CLASS XIV. DIDYNAMIA. 
(two powers.) 
The flowers of this class are furnished with four stamina, 
two of which are long, and two short; which is the essential 
character of this class. The two shorter stamina stand nearest 
to, and approaching the style of the pistillum, received within 
an irregular corrolla.—The flowers of this class are generally 
a little inclining from the stem, that the corolla may more 
easily cover the antherse, and that the pollen may fall on the 
stigma, and not be injured by rain.—This class comprehends 
the virticiled or whorled plants, the lipped , the masked, and 
the grinning or ringent flowers of other authors ; and in ge¬ 
neral admits of the following natural character : 
Calyx. A perianthium of one leaf, erect, tubular, with five 
clefts, segments unequal; permanent with the fruit. 
Corolla. One petal, nearly erect, the base tubular, contain¬ 
ing honey, and doing the office of a nectarium. The 
border generally ringent (gaping); the upper lip straight, 
the lower lip expanding, with three clefts, the middle 
cleft broadest. 
Stamina. Four filaments, awl-shaped, inserted into the tube 
of the corolla, and inclined towards the back thereof, 
the two inner and nearest to the pistillum being shorter*; 
they are all parallel, and seldom exceed the length of the 
corolla. The antherse are generally covered by the up¬ 
per lip of the corolla, and approach each other so as to 
stand in pairs. 
Pistillum. The germen generally above the receptacle. 
The style single, thread-shaped, bent in the same man¬ 
ner as the filaments, and usually placed in the midst of 
them, but rather longer, and a little curved towards the 
summit. The stigma is generally end-nicked. 
See the reason why they ate shorterin the explan* of the class tetradynumw * 
