HOW TO ANALYZE. 127 
Lucy. “Stamens on the torus,” &, I think they are on the torus, and 
not on the calyx. Next to No, 22. 
Emily. “Pistils few or many, distinct (at least as to the styles). 
“*Pistils (styles, also, if any), completely united.” I see many little 
green pistils, quite distinct, in the centre of the flower. Goto No. 23. 
Caroline. ‘Petals five or more, deciduous. Leaves not peltate,” &c. 
This flower has five petals, but I do not know whether they are deciduous 
or not. a 
Teacher. Will some of yuu relieve Caroline’s doubts? 
Emily. I think they are deciduous, for they have already fallen off from 
several of my flowers. 
Teacher. True. Then what is Caroline’s decision? 
Caroline. I suppose, then, that the plant belongs to the “ Order of the 
Crowfoots,” which is the first natural order, , 
Teacher. Well doue. This brings us to the order of which our plant 
seems to be a member. Let us now turn to that order and learn the 
genus of the plant. But before we look into the “ Analysis of the Gen- 
era,” we should carefully compare our plant with the characters of the 
order, so that we may be sure that we have not erred in our conclusion. 
John will read aloud these characters, and the class will consider whether 
their specimens answer to each. 
John (reads). ‘‘ Herbs, rarely shrubs, with a colorless, acrid juice” (&c., 
to the end). 
Teacher. Since we are now confident that we have a plant belonging 
to the order of the Crowfoots, let us commence the “Analysis of the 
Genera.” Edward, the first couplet. 
Edward. “Sepals four, valvate in the bud. Achenia tailed. 
“Sepals imbricate in the bud.” The sepals are imbricate. No. 2. 
Sarah. “ Ovaries one-seeded, achenia in fruit. 
“Ovaries with two or more seeds.” I find one seed in each ovary,— 
indeed, the ovary is itself like a little seed. Pass to No. 3. 
Eliza (after reading the couplet). The greenish sepals are quite differ- 
ent from the yellow petals. Go to the triplet marked d. 
Jane (after reading the three lines). As this plant has leaves on the 
stem, anda little scale with honey at the base of each petal, I must pro- 
nounce it a Crowfoot, genus No. 4. 
Teacher. We now turn to that genus (page 147), and read its character 
for the sake of confirmation and a better knowledre. 
