ascertaining the family and species to which any individual plant may belong. I shall now elucidate the whole by an example. "Suppose that you have found, and brought home from your walk, a delicate, blue, bell-shaped flower, called by some bellflower, by others Canterbury-bell, and by others again blue-bell. You naturally wish to know by what name this plant is distinguished by the botanist, what name all scientific men in every country have agreed to give it, that you may be at no loss under what name to look for a description of it, or how to communicate to others any observations you may have made upon this plant yourself. "In the first place, then, examine how many stamina, or how many of those sinall bodies called its antheræ, are to be found in the bell-shaped corolla, or blossom; you discover five; now run over the classes of Linnæus, till you come to that which is distinguished by its five stamina; this is called pentandria, and you therefore know your flower to be in this class. Next look for the pistillum or pistilla, of which in this plant you will find only one; this characterizes the first order, called monogynia, and therefore your plant is in the class pentandria, and order monogynia. You have now done with the stamina and pistilla, and must attend to the other parts of the flower, comparing them as you go on, with the characters of all the genera in this first order of the fifth class. The calyx you find to have five divisions, sharp, and not quite upright; the corolla of one petal, bellshaped with five clefts, close at the base; shrivelling; segments broad, sharp, open; seed-vessel roundish, of three or four cells; all which tallies exactly with the generic character of campa. nula; this therefore is the genus, and you have now only to find out to what species yours belongs. The leaves nearest to the roots, and which are generally so close to the ground as to require care not to leave them behind in gathering the plant, you will find to be round, or rather heart-shaped, or sometimes kidney." shaped, whilst the leaves on the stein are narrow, and strap. shaped; this determines the species, and in this your flower agrees with the character of that called rotundifolia. You have therefore now determined your plant to be the campanula rotunfolia, and you may read all the descriptions of this plant without a doubt as to its being the same, and may describe to others, where you found it, when you found it, and what else you know of it, without any fear of confounding it with any other blue, bell-shaped flower, of which there are many, both of this and of other genera." See Skrimshire's Essays. Busybody. ...................... 161 Dandy........ Ranunculus, Asiatic..... You are radiant with charms Love's Memory Wisdom Pyrus Japonica.. Quamoclit Ragged Robin Red Bay Red Mulberry ............. 163 .......... 164 ............................. 165 ........ 166 Young Girl,...onlopulla me 174 151 152 153 154 155 |