334 The Natural System of Botany. 



called Sweet Gum, from the aromatic balsam which is derived 

 from it. 



Platanacejb. This order contains only the genus Pl a . 

 tanus (Plane-tree, Button-ball or Sycamore), a very large and 

 noble tree. 



Urticace.£. The Nettle Tribe. This is a large order of 

 trees, shrubs and herbs. It is divided into four sub-orders : 



1. Artocarpejs. Tropical plants. Ex.: Artocarpus (The 

 Bread-fruit). 



2. More*:. Ex. : Morus (The Mulberry), Ficus (The Fig). 



3. UrticejE. Ex. : Urtica (The Nettle). 



4. CannabinejE. Ex. : Cannabis (The Hemp), Humulus 

 (The Hop.) • 



The juice of nearly all the order is deleterious, while the 

 fruit is generally harmless. That terrible poison, the Bokon 

 Upas, is the inspissated juice of a species of Antiaris. Ficus 

 religiosa is the renowned Banyan tree; F. Indica produces 

 Gum lac ; F. Carica affords the Fig. Bread-fruit is the pro- 

 duct of Artocarpus, and Mulberries of Morus nigra. Every- 

 one knows the uses of Hops and of Hemp, and the unpleasant 

 properties of the Nettle. 



Class II. — Gymnospermous Exogenous Plants. 



The Gymnosperms are distinguished by their truly naked 

 seeds. The ovules are not enclosed in a pericarp, and are 

 fertilized without a pistil. 



Conifers. The Fir Tribe. Perhaps there is not a more 

 important order than this. It contains some of the noblest of 

 all trees, which furnish the timber and the resinous matters so 

 universally used. Differences in the structure of the flowers 

 and fruit have caused the following sub-divisions to be adopted : 



1. Abietine-e. Ex.: Pinus (The Pine), Abies (The Fir or 

 Spruce). 



2. Cupressine^e. Ex. : Cupressus (The Cypress), Juni- 

 perus, (Juniper and Red Cedar). 



3. Taxineje. Ex.: Taxus (The Yew-tree.) 

 Cycadace-e. These are singular tropical plants, with un- 



branched, cylindrical trunks. Their fruit, like that of the 



