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102 



HOW PLANTS ARK CLASSII IKI) AND STIIUKD. 



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Turn now to tlie account of this family, and read over the descriptive marks 

 given, to see if you have been le<l to a ii<,'ht conchisictn. The description agrees, 

 ns far as it goes. Knowing the family, you now a.sk, — 



To what genus of this family does the |)lajit 'leiong ? Tlie genus gives the 

 principal name of the plant ; so this is tlu^ winie as asking. What is the plant's 

 name? Now, in every family which has several g<'nera oi* kinds under it, wo 

 have a key to the genera, like that which we have just used under the chiss to 

 find out the family. 'I'l-y the key, then, under this family, to find out the genus. 



This key hegins with a pair of lines, viz., " Climbing plants,'' Xr., and " Not 

 cliinl)ing, iV:c. Our plant agiees with the latter. Under this, in the next 

 rank, is a pair of lines, beginning with " ]*istils " (the second line of the pair is 

 the sixth on p. 1 17). You perceive that our plant falls under the iir.st. Under 

 this is the line beginning " Petals none." Our (lower has petals ; so pass on to 

 the other one of the pair, which is the lifth line on p. 1 17. '^j'h is reads " Petals 

 present as well as sepals, the latter falling ofY eai'ly " (which agrees) ; and leads 

 to the name of the genus, i.r., " {lldunnnidiK) C how foot." 



The first nanu\ in parenthe.ses and in Italic type, is the scientific or Latin 

 name of the genus ; the other, in small capitals, is the ])opular English name of 

 the genus. When we hav(! only one species to the genus, we do not in this 

 book proceed farther. But there are many Crowfoots, so you next inquire, — • 



What is tlie species ? I^ook on, till yo\i come to the name of the genus in 

 dark letters, on p. 118. Here a few more marks of the Ci-owfoot genus are 

 given ; and then the marks of ten common species of Crowfoot follow, nnder 

 several heads. We are supposed to have in our hands one of the two large 

 yellow-flowered species, commonly called Jiuttercu})s. Compare the specimens 

 with the divisions marked by stars. It cannot belong to that with one star, for 

 the petals are not white ; it does belong to that with two stars, for the petals 

 are yellow, and bear a little scale on the inside just above the bottom. Under 

 this are two divisions, marked with daggeis. Not growing under water, our 

 plant belongs to that marke<l -f- -J- . Under this are two further divisions, 

 marked ++ and ++ ++ : our plant, having the ''petals much longer than the calyx,'* 

 belongs to the second of these. 



Under this head are four species. Tlie English name is given at the beginning 

 of the line, in small capital letters ; a short de.scri})tion follows, and the scientific 

 or Latin name is ap})ended, in Italic letters, at the end. Here the li. of course 

 Stands for Ranunculus. A comparison with the description will show which 



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