From the first opening bud, and gave ye names! Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount ?" LESSON III.-NATURAL METHOD OF CLASSIFICATION. It is pleasant to note all plants, from the rush to the spreading cedar, 1. THE primary and most obvious division of the vegetable kingdom is into two great series or classes, FLOWERING" and 1 2 4 First Class, MONANDRIA, has one stamen. Examples: ginger, arrow-root, Ex.: lilac, jessamine, sage, ca- stamens. Ex.: gladiolus, iris, crocus, mil- Fourth Class, TETRANDRIA, has Ex. holly, partridge-berry, Ex.: potato, mullein, flax, vio- Sixth Class, HEXANDRIA, has six Ex.: lily, hyacinth, jonquil, seven stamens. Ex.: chick-wintergreen, horsechestnut, little buckeye, etc. Eighth Class, OCTANDRIA, has eight stamens. Ex. cranberry, nasturtion, Ex.: sassafras, rhubarb, spice- stamens. Twelfth Class, POLYANDRIA, has Ex.: poppy, peony, pond-lily, Fifteenth class, MONADELPHIA, stamens united in two sets. Ex.: daisy, dandelion, aster, stamens on the pistil. Ex.: willow, poplar, ash, hop, Twenty-first Class, CRYPTOGA- Ex.: trailing arbutus, whortle- trap, etc. etc. 13 15 19 21 12 16 18 Eleventh Class, ICOSANDRIA, has The ORDERS of the first 12 classes are deover ten stamens, on the calyx.termined by the number of styles (or stigEx.: rose, cherry, myrtle, rasp-mas when the styles are wanting): of the berry, plum, peach, etc. 13th class by the covering or nakedness of the seeds of the 14th by the shape of the pods: of the 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, and 20th, by the number or union of the stamens: of the 17th by peculiarities in the compound florets. a. Called by botanists Phenog'amous plants. d FLOWERLESS plants. Next is a subdivision of the former into the exogenous, or outside growers, and the endogenous, or inside growers, whose leading characteristics of seed, stem, and leaf have already been noticed in the article on Botany, in the Fourth Reader. 2. A very large proportion of the exogenous plants have their seeds covered in various ways, some being inclosed in little boxes or chests, called pericarps and capsules, some in pods, and others in the centre of the fruit, as in apples, peaches, and pears. A few of the exogenous plants, however, of which the pines, the firs, and the yews are the representatives, differ from all the rest in having their seeds naked. Thus Nature has formed two great divisions of the exogenous plants; and we may designate them as those which have covered seeds, and those which have naked seeds. 3. The endogenous plants, which are only about one fifth as numerous as the exogenous, are also divided into two classes, those which are without glumes or husks surrounding the flower, and those which have them." Lilies, tulips, jonquils, and hyacinths are examples of the former, and the grasses and various kinds of grain of the latter. In this latter division are comprised about one twelfth part of the described species of flowering plants, and yet these species embrace at least nine tenths of the number of individuals composing the vegetable world; nor is their number surprising when we consider that the grasses are the chief source of that verdure which covers the earth of northern countries with a gay carpet of green during the months of summer. 4. The flowerless plants, which are remarkable for the extreme simplicity of their structure, having no wood, properly so called, but consisting of mere masses of cells, are divided into the acrogens, or summit-growers, and the thallogens,2 which grow into a mere flat or round expansion. In the former are included all such plants as ferns, scouring rushes, liverworts, and mosses; and in the latter the lichens,3 fungus plants, sea-weeds, and mushrooms. 5. Thus, in the three great divisions of the vegetable world -the exogenous, the endogenous, and the cryptogamous or flowerless plants-there are six natural classes. These are divided into about 170 orders, which are composed of genera or families, as in the artificial system. The orders are found b Called by botanists Cryptog'amous plants. e Called Angiosperms. h Called Glumaceous. ed on the most manifest characteristics of the plant, below the distinctions of classes. Thus compound flowers make an order called the composite; the numerous pod-bearing plants are arranged in the leguminous order; and flowers in the form of a cross indicate the order cross-shaped, or cruciferous.* 6. It requires much more knowledge of botany to examine a plant and find a description of it by the natural than by the artificial method; but as it is applicable in many instances when the latter is inadequate, the reader who designs to pursue the delightful study of plants further than the design of this series of Readers permits, should make himself familiar with both systems, as explained in the excellent text-books of Gray, Wood, Darby, and Mrs. Lincoln. 7. We have spoken of a natural classification; but that which has thus far been developed by the labors of botanists has still much of the artificial. Finite knowledge can not grasp the infinite. "There is a systematic arrangement in nature which science did not invent, but gradually discovered. The terms in which this arrangement is expresed are the translation, into human language, of the thoughts of the Creator." This is the comprehensive view of scientific classification held by the most scientific men of the day. The Author of nature is the author of the natural system of classification. 8. Most exalted, then, is the study of the laws and arrangement of the vegetable world. Why seek trifling sources of enjoyment, When at hand, Along these blushing borders bright with dew, And in yon mingled wilderness of flowers, Then yellow wall-flower, stain'd with iron brown; ; 9. With shining meal o'er all their velvet leaves; Then comes the tulip-race, where beauty plays The varied colors run; and while they break The Compos'ita, or sunflower tribe. Legumino's, having papilionaceous, or butterfly-shaped flowers. G 10. As o'er the fabled fountain hanging still; With hues on hues expression can not paint- By Thee disposed into congenial soils, Stands each attractive plant, and sucks, and swells At Thy command the vernal sun awakes By wint'ry winds; that now in fluent dance, 1 Ao'-RO-GENS, see p. 196. 2 THAL'-LO-GENS, see p. 202. 3 LI'-CHENS, see p. 202. 4 CRYP-TOG'-A-MOUS, see p. 196. 6 VER-NAL, pertaining to the spring. 6 A-NEM'-O-NE, the wind-flower. 'AU-RIO'-U-LA, a beautiful species of prim rose. 8 RA-NUN'-CU-LUS, the crowfoot. 9"FATHER-DUST," 10 NAR-OIS'-SUs. According to Grecian fable, |11 DE-TRŪ'-DED, driven or thrust down. MAY FLOWERS. "Blessed be God for flowers; For the bright, gentle, holy thoughts that breathe The welcome flowers are blossoming They sport with every playful wind From the green marge of lake and stream, They look in gentle glory forth, The pure sweet flowers of God.-LYONS. I'll teach thee miracles! Walk on this heath, It will obey thy word.-BARRINGTON. FIRST DIVISION OF THE VEGETABLE KİNGDOM. EXOGENS. [The four most important physiological peculiarities of this great natural division are, 1st. The plants are Exogenous, or outward growers. (See Fourth Reader, p. 176.) 2d. The leaves are net-veined. 3d. The flowers are mostly quinary or quaternary—that is, they have five or four sepals, petals, and stamens, or some power of those numbers-rarely ternary. 4th. The embryo has two cotyledons; that is, the plants are dicotyledonous. Other peculiarities will be noticed under the different families which compose the divi. sion.] [EXOGENOUS1 or DICOTYLEDONOUS;2 Angiosperms;3 Polypetalous.4]. 6 6. 1. Ro'sa gal'lica, French rose, xi. 12, pk., 3 f., Jn.-J., France. 2. Ro'sa damascena, Damask rose, xi. 12, r., 3 f., Jn.-Jl., Levant. 3. Ro'sa musco'sa, Moss rose, xi. 12, r., Jn.-Jl., S. Europe. 4. Ro'sa cinnamo'nea, Cinnamon rose, xi. 12, pk., 6 f., My., Europe. 5. Fraga'ria grandiflo'ra, Wild-pine strawberry, xi. 12, w., 1 f., Ap.-My., S. Am. Ru'bus occidentalis, Am. raspberry, xi. 12, w., 5 f., My.-Jn., N. Am. 7. Spira'a salcifo'lia, Willow-leaved spiræa, or Queen of the Meadow, xi. 5, w., 3 f., Jn.-Âu., N. Am. 8. Spirala ulmifo'lia, Elm-leaved spiræa, xi. 5, w., 3 f., Jn.-J., S. Europe. 9. Spiræ'a tomento'sa, Hard-hack spirea, xi. 5, r., 3 f., Au.-S., N. Am. For explanation of the characters used in connection with the botanical descriptions, see close of the Table of Contents. 1. 2. How much of memory dwells amid thy bloom', Rose'! ever wearing beauty for thy dower! The Bridal day-the Festival-the Tomb Thou hast thy part in each, thou stateliest flower'! Therefore with thy soft breath come floating by Dreams, fill'd with tokens of mortality', Deep thoughts of all things beautiful and brief'. |