ORDER POLYANDRIA. 
225 
POLYANDRIA. 
The Thirteenth Order , (many stamens) is made up entirely 
of a group of genera which compose the natural order Colum- 
niferje, of Linnaeus ; the stamens are united in the form of a 
column ; by Jussieu they have been collected into an order, under 
the name of Malvaceae, so called from the genus Malva. The 
peculiar characteristics of the whole group are, a calyx often 
double, 5 regular petals, stamens numerous, united by their fila- 
ments into a tube, and rising like a column in the centre of the 
flower ; in the centre of this tube are the styles, forming an in- 
ner bundle ; the number of these is various, though often found 
to be eight. The number of seed vessels, each of which con- 
tains one seed, equals the number of styles ; the seeds stand 
round in a circle. 
Among the plants which compose this family, are the holly- 
hock, the mallows, and the cotton, ( Gossypium .) The Camel- 
lia japonica, or Japan rose, a very splendid flower equal in size 
to the largest rose, is found here. Its beauty of form and richness 
of coloring have a fine appearance, when contrasted with its 
dark green leaves. 
Most of the native species of the class Monadelphia may, in 
the season of flowers, be easily procured for analysis. The 
hollyhock is in almost every garden, the common mallows 
grows wild about dwellings. You will find it a good example 
of the class Monadelphia. 
The plants of this class vary in size from the low mallows 
to some of the largest trees that have yet been discovered ; “ the 
Silk cotton tree, (Bombax pentandrum ,) is so large, and spreads 
its branches so widely that twenty thousand persons might stand 
under its branches. This tree is a native of Africa and South 
America. The Adansonia, a native of Senegal in Africa, is said 
to grow to the size of seventy feet in circumference ; this tree 
also attains great age. In 1749, the learned Adanson saw two 
of these trees in the neighborhood of Gorrea, upon one of which 
was inscribed the date of the fourteenth, and upon the other 
that of the fifteenth century ! yet there were good reasons to 
suppose that the trees were not young when the dates were cut. 
It may be conjectured that they have sometimes attained to the 
age of eight or nine hundred years ! an immense period of time 
for the existence of any species of organized bodies.”* 
Having now considered the class Monadelphia in its most 
important particulars, we will pass to the next class, which in 
common with this, is founded upon the union of the filaments. 
* B. S. Barton. 
Order Polyandria — Natural order Columniferae — Plants which compose 
this family — Plants of this character variable in size — Adansonia. 
