ORDER PENTANDRIA. 
239 
grows to the height of forty feet ; having fruit of an enormous 
size, hanging from its boughs like apples ; it is a native of the 
East Indies, much valued for food. 
TRIANDRIA. 
In the 3d order we find a very common plant, called cattail, 
(Typha,) this grows in swampy meadows, and in stagnant wa- 
ters, often to the height of four or five feet. The long, brown 
and hard spike which grows at the summit of the stem, (giving 
rise from its peculiar appearance to the name Cat-tail, ) is the 
catkin ; it contains in the upper part, the staminate flowers, 
having neither calyx nor corolla, the 3 stamens arising from a 
chaffy or hairy receptacle. The pistillate flowers forming the 
lower part of the spike, produce each a seed supported in a kind 
of bristle. This plant has sometimes been used for making beds, 
but is considered by physicians as unhealthy, on account of the 
the properties inherent in its vegetable substance. 
The sedge or Carex, is a numerous genus, nearly 100 species 
have been discovered in North America. It is a grass-like plant, 
but separated from the family of grasses, which are mostly of 
the 3d class, on account of the monoecious character of its flow- 
ers. The study of this genus alone, might occupy years ; a 
treatise upon it called Caricography,* has been lately published 
by an American botanist. j 
The Indian corn, (Zea mays,) is found in this order. The 
top or panicle, consists of staminate flowers only, and of course 
never produces corn ; the pistillate flowers grow in a spike, en- 
closed in a husk ; each pistil produces a seed called corn, the 
pistils are very long, forming what is called silk. 
TETRANDRIA. 
The 4th order contains the Mulberry tree, (Mores,) of the 
same natural order as the nettle, having leaves rough, and flow- 
ers destitute of beanty. 
PENTANDRIA. 
The 5th order contains the genus Amaranthus, which is a 
very common weed, seeming to have some analogy to the pig- 
weed ; not only in natural properties, but in being dignified with 
* From Carex, caricis. t Professor Dewey. 
Order Triandria — Cat-tail — Sedge or Carex — Indian corn — Order Tctan- 
dria — Mulberry — Order Pentandria — Ainaranthus. 
