The Natural System of Botany. 173 



THE NATURAL SYSTEM OF BOTANY. 



NUMBER SIX. 



Order — Papaverace*:. The Poppy Tribe. 



This Order contains many plants well known for their pecu- 

 liar properties, and much cultivated. The insp.ssated juice 

 of several of the poppies forms the much used, and much 

 abused drug, opium. The order is nearly related, in some 

 respects, to Ranunculaceae. The leaves are generally deeply 

 divided, and the stamens are numerous, and arise from under- 

 neath the carpels. In these points, the resemblance to the 

 Crowfoot tribe is very strong ; but on examining any of the com- 

 mon species of Poppy, the carpels, instead of being separate, 

 will be found to have grown together into a single ovary ; the 

 styles are wanting, the stigmas are elevated hairy ridges, which 

 radiate from the centre to the circumference, of the top of the 

 ovary, forming a kind of star-like crown. On opening the 

 ovary, a single cell or cavity will be seen, with several little 

 partitions projecting from the sides towards the centre of the 

 cavity, and covered with a great number of very small ovules, 

 or young seeds. The calyx of the Poppy has only two sepals, 

 which completely enclose the bud before it expands, and the 

 corolla has four petals. These are the usual numbers, but 

 some of the tribe vary to three sepals and six petals. When 

 the stem of a Poppy is broken, a thick, milky, turbid juice 

 exudes, which contains the narcotic principle which gives its 

 value to opium. We have seen before that the juice of all the 

 Crowfoots is clear and watery — so that this is another striking 

 means of distinguishing the two orders. As the ovary of the 

 Poppy ripens, the outside becomes very hard and brittle, and 

 forms a hollow capsule, with a brownish shell, and the seeds 

 separate from their attachments, and when shaken rattle in 

 their case. The shell of the capsule becomes so firm and hard, 

 that the seeds could not find their way out, unless by some 

 especial contrivance. The lid, or top of the caDSule, is so 



