142 Linnean System of Plants. 
Egypt, as a medicine possessing the most extraordinary 
virtues. It is mentioned in the Old Testament, and by Josephus, 
as an article of great price. ‘The rose-wood of Jamaica is 
obtained from a species of Amyris. 
The Lawsonza inérmis (unarmed Lawsonia) is the henna 
of the Arabians, with the pulverised leaves of which the ladies 
dye their nails red. 
The order Diginia is small, and of little note. In the 
third order is the genus Pol¥gonum (polys, many, gonu, a 
joint), familiarly called persicaria, or knot-grass. It is a 
large genus, pr oducing a profusion of small, triangular, black 
seeds, which, in some of the species, are very nutritiv Gey: 
Fagopyrum (fagus, a beech, pyros, corn; its grain like the 
mast of beech), commonly called buck-wheat, is chiefly used 
in this country for feeding poultry, or sometimes for making 
crumpets ; but in the United States it is cultivated largely for 
the use of man. PP. aviculare (seeds grateful to small birds) 
may be called bird’s-wheat; its seeds are a great resource to 
many small birds. P. Convélvulus (climbing buck-wheat), 
also, is a wholesome grain, left to the birds to gather. We 
have ten British species, most of them common in barren 
ground, where they spread very fast; the flowers are small, 
and have no corolla, yet some of aes are remarkably ean. 
ful under a microscope; the calyx being coloured, and, in 
many instances, variegated. Sev eral foreign species are cae 
tivated in our gardens. 
The most remarkable production of the fourth order, Te- 
tragynia, is that rare British plant true-love, Paris (par, equal; 
regularity of parts) quadrifolia (four-leaved) : the flowers are 
green, as they should be, for youth is the season of love. The 
Teaves are commonly ceeds for, as Shakspeare says, “ The 
course of true love never did run HN ee The fruit is reputed 
dangerous ! 
There are two other British genera of this order, and about 
as many more of foreign growth, but they are plants of little 
note. 
(To be concluded in our next.) 
