50 



LINARIA TRIORNITHOPHORA. 



but the plant in the Birmingham Botanic Garden, from which we describe, 

 has proved itself perfectly hardy, having endured two winters. It perfects its 

 seeds very sparingly, but may be readily increased by suckers, which are sent up 

 in abundance from its creeping roots whenever they come near the surface. It 

 will succeed well in any light soil. Some of the suckers may be planted in autumn 

 in small pots, placed in a cool frame, and planted out in spring. This precaution 

 is scarcely necessary in a dry light soil, but is absolutely so where the soil is either 

 wet or stiff. 



The geographical distribution of this tribe appears to be chiefly European, 

 and some few have been found in Africa, America, and India. Little appears to 

 be known of their medical properties in which much confidence can be placed. 



We stated in our last number (fol. 36) that dicotyledonous plants are divided 

 into three sub-classes, viz. Polypetalous, Apetalous, and Monopetalous ; and we 

 take this opportunity of returning to the subject. The term Monopetalous was 

 given by Linnaeus to the corollas of those plants which are apparently in one 

 piece, like our present plant, or a Campanula. At that time their structure was 

 not so well known as at present. The celebrated De Candolle (than whom no 

 person has done more to solve the intricacies of the science) having discovered 

 that such flowers, instead of being composed of one lamina, are composed of many 

 united by their edges, has proposed the term Gamopetalum, from Ta^os, mar- 

 riage, and TlzraXov, a petal, which accurately expresses that union, and which 

 has been adopted by most of the Continental Botanists, and is now beginning to 

 be used by those in England. This division is a most comprehensive one, con- 

 taining some of the most extensive tribes in nature, as the Labiataa or Mint 

 Tribe ; the Scrophularinese or Snap-dragon Tribe ; the Compositee or Dandelion 

 Tribe, Sec. Our space does not permit us to dwell on the subject at this time ; 

 we shall however pursue it more in detail in our next number. 



The generic name is derived from Linum, flax, from the resemblance which 

 some of the species, when out of flower, are thought to bear to that plant. The 

 specific name is from Tpia, three, and OpvbOos, a bird, in allusion to the form of 

 the flowers, which present the fanciful appearance of three little birds seated in 

 the spur. 



Fig. 1, a flower, with the lower lip depressed to show its striated inner surface, 

 and the attachment of the stamens ; 2, seed vessel. 



