CLASS DIANDRIA. 
179 
markable for the peculiar yellow color of it3 bark ; here also is 
found the Ginger, which grows wild in some parts of Asia, and 
is cultivated in the East and West Indies. The flowers of the 
Ginger are beautiful and fragrant ; the root only is used in 
commerce. The Ginger ( Ammonium, ,) belongs to the natural 
order Scitaminece, which embraces several genera of aromatic 
plants. The distinguishing marks of this natural family are an 
herbaceous stem, very broad leaves, a germ with three corners, 
and a liliaceous corolla. 
The red valerian (valeriana rubra), has but one stamen, and 
might seem properly placed in this class, but other species of 
this plant having three stamens, this one goes with the majority 
into the class Triandria. It is however not common for differ- 
ent species of one genus to differ in their number of stamens. 
ORDER DIGYNIA. \ 
Contains an american plant, elitum, which is destitute of a 
Diandria. — Containing three Orders. 
ORDER MONOCYNIA. 
This, though more extensive than the class Monandria, is 
somewhat limited. We can however, without difficulty, find ex- 
amples for its illustration. The Lilac, (Syringa,) is cultivated 
in all parts of our country, and is exceeded in beauty by few 
ornamental shrubs, in fragrance perhaps by none. 
The Corolla is salver form, or with a tube which spreads out 
into a flat, four-parted border. You might, at first view, sup- 
pose the corolla to consist of several petals, but if you attempt 
to pull them out they will all come off together, and you will 
plainly perceive there is but one piece, or that it is monopeta- 
lous. In flowers of one petal, the stamens are generally fasten- 
ed to the corolla ; where there are several petals, the stamens 
are mostly attached to the receptacle ; this affords a good mark 
of distinction between the two kinds of corollas. 
You will perceive in the lilac, the two stamens standing op- 
posite to each other, and fastened to the corolla. The form in 
which the blossoms are crowded together, forming a large bunch 
is termed a tlnjrse , which differs from a panicle, only in having 
the spikes which compose it more densely crowded. 
The lilac, although so common with us, is an exotic ; the 
species most cultivated are the vulgaris, or common, which has 
Order Digynia — Diandria — Lilac. 
