88 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



ral; styles simple ; ovules anatropal. Fruit either con- 

 sisting of dry akenia, or baccate with one or more seeds ; 

 or follicular with one or two valves. Seeds albuminous ; 

 when solitary, either erect or pendulous. Embryo 

 minute. Albumen horny." 



The reader may here truly exclaim, " Save me from 

 being obliged to study botany." But these characters 

 are perfectly legitimate, and plants cannot be scientifi- 

 cally studied without them. It is nevertheless possible 

 to obtain a practical acquaintance with the families of 

 plants without the necessity of having to study the more 

 obscure parts of their organism. For that purpose I have, 

 in drawing up the characters of the families, only taken 

 into account the most obvious parts, especially as regards 

 their mode of growth and general habit, only noticing 

 (and not in all cases) the parts of the flower and nature 

 of the fruit, which I consider will be sufficient to convey 

 a general idea of the plants constituting each family. 



In compiling this part of the work, I have been greatly 

 assisted by the opportunities afforded me at Kew of ex- 

 amining a greater or less number of species belonging 

 to the families of flowering plants enumerated by Dr. 

 Lindley, of only thirty of which I have not seen examples 

 in a living state. 



Admitting the characters of the classes and orders 

 (families) of the natural system to be more com- 

 plex and intricate than the Linnaean, nevertheless on 

 acquiring a knowledge of the principles on which it is 

 established, it will be found to possess merits much be- 

 yond that of the Linnaean. For as regards the latter, 

 no decision can be arrived at unless the plants are in 

 flower. But on becoming practically acquainted with 

 the general habit and nature of any number of species 



