Linnean System of Plants. 351 
and flowers in the dreariest months of the year, and is elegant 
and ornamental at all seasons. It grows wild near the Lake 
of Killarney, in Ireland; but is by many persons supposed to 
have been originally introduced from the south of Europe. 
The two other species included in the British Flora are trail- 
ing shrubs, growing on mountainous heaths. Another elegant 
5 
genus of evergreens, very nearly related to the d’rbutus, is the 
‘Andrémeda, so called by Linnzeus, from the fair lady of that 
name, who was exposed to the fury of sea-monsters, and 
rescued by Perseus. We have one British species, men- 
tioned by Linneeus in that delightful work, his Tour in Lap- 
land. ‘The exotic species are numerous. Rivalling these in 
elegance of growth is the genus wintergreen (Pyrola), of 
which we have several British species growing in the woods 
of Scotland and the north of England. Among the more 
important productions of this order are, the logwood of com- 
merce, the Brazil wood of the dyers, lignum vite, mahogany, 
the balsam of capevi, and the quassia bark, so named in me- 
mory of the negro slave Quassi, who first discovered its valu- 
able properties. A very remarkable plant is Venus’s fly-trap 
(Dionze‘a muscipula), which, from the form and irritability 
of the leaves at their extremity, entraps small insects. Among 
the more ornamental plants generally cultivated in England 
are the rhododendrons, kalmias, and andromedas. In the 
second order, Digynia, are placed the Hydrangea (from two 
Greek words, signifying water and vessel, on account of the 
great quantity of water it consumes), the pink (Dianthus, 
from the Greek, signifying God’s flower, on account of its 
superior beauty) ; and the saxifrage, of which that delicate 
little plant called London Pride, so well known as thriving 
even in the smoke of cities, is a species. Another native 
species, S. granulata, affords to the 
young botanist an example of the gra- 
nulated root; in which a number of 
small solid knobs are conriected by 
fibres. (fig. 90.) 
A handsome and. fragrant native 
plant of this order is the soapwort 
(Saponaria officinalis), so called from 
the cleansing properties of the sap. 
The other orders are chiefly composed 
of plants of inferior note. 
In the next three classes we are to 
consider not only the number of sta- 
mens, but their insertion. The eleventh 
class, Dodecdndyia, includes plants of which the flowers have 
AA 4 
