
18 FIVE CONSPICUOUS PLANT FAMILIES. 
The stamens do not exceed ten and are usually united by their 
filaments. The leaves are mostly compound, with entire leaf- 
lets. Papilionacez is the name that is now used as distinctive 
of this family and in preference to that of Leguminose, under 
which they were formerly known. | 
THE PRIMROSE FAMILY. 
Primulacea. 
We may look upon the primrose family asa group that shows 
us regular, perfect flowers. And after having tried our pa- 
tience over the unexpected developments of other families it is 
certainly a pleasure to come upon one of these straightforward 
little blossoms, whose motto seems to be, to jog along as com- 
fortably as possible and to make no mystery of its ways. There 
is no lack of originality, however, among the primroses, The 
shooting star isa very different-appearing flower from the spread- 
ing poor-man’s weather-glass, or the yellow loosestrife. It is not 
a very large family and may be known on the whole as gamopet- 
alous herbs that are arranged in divisions of five, rarely six or 
seven, There are as many stamens as there are lobes of the 
corolla, which are inserted on and opposite the latter. The 
stigma and style are undivided. In fruit the ovary, which is 
~ one-celled, enlarges into a pod;and in different species the 
number of seeds varies greatly. The leaves may be generally 
said to be simple. The generic name, Primula, is from primus, 
spring. Bryant says of the primrose : 
“ Emblem of early sweetness, early death, 
Nestled the lowly primrose.” 
THE COMPOSITE FAMILY: 
Composite. 
The composite family, like the majority of mortals, has its 
good and its bad characteristics; but if we drink deep enough 
of knowledge of the family and put ourselves in friendship with 

