SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 3 
three sepals and three petals (i. e., a perianth of six leaves or lobes), three 
or six stamens and three or six pistils (generally united to forma compound 
pistil with a three or six-celled ovary) the plant is an endogen. When 
the leaves are netted-veined, and the parts of the flower are not all in 
threes, the plant is an exogen. 
It is a good plan to write out a description of a plant before 
attempting to ascertain its name. The parts may be described in this 
order: Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers, Fruit. 
You may find a smooth plant bearing a loose raceme of red flowers, 
one of which is represented in Fig. 57. The 
floral leaves are all colored, but there are 
evidently two sets; viz.: a calyx of 5 sepals 
inclosing a corolla of 4 petals. The parts of 
the flower, then, are not in threes; and, since 
the palmately lobed leaves are netted-veined 
the plant must be an exogen. Turning to 
the key, we proceed as follows: 
The plant must belong in ‘‘ Divisron 1,” since by carefully removing the sepals 
and petals we find that the latter are separate from each other. It must be found under 
“‘A.” for there are many stamens. The stamens are free from the calyx and corolla, i. e., 
they are hypogynous; so we read the next line: ‘ Pistils, few to many distinct carpels, 
rarely one.” Our flower has three distinct carpels, therefore we feel sure that it must 
be sought under one of the next five equal lines beginning with ‘‘Calyx.” As the 
calyx is easily shaken off from the older flowers we decide that it is deciduous. The 
juice is colorless also. We turn, therefore, to Ranuncutaces®, p. 16. The description 
of. the order is satisfactory. The key to the genera begins with the heading ‘‘* Flowers 
regular.” Ours is not, for the upper sepal is unlike the others. ‘‘** Flowers irregular ; 
colored sepals conspicuous,” is right, We now choose between ‘Upper sepal spurred,’ 
and ‘‘Upper sepal hooded.” Evidently the first 
is right, and the genus is Delphinium. We find 
that the generic description on p. 18 fits our 
plant. The last species being the only one with 
red flowers, we decide that our plant is Del- 
"7. phinium nudicaule, or the Naked-stemmed Lark- 
spur. 
The order Leguminose, or the 
Pea Family, is one that you will soon 
