166 
NATURAL FAMILIES. 
Class 8. 
Dicotyledons , corollas monopetalous, hypogenous , (below the 
germ.) 
The calyx is monophyllous ; corolla regular or irregular, 
bearing the stamens which generally alternate with its segments 
when of equal number : germ superior. 
The labiate flowers, ( Labiatce ) are found here ; they are 
monopetalous, consisting of one piece ; and are irregular in 
their outline and appearance. The term Labiate, derived from 
the Latin word labia , lips, has been given, on account of the 
flower appearing to be divided at the top into two parts, resem- 
bling the lips of a horse or other animal. This natural family 
is subdivided into ringent or gaping , where the entrance into 
the corolla is open, and personate or masked, where the corolla 
seems closed by a prominent throat or palate. 
Botanists have made some confusion in the use of these terms. 
Linnaeus called them all ringent, and then subdivided them into 
labiate, having lips, and personate , closed lips ; most other bota- 
nists following him have made the same division. You can 
easily see, that to take for a general term, having a gaping 
mouth or lips, and then to separate this class mto those which 
have lips, and those which have lips closed, is inconsistent. 
Thus instead of following a rule with regard to definitions, that 
as we proceed in more minute divisions, each branch is to con- 
tain all the qualities of the whole, or of the generic term, and 
some property or properties added to mark a specific difference ; 
in this case, the species labiate has a more general significa- 
tion than the generic term ringent. 
We shall then consider Labiate as the general term, and di- 
vide this tribe of plants into ringent, those that have lips gap- 
ing, and personate, or such as have the lips closed or muffled.* 
The labiate flowers have mostly four stamens of unequal 
length, standing in pairs, beneath an arch in the upper lip of 
the corolla. On account of this circumstance, they are ranked 
in the class Didynamia. A few of the labiate plants have but 
two stamens, and on that account, are placed in the class Dian- 
dria, as the sage and mountain mint (Monarda.) Here again 
the artificial system separates a tribe, which nature has made 
strikingly similar. If you examine a flower of this family, the 
balm or catmint, you will notice the arched upper lip of the petal 
* See Eaton’s Botanical Grammar for the same distinction, also Thorn- 
ton's Botany. 
Class eighth — Dicotyledonous — Corollas monopetalous, hvpogynous — 
Labiate flowers — Two divisions, ringeut and personate. 
