174* LETTER XLIII. 



whorled leaves, solitar}' flowers, two cells to the ovary, 

 and dry bur-like fruit. But such matters are irre- 

 levant to the discussion ; for as there is no question as 

 to the great difference of these two plants, the point to 

 determine is, whether they are related to each other, 

 and, if so, in what degree. It is impossible to deny 

 that the points of coincidence which I have named to 

 you, are sufficient to establish the fact of their re- 

 lationship; and, therefore, as it is proved that the 

 Goosegrass is related to the Elder, and the Elder to 

 the Honeysuckle, it follows that the Goosegrass and 

 the Honeysuckle are also related to each other; but 

 not equally. The Elder and the Honeysuckle are 

 plants of the same natural Order (or Tribe, as it has 

 pleased us to call natural Orders in this correspon- 

 dence), and may therefore be said to be related to each 

 other in the first degree ; Goosegrass, on the contrary, 

 belongs to a distinct natural Order, and therefore can- 

 not be related in more than the second deg-ree. 



Goosegrass may, in fact, be taken as the type of 

 the Madder Tribe, the peculiar distinctions of which 

 are drawn from the angular stems, whorled leaves, and 

 double one-seeded ovary. Madder itself (Rubia tinc- 

 torum), from the roots of which a valuable dye is 

 extracted, is very much like a Galium, but is more 

 vigorous in its mode of growth, has larger hooks, and 

 a succulent fruit; in which latter respect a greater 

 approach is made to the Elder than in the case of 

 Bedstraw. 



In the wild places of this country, plants of the 

 Madder Tribe abound. The Galiums, of which there 



