■sYxorsis. 



ANEMONE, from atwuio.'^, the wind, iu allus^iou to the breezy si3ots 

 the more hardy sjieeies love. N".0 , liauioicxJaccce, or Crowfoots. Linn.'Ran : 

 13, Folyandnx : (i, I'uhjrjiiniii. — Tlie crowfoot or buttercup order is arranged 

 in five groups or tribes, com2irisiug severally — (1) the clematis and its near 

 kindred, such as the atra^ene, i;c. ; ('2) the anemone, adonis, tlialictrum, ikc. ; 

 (3) the ranunculus and tieai-ia ; (4) the hellebore, caltha, trolUus, aconite, 

 delphinium. is.Q. ; ('i) the acttea and podo])hyllum. The plants of this order 

 are scattered all over the world, mo^t plentifully in temperafe and arctic 

 climes, most rarely iu the tropics, except in high altitudes where a temperate 

 climate prevails. Comparatively few of them are serviceable to man other- 

 wise than by their beauty. The buttercups are never willingly eaten by 

 cattle, but when made into hay are innoruous and possibly serviceable. A 

 curious exception to the dislike of cattle to 2^k\nts of the buttercup order is 

 afforded by the water crowfoot {Rfniiiiu-iihis aqitatilia)^ which iu many parts 

 of the country is drawn from the streams where it grows plentifully as fodder 

 for cows that eat it "reedily. All true liaiiuncidacfc have a watery juice, 

 di\-ided leaves, and the Howers are divided in thret;s and sixes; the petals 

 distinct, inserted under the ovary. The anemones have a coloured calyx, 

 and often the seed-vessels have a long bearded style. p. 137. 



MEZEREON is an Arabic name, and signifies '' tlie rlostroyer of 

 life," from its caustic projierties. Of the generic name DAphne it cannot be 

 needful here to speak. N.O. . Thijuichicca', or Daplmads. Linn^an : S, 

 Octaiidna ; 1, Moiiof/i/i'"'- — It is necessary to si:>eak a word of caution here. 

 The TJn/uH'lacecc^ it will be observed, are Daphuads and not Labiates. Our 

 sweet old friend the tliyme, or thymus, is uot iu the story at all ; that fragrant 

 herb is a labiate, as are very many of our most valued aromatic pot-herbs. 

 The Daphues are spurge laurels, and poisonous, although in many cases 

 useful for their active properties. In this group of plants we find the beau- 

 tiful pimelea, the curious bauksia, the lovely daphne, and the thymelea. 

 The mezereon is not without renown as an operative agent, for in Siberia the 

 dandies (and the ladies too, perhaps) rub their cheeks with its berries to 

 produce by ii-ritation a red colour, the hue of the rose or the poppy being 

 lu-eferred. ' The lace-bark tree {Lafjetta liftt^'ariit) belongs to this family, 

 and the eagle-wood {^Iqiiihiyia ovate] is another important member, furnish- 

 ing cue of the lign-aloes p. 141. 



DOUBLE PRIMROSE is of scientific interest as illustrating the 

 physiological changes that accompany the doubling iimcess. The double 

 varieties demand more care than the single, and are more difhcult to multiply, 

 as they produce no seed, or so little and in such an uncertain manner that 

 we cannot reasonably exj^ect ti^ secure it except l)y systematic attention and 

 aided by experience iu the matter. 2J. 11'). 



MALLOW is from ufa/ac/io, iu reference to the emollient or softening 

 properties of the plant. N.O., Jlalcacetc. Linn^an : IG, Mo)/adc!phia ; 8, 

 To/i/andria. — The mallows are a great and grand family, comprising the 

 mallows of the field, the hollyhocks of the garden, the abutillons of the 

 greenhouse, the hibiscus of the stove, and the cotton plant of the world. 

 These plants have a strong family likeuess : the calyx and corolla are usually 

 in five divisions, the stamens indefinite and united in the form of a tube 

 which sheathes the style, the pistil prominent above all. the fruit a many- 

 celled circular capsule containing the seeds. All the mallows are innocuous ; 

 most of them are highly charged with mucilage, and not a few are useful as 

 food or as .suppl5'ing fibres of various qu;ilitips. p. 149. 



