484 ANGIOSPERMS 
pistils, and the number of each is indefinite, while in the Apple 
there are generally five united carpels, and in the Peach, Plum, 
Cherry, and Almond the number of carpels has settled down to 
one. There is also a noticeable tendency toward epigyny, for 
perigyny, which is common in the family, is a step toward 
epigyny (Fig. 431). The Rose family is the family of fruits. 
It includes Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Cherries, 
() 
Fic. 431. — Some flowers of the Rose family. At the left, a Strawberry 
flower, which has many stamens and pistils and is hypogynous; next, a flower 
of an Agrimony, and, at the extreme right, a Pear flower, both of which are 
perigynous and have few pistils with ovaries joined. 
Quinces, Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and some 
others. No one can estimate what this family contributes to 
the welfare of mankind. 
Some, like the Roses, Spireas, and Hawthornes, are impor- 
tant ornamental plants. Some of them, as the Cinquefoils 
or Five-fingers and the Agrimonies, are weeds. The Five- 
fingers grow in fields and crowd out other plants, while the 
Agrimonies grow in pastures, and their spiny fruits get in the 
wool and hair of live stock. 
Closely related to the Rose family is the Saxifrage family 
(Saxifragaceae), the family to which the Gooseberry, Currant, 
Syringa, and Hydrangea belong. 
Pea Family (Leguminosae). — The Pea family, which includes 
about 7000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, is the largest 
group of the Archichlamydeae. The flowers are hypogynous 
or somewhat perigynous, and the parts of the calyx and corolla 
are generally in fives. The stamens are usually 10, and 9 or all 
of them are joined. The petals are often irregular, as those of 
the Beans and Peas illustrate, and also show a tendency to 
