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CHAPTER II. 



CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS ACCORDING TO THEIR 

 DURATION, HABIT, ETC. 



FOR horticultural purposes, the Vegetable Kingdom may be 

 divided into Woody and Herbaceous species. These terms are 

 almost sufficiently expressive without explanation ; but it is 

 necessary to mention that all plants with annual stems, whether 

 ligneous or otherwise, belong to the latter division. A few 

 tender ^hrubs, Fuchsias for example, are treated as herbaceous, 

 and cut down annually. 



L WOODY PLANTS. 



The following are the principal natural orders represented by 

 the woody vegetation of this country, whether indigenous or 

 introduced : Berberidaceae, Tiliaceae, Bhamnacese, Sapindaceae, 

 Ilicineaa, Caprifoliaceae, Cornaceae, Ericaceae, Ulmaeeae, Plata- 

 naceae, Betulaceae, Cupuliferae, Salicineas, and Coniferse. A few 

 species are contributed by the Magnoliaceae, Cistineae, Tamaris- 

 cineae, Simarubese, Celastrineae, Hamamelideae, Thymelaceae, 

 Elseagnaceae, Lauraceae. and Juglandacese. The orders here 

 enumerated are composed almost exclusively of woody plants. 

 The Rosaceoe, Leguminosae, Oleaceae, Saxifrageae, and Araliaceae 

 include nearly all the remaining species. Woody plants are 

 described as Arborescent or Frutescent. 



1. Arborescent. This division includes a vast number of 

 subjects, varying almost indefinitely in minor details, such as 

 size, habit, foliage, flowers, etc. Only those species which 

 naturally form a single stem, instead of branching out at the 

 base into a number of more or less equal ramifications, come 

 under this head. These may again be divided into Evergreen 

 trees, distinguished by their persistent foliage ; and Deciduous 

 trees, those which shed their foliage in autumn, or only retain 

 it in a withered or discoloured condition through the winter. 

 Some trees, it should be observed, which are evergreen in their 



