THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. [May 



NATURAL SCIENCE. W>\ 



— . ' . w 



" Methodum intelligo naturae convenientem quae nee alienas species conjungit, qY 

 nee cognatas separat." — Rail Sylloge, ]V(sf., p. 15. V 



BOTANY— SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION. 



Much inquiry begins to be made as to the best system of Botany 

 to study by beginners ; we should say begin by all means with the 

 most useful and most complete, the fullest, most perfect and withal 

 the most easily understood and applied. But this leads us at once to 

 the important discussion of the merits of the several systems now 

 before the scientific world ; if it seem desirable, however, let the 

 matter be fully and fairly discussed, and to this end I propose the 

 question : — 



What system of Botanical classification is the most perfect and 

 commendable ! We shall receive any communications on the subject 

 which may be offered, and meanwhile will prepare a paper ourselves. 

 FACTS IN FOPULAR BOTANY. 



The Ground Nut of the fruit shops is the Jlrachis hypogea of au- 

 thors, called Munduli by the Negroe and others, a plant included in 

 the N. O. Leguminosee, or Pod plants (the Fabacae of Lindley — ) 

 to this Nat. Order also belongs the sensitive plant which being 

 furnished with a peculiar petiole, or leafstalk, droops when touched 

 by any object ; a superstitious idea was attached to this seeming 

 phenomenon, known no doubt to many of our fair readers. The 

 common annual sensitive plant is Mimosa pudica of authors; another 

 species is called sensitive, — not an annual, of more robust habit, and 

 not so sensitive as pudica ; another species less sensitive than either, 

 but more beautiful, is called Mimosa prostrata, a green-house trailer. 

 The scarlet sorts are familiar to amateurs in this neighborhood, having 

 once been connected with the Acacia genus or family. The Cream 

 Nut or Brazil Nut — a triangular rough nut, sold in the shops of your 

 city, is the produce of Bertholletia excelsa of authors, a lofty tree 

 of Brazil. The most lofty tree of the old Brazilian forests, is said 

 to be one which belong to the same Natural Order as the Brazil nut, 

 namely Lecythis Ollaria. The cannon ball tree also belongs here, 

 called so from its round, large seed. Drinking vessels similar to the 

 calabash, are made from the fruit of one of these trees, and many 

 parts of them are used by the natives in their domestic economy. 

 The name of the Order is LECYTHIDACE^S—no doubt a difficult 

 name for a child to get around. 



The G i n S e fl g of commerce is procured from a plant called Aralia, 

 some of its congen are natives of the United States — of the Nat. 

 Ord. ARALlACEiE. Aralia is a peculiarly striking and majestic 

 plant to be found growing at Bartram's garden, near the wooden 

 ^ bridge over the Baltimore Rail Road. 



