NATURAL FAMILIES. 
mum ) the fruit is below the top of the calyx and contains 
many cells; embryo without albumen. 
This family comprises the rose, (Rosa) apple, and peach. 
(amycdalos.) 
In this class is found a very large and important family, cal- 
led Leguminosce (leguminous) from the nature ol the fruit, 
which is of that kind called a legume ; the flowers of this fami- 
ly are also called papilionaceous , from a Latin word papiho , a 
butterfly, on account of the supposed resemblance between them 
and that insect ; they are generally flowers with brilliant colour- 
ing and of showy appearance. The sweet pea may be given 
as an example ; this unites to delicacy of colour and beauty ol 
form, a highly fragrant perfume. 
The flowers belonging to this natural family are so peculiar 
in appearance as to make them easily recognized. T he rose, 
the pink, and the bell-flower, are regular in their fornr ; that is, 
there is a symmetry and equality in their parts. In a regular 
§ corolla, if we suppose the point of a compass placed upon its 
centre, and a circle traced around the edge of the flower, each 
one of its divisions' will just touch the circle. There may, how- 
ever, be slight inequalities in regular corollas, as in the lily we 
sometimes see some petals a little longer than the others ; this 
is an exception to the general rule. 
You must learn to distinguish between rules and exceptions ; 
it is often owing to a want of this discrimination, that, young 
persons find difficulties in understanding a science ; they con- 
found the rules and exceptions, thinking very erroneously, that 
the knowledge of the one, is as important as that of the other. 
If a clear conception of general rules be established in the mind, 
the exceptions or variations will be gradually learned as you ap- 
ply the rules to particular cases. But if you attempt at the 
commencement of the study of any science, to learn all the ex- 
ceptions as well as rules, you will never obtain clear ideas upon 
the subject. 
You will recollect the general rules with respect to regular 
corollas. Irregular corollas differ so widely from these general 
rules, that you will be in little danger of mistaking them for ex- 
ceptions ; they constitute, indeed, a different natural family, 
though according to the artificial method of classification, they 
may often be placed near to regular corollas. Irregular corol- 
las are various in their forms ; the papilionaceous, which we 
are now considering, seem, as they stand upon their stem, to 
consist of an upper and under part. In examining a flower of 
Leguminosae, an important family — Its flowers called papilionaceous — 
Regular corollas — Irregular. Important to distinguish between rules and 
exceptions — 
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