CLASS HEXANDRIA. 157 



from a place beside the proud tulip and the noble lily. The onion 

 belongs to the natural order of Jussieu, Asphodeli* 



The Asphodel, which gives name to the family, was, among the 

 ancients, a funei'eal plant ; it was made to grow around the tombs, 

 and a belief prevailed that the manes of the departed were nourish- 

 ed by its roots. An inscription upon a very ancient tomb com- 

 mences thus, " / am nourished by the Asphodel^ This plant was sup- 

 posed by the ancient poets, to grow in abundance upon the borders 

 of the infernal regions. Fig. 129 represents a flower of the Asphodel 

 family, {Eucomis.) 



The genus Scilla is an exotic, containing the squill, a medicinal 

 plant, and the hare-bell of English poets ; the latter is Scilla nutans, 

 or nodding; it abounds in the woods and glens of Scotland, and has 

 a very slender scape. Thus Scott, in the " Lady of the Lake," says 

 of Ellen Douglas, 



" E'en the slight hare-bell raised its head 

 Elastic from her airy tread." 



The flower which we call hare-bell, is the Campanula rotundifo- 

 lia; this is very common near waterfalls, and upon rocks in other 

 situations. The barberry {Berheris) is common in New-England; 

 its stamens possess an unusual degree of irritabiUty ; they rechne 

 upon the petals, but when the bases of the filaments are touched by 

 any substance, they instantly spring towards the pistil. 



You may have observed, that although we have remarked upon 

 the beauty of some flowers to be found in this class, nothing has 

 been said of their utility ; the truth is, that the former, as is too often 

 the case with external beauty, constitutes their chief merit : when 

 we compare the advantages which the world derives from the costly 

 race of sho\\y tulips, with the utility of the humble flax, we feel that 

 though we may admire the one, reason would teach us to prefer the 

 other. May you from this derive a moral lesson, which shall sug- 

 gest to your minds some truths apphcable to our own race as well 

 as the plants. 



The genus Convallaria contains the lily of the valley, and many 

 other delicate and interesting species. Among these are Solomon's 

 seal. This name is supposed to have been taken from certain marks 

 on its ^oots, resembling the impressions made by a seal. It was for- 

 merly much celebrated for medicinal properties.! 



Order Digynia. 



Wf» here find the Rice (Oryza;) this belongs to the family of 

 grasses, which you have already met with in the class Triandria ; 

 out this plant having six stamens, is separated by the artificial sys- 

 tem from the tribe to which it is allied by natural characters. No 

 plant in the world appears of such general utility as an article of 

 food. It is the prevaiUng grain of Asia, Africa, the southern parts 

 of America, and is exported into every part of North America and 

 Europe. 



Order Trigynia. 



We here find the genus Rumex, which contains the dock and sorrel; 



♦ The Dracmna draco, belonging to this family, is represented in Plate i. Fig. 3, of 

 the Appendix. 



t Gerard, a very ancient botanist, has the following curious passage. "The root 

 of Solomon's seal stamped, while it is fresh and greene, and applied, taketh away in 

 one night, or two at the most, any bruse, black or blew spots gotten by fals, or wo- 

 man's wilfulness, in stumbling upon their hasty husband's fists, or such liJie." 



Aspnodeli— Scilla— Hare-bell— Barberry— Flowers of this class more remarkable 

 for beauty than utility— Convallaria— Rice— Rumex. 

 M 



