—— 
SAXIFRAGALS. 457 
carpels, and shiny in its lower parts ; it is with difficulty detached 
from the bottom of the calyx. 
The Meadow Sweet (Spirea ulmaria), which, like the preceding 
genera, have a five parted calyx and corolla, and numerous 
stamens, generally also five pistils, rarely from three to twelve. 
They are sessile, at the bottom of a receptacle hollowed like a 
rather deep cup, and enclosing in,a single cavity two series of 
anatropal ovules, generally suspended. When at maturity these 
become folicles which open at the summit by two valves. 
Meadow Sweets are herbs, shrubs, or under-shrubs, with simple 
or composed alternate leaves, with stipules adhering to the petioles, 
aving axillary or terminal flowers, disposed in white or red 
bunches, in corymbs, panicles, or fasicles. 
The Dropwort (Spirea _jfilipendula) is frequently to be met with 
“in chalky places; its flowers white, in terminal corymbs. Spirea 
ulmaria (Queen of the Meadows) displays its corymbs of delicate 
white flowers at the edges of water, or in damp fields. Another 
species, the Spirea aruncus, is not common among British plants ; 
the root was highly extolled in olden times as a tonic and febri- 
fuge. These three species are perennial herbs. Amongst the 
ligneous species which belong to ornamental gardening, many 
have showy flowers, generally white or red. The name is derived 
from speirao, to become spiral, in allusion to the ease with which 
their flexible branches twist into garlands. 
SAXIFRAGALS. 
Perigynous exogens, consisting of herbs, shrabe, and trees, with 
monodichlamydeous flowers—that is, having a calyx only, or both 
calyx and corolla with consolidated carpels; corolla polypetalous, 
if any. 
Herbs, shrubs, and sometim ; leaves alternate, sometimes 
in whorls, with or without seyelen: piretdhe stems simple, often naked, CCXIV. Saxifragacer. 
with styles —: in number to the carpels. 
8 
th opposite gr? leaves. without stipules, smooth or 
hrubs, wi 
downy ; lowers in cymes; styles distinct; calyx adherent to the CCXYV. Hydrangeacez. 
ule. 
shrubs, with opposite leaves, com 
ste e between the leaf stalks ; one four or eo cleft ; cane. four, ust CCXVI. Cunoniacee. 
Pp styles dis! 
Trees, es, with 2 eoriceong ie ie poole leaves ; flowers 
alburn =f 
idated styles ; many-leaved ped ie CCXVII. Brexiacez. 
ous, rarely shrubby, exogens, branches quadrangular, leaves 
erect flowers entire, soli Set clustered; calyx tubular, with 
on the margin; and consolidated style. 
CCXVIII. aan 
