CLASS PENTANDRIA. 
223 
plant, called blue-eyed grass, ( sisyrinchium ;) the three fila- 
ments have the appearance of being but one ; the corolla is 
tubular and 6 cleft, style 1, capsule 3 celled; it belongs to the 
family of sword-leaved plants, Ensatee. This order contains 
the tamarind. 
PENTANDRIA. 
The Fifth Order , or five stamens, next occurs; this presents 
us with tint passion-flower, (Passiflora,) a climbing plant, pecu- 
liar to the warm countries of America. “ Its immensely long, 
and often woody branches, attain the summits of the loftiest 
trees, or trail upon the ground adorned with perennially green, 
or falling leaves, sometimes palmate, or lobed like fingers, at 
others appearing like the laurel. They sustain themselves by 
means of undivided tendrils ; and send out a succession of the 
most curious and splendid flowers, of which no other part of 
the world offers any counterpart.”* 
Of this genus a number of species produce fruits of great ex- 
cellence ; this fruit in South America is called Purchas. Sixty 
species of this genus are collected at the Linmean garden near 
New York.f 
The generic characters of the passion-flower are a 5 parted, 
coloured calyx, 5 petals inserted upon the calyx, 5 stamens and 
3 pistils, the nectary, a triple crown of filaments. The very 
singular appearance of this flower in the arrangement of its 
stamens in the form of a cross, and its triple crown, has sug- 
gested the idea of its being emblematic of the passion or suffer- 
ing of our Saviour ; this idea is supposed to have given rise to 
its name. 
This plant was at one time placed in the class Gynandria, 
upon the supposition that its stamens stood upon the pistil. An 
English botanist* thinks it should be placed in the class Pentan- 
dria, and order Trigynia. Its situation in the class and order 
under which we have described it, is however that generally as- 
signed it by American botanists. 
In this order is also placed the stork’s bill geranium, (Erodi- 
um,) it is an exotic, and belongs to the natural family Geranice. 
* Nuttall. 
t See Prince’s Horticulture. 
JSmitli. 
Order Pcntandria, — Passion flower — different species — Generic character 
and name — Stork’s-bill geranium. 
