xiv FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



CANDYTUFT {Iberis). A genus of Cnwiferos. Name Iberis, from 

 Iberta (Spain). Distinguished by unequal petals. See Brassicaceas order. 



p. 129. 



CUPHEA., from Jcuphos, curved, referring to the form of the seed- 

 pods. N.O., Lythracem. LnraraAKr : 11, Dodecandria ; 1, Monogynic. — 

 The Loosestrife family consists of herbs, shrubs, and trees, very variously 

 furnished with leaves and flowers, and consequently a troublesome one to 

 the student. The leaves are usually simple ; the flowers hermaphrodite ; 

 the calyx tubular, and the corolla is inserted in the summit of the tube. The 

 principal genera are Lythrum— of which we have a fine example in our 

 riverside plant, L. salicaria— Cuphea, Lagerstromia, Feplis, and Ameletia. 

 A member of this order, the Physocalymma floribunda of Brazil, supplies the 

 rosewood of commerce ; and another, the Lausoma alba of Egypt, is the 

 source of the celebrated henna, or heune\ which the ladies of the East 

 employ for dyeing their nails and fingers. p. 133. 



ACHILLEA, from Achilles, pupil of Chiron, who first used it in 

 medicine. It' is worthy of note that the mighty Achilles, who slew Hector, 

 at Troy, was trained in horse-riding by Chiron the Centaur. The coinci- 

 dence makes the derivation doubtful. 1ST.O., Composite, or Asteracece. 

 Linn^an: 19, Syngenesia ; 2, Superflua. — See under "Aster," in synopsis. 



' p. 137. 



DIELYTRA, from dis, two, and elytron, a sheath or wing-case. 

 It is also called Diclytra and Dicentra. N.O., Fumariacew. Linn^an : 17, 

 Siadelphia ; 2, Hexandria. — The plants of this order are herbs closely 

 allied to the poppies. The leaves are alternate, much divided ; flowers 

 irregular, sometimes in terminal racemes, sometimes opposite the leaves, 

 the colours usually purple, red, and yellow, more rarely white. Good 

 examples of structure are furnished by the wild fumitory, the corydalis, 

 and the dielytra. It will be seen~that the calyx consists of two flat pieces 

 that soon fall off ; the corolla is tubular, formed of four unequal petals. In 

 the fumitory the largest petal is drawn out into a spur ; but in dielytra 

 there is no spur. The fruit is usually a pod containing many seeds, which 

 are shed by the opening of the pod in two valves. The plants of this order 

 have but liltle importance in the arts, and they are, for the most part, 

 as innocuous as they are useless. The common fumitory (F. officinalis) 

 is, however, often used as a medicine in skin diseases, and as an aid to 

 the stomach after exhausting fevers. In many places the juices of the 

 fumitories or smoke-worts are used to curdle milk. p. 141. 



ZINNIA, named after J. G. Zinn, German Professor of Botany. 

 N.O., Composited, or Asteracem. Linn^ban: 19, Syngenesia ; 2, Snperflua. 

 — For characters see under " Aster." p. 145. 



