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CALCEOLARIA MIRABILIS. 



their affinities, is by far the most important part of botany. It is well known 

 indeed, as observed long ago by Linnseus and others, that plants which belong to 

 the same natural order generally possess the same virtues. But as some of our 

 readers possibly may not have directed their attention to the natural system of 

 botany, we shall take this opportunity of placing before them a concise exposition 

 of the principles upon which this improved and more philosophical mode of classi- 

 fication is founded. It is impossible to direct our attention to the economy of 

 vegetables without soon becoming acquainted with the fact, that a very large 

 proportion of plants bear flowers and produce seeds ; while others, such as Ferns, 

 Mosses, Lichens, Mushrooms, &c, have an obscure kind of fructification, but in 

 which we can perceive nothing like stamens and pistils, as in flowering plants. 

 They are accordingly divided into two distinct groups ; namely, phenogamous or 

 flowering, and cryptogamous or flowerless plants. As regards their general 

 structure, it has been ascertained that the former contain spiral and other vessels ; 

 while the latter, with the exception of the higher orders (as the Ferns), are 

 formed entirely of cellular tissue ; hence these two grand divisions are also called 

 vascular and cellular. Flowering, or vascular plants, are also separated into two 

 well-marked groups, called Exogens or Dicotyledons, and Endogens or Monoco- 

 tyledons, which are distinguished by their mode of growth and other obvious 

 characters. But for all practical purposes the" examination of a leaf is generally 

 sufficient ; exogens having their veins arranged in a net-like manner, while in 

 endogens they proceed in parallel lines either from the base to the apex, or from 

 the mid-rib to the margin. The rose may be taken as an example of the former ; 

 the tulip of the latter. Having proceeded far enough for our present purpose, let 

 us endeavour to trace our plant to its proper station in the natural arrangement. 

 By a mere glance at a Calceolaria, we perceive it to be a flowering or vascular 

 plant ; while its netted leaves as clearly show it to be an exogen or Dicotyledon. 

 If we now refer to any natural arrangement of plants (such as Dr. Lindley's Nat. 

 Syst. of Bot.), we find that Dicotyledons are divided into three sub-classes : — 

 1. Polypetalous — 2. Apetalous — S. Monopetalous. Calceolaria belongs of course 

 to the latter. Monopetalce are again divided into sections ; 1. ovary superior, 

 flowers regular — 2. ovary superior, flowers irregular : which is clearly the station 

 of our plant. Want of space here obliges us to quit a subject to which we shall 

 have frequent occasion to return. 



