The BRITISH HERBAL. 277 
ani'^rpba The borbonia and fforalia alfo have flowers compofed of five petals, though of the papiliO- 
mccous form ■ and thefe he introduces among the papilionaceous and leguminous plants. This .s the 
confcquence of his eftablifhing the characters of the clafs upon the peculiar difpofition of the threads 
in the flower- and this confufion being the refult of that character, fhews it to be falfe. Nature has 
pointed out a much plainer, which we have taken, and which never fails. 
Lmna:us calls thefe plants diaddpkia, becaufe the f.veral threads m the flower grow together in two 
feparate aflbrtmcnts. . , r n. i, j-n- a.- a ^yn A 
This is the account of his claffical charafter: but with relpeft to the proper diftmftion, eftabliflicd 
on the number, place, and form of the four petals in the flower, and tlie flrufture of the feed velTc!, 
more is to be obfcrved. 
The flower of all plants properly of this clafs, is formed, as we have obferved, of four petals j 
and thefe have diflinct names, which it is needful the ftudent eftablifli well in his memory, not only 
for underffanding what has been written concerning them, but that he may be able to fpeak pro- 
perly of the flower of each. This muft be defcribed on moft occafions by thefe its parts ; and 
they are thus named. , „ . .r , , , j 
The upper petal is called vexiUum. This is larger than the refl: : it nfes above the others, and 
in a manner covers them. It is inferted into the upper edge of the receptacle, and its form is roundifli 
or oblon.^. It has a kind of ridge or fold in the middle of the upper part, as if rifing from Come 
prelhire below ; and in the lower it falls over the reft in a rounded hollow fhape. At the fides 
there are two prominent parts formed by two hollows behind, which fall upon, and in fome dfgree 
prefs the two fides. 
The two fide-petals are called aU. Thefe are placed under the vexilkim, and on each fide of 
the Bower : they are a regular pair, aniwering exaftly in fiiape, fize, and fituation to one an- 
other. Thefe are of an oblong form, and are divided each at the bafe : the upper part of this 
divifion is fliort and inconfiderable, but the lower is very long and flendcr ; and it lies along the cup, 
■which it equal, in length ; and is infixed to the receptacle. 
The liiwer petal is called the carina : this is hollow, comprefled, and in fome degree of the 
Ihape of a boat : it is placed under the vexiUum, and between the aU. This petal is fplic 
like the alae at the bafe, and its lower part runs out in the fame manner into a long flip, which goes 
to the receptacle, and is there inferted. The upper part is interwoven with the upper divifion of 
the two alas. 
If the ftudent in this pleafing fcience will lay before him the frefh gathered flower of a bean, or 
fome other plant of this clafs ; obferve it entire, and examine it when taken to pieces, as he here 
reads the defcription of the whole, and of its fevcral parts, he will fix upon his mind in a very fa- 
miliar and lafting manner the ftruflure of a papilionaceous flower. 
The threads from whence Linna;us forms the charafter of his clafs are difpofed in this manner. 
They do not run free, and feparate, as on other occafions, the length of the flower ; but join thcmfelves 
to'Jether, and ibrm, not one, but two dit\hia and fcpaiatc nfiortmcnts. Of thele the lower, which 
is formed of the bodies of nine of the threads, is a thin membrane, furrounding in great part the rudi- 
ment of the fruit -, and the upper one, which is formed of the body of only a fingle one, lies upon 
it. The nine tops of the threads at the extremity of this body turn up, and imitate the form of the 
carina of the flower, in which they are enclofed. This body formed of the nine tlireads has a flit 
or opening at its top ; and the fingle thread, which lies above, fills up or covers this opening. This 
has its button at the extremity, and the nine points of the under body have alfo each its button ; fo 
that the whole number is ten. 
Such is the ftrufture of this part of the papilionaceous flower ; and thus Linns:us has him- 
felf eftablifhed it, when he explains it as the claflical charaSer : yet, in his diftribution of the 
genera under it, he introduces plants which have only fix of thefe points of threads, or buttons, and 
others which have eight. Thefe therefore contradict the very effential charadfer of his clafs, as him- 
felf has explained it. They are the fame genera in which the flower is formed of a fingle leaf: they 
are not properly plants of this clafs, and fliould not have been introduced into it. 
The carina, which is naturally and ufuaily an entire, fingle petal, is fometimes fplit in the lower 
part ; and the fifiiire in fome fpecies is continued almoft to the tip, in fome entirely ; but the ap- 
pearance is the fame. 
The cup in this clafs is univerfally of one ftrufture in the manner of the flower : it is cylindric, 
hollow, and large at the bafe, and is divided into five fegments at the edge ; the under one of which 
is quite unlike the reft, and longer than any. The upper pair are fhorter than the others, and 
Hand opener ; the other pair are longer and clofer. 
The regularity and uniformity in Nature in plants truly and properly of the fame clafs, is in no 
inftance feen fo clearly as in this. Thefe are very numerous yec they all agree in thefe fingular 
charadlers. 
SERIES 
