are cultivated in our gardens, as also the auricula, (often im- 

 properly called polyanthos ;) we have but one native species of pri- 

 mula, Which is much known; this is the farinosa, commonly called 

 bird's-eye primi'ose. When we read in the British poets about prim- 

 roses and cowslips, we must remember that they af-e not the same 

 flowers which we usually call by these names. 



The English cowslip, {Ptinfiula veris,) has the segments of its 



♦ Sometimes called may-apple. 



t By general appearance we mean, what the French botanists call the port of the 

 •plant, or what is technically called its habit. 

 t Smith. 

 § See Appendix, Plate vii. Fig. 9, for a plant of this family. 



What other plant has the same common name ?— Describe the mulloin — Differeni 

 species of Verbascum— Lysimachia— Primula. 



