now TO rs:: tiik ropci^AU ri.oUA. 



105 



'328. With plants in band, turn to |». 1C9, nnd conipaio with the distinguish- 

 ing marks of Chiss f. A sHcc across the stem shows no rin«,' of wood around i\ 

 pith. Tlie leaves are not nctted-veined. 'l\w parts of the flowei- are not ir\ 

 fives or fours, ])ut in sixes, that is. twice threes. So (lie j>lant dot's not ai,Meo 

 with Class I. in any respect. Tniii thei-cfor<' to Class II., on p. 207. J'ixamin- 

 in:,' slices of tlie stem with a iiiagnif\ iiig-;,dass, you may linil threads of wood 

 interspersed in the cellular part or pitli. The leaves are parallel-veiru'd ( •""iif 

 502, 50,). The llowers ha\e their paits in thiees or twice thi'ces; /.^'., the cup 

 of the hlossom has six lolie^, iin<l there are six stamens; iind. altnough theie is 

 only one pistil, the sii<,'ma is three-lohed and the o\;iry has three cells, showin*^ 

 that it is composed of three pistils <,M()wn into one. So, without looking; for the 

 emhryo in a ripe seed, which is not often to lie had, you are sure tluj pl.int 



belongs to Class IT. EndOGKNS or IMnMKOTVl.liDnNS. 



329. To Iind out the family or order the j)l;mt heloiiirs to. try the Key. Therfj 

 nre three divisions of the class. Fiist, {\\o ISpai/irrmis, which has the flowers ses- 

 sile on a s[)adix or fleshy axis. Not so w ith the plant in hand, which has drooping 

 blossoms in a sU'iider raceme. J'ass on, therefoie, to the sec()nd or I'rhilnidi ttrn 

 division. Jn this the llowers are not on a sj»a<lix, nor enclosed in (thalVy bracts or 

 glumes, and they have a calyx and corolla, or a })erianth coloured like a corolla. 

 Our plant l)el()ngs to this ('i\ ision. The first line utuh-r it reads: '* J'erianthfreefroui 

 the ovary ; " this is the case in our plant. J^roceed to the next rank : '• ( )t' 3 green 

 or greenish sepals and 3 di>t inct and colouivd petals.'' Not so ii\ our plant ; so wo 

 pass to the corresponding line : •" ( )f 6 p<'tal-like leaves in two ranks, or 6 lobed an<l 

 all coloured alike." Here our plant belongs. J^roceed to the two lines under this, 

 beginning with theword "Stamens." Our flowers have six stamens; sowctaketho 

 .second line of the pair, P.ass to the two lines of the next rank, beginning with 

 "Anthers." These in our plant are turned inwards : .so we take the second line of 

 the pair. an<l are led to the Lily Family, p. 2 1 3. Turn to that page : read over tho 

 marks of the family, and go on to ascertain tlu; genus. I laving few seeds or ovules 

 in the ovary, small flowers, an<l running rootstocks, we iind our plant to agree with 

 the first line of the key to the genera of the Lily Family, The simjile and naked 

 Hcape or flower-stalk from the ground. iVc. accords with the third line of the next 

 rank ; and the flowers in a raceme answer to the first of the two lines under that. 

 And this brings ns to the name of the genus, viz., in Litin form, Convallaria ; 

 in Knglish, J.ii,y ok TiMi Valley, — the only specicoS of the genus. . , . „ 



