C 86 ) 
curious mechanifm of it's flowers. The ftruo 
ture of the ftamens and piftils of the clafs 
Gynandria, or twentieth clafs, is fo extraordi- 
nary as to be fuppofed by Linneus to occafion 
the unufual appearance of the flowers belong- 
ing to it. The orchis tribe, paffion-flower 
(paffiflora), and arum, wake-robin, are of this 
clafs ; the effential character of which is the 
ftamens growing on the ftyle, or on the re- 
ceptacle elongated into the form of a ftyle, 
bearing the piftil with the ftamens, and be- 
coming a part of the piftil, which part muft 
be well underftood before a diftincl idea of 
the fituation of the ftamens can be obtained. 
This clafs contains nine orders founded on 
the number of ftamens in each flower. The 
firft order, which is called Diandria, or two- 
llamens, is natural ; the genera differing 
from each other almoft only in the NecTrary. 
The ftruclure of the fructification of this 
order is very Angular ; for the germe, always 
beneath, is contorted : the petals are five, 
of which the two inner converge, fo as to 
refemble a helmet: the under lip conftitutes 
the Nedary^ which occupies the place of 
the piftil and fixth petal : the ftyle grows to 
the inner margin, and cm fcarcely be dif- 
. . tinguifhed 
