Botany for Ladies / or, A Popular Introduction to the Natural System of Plants, According to the Classification of De Candolle.

CHAPTER II. (2)

PHANEROGAMOUS PLANTS—DICOTYLEDONEÆ.—
II. MONACHLAMYDEÆ.

In all the plants contained in this division, the stamens and pistils have either no floral covering, or only one; and as, when this is the case, the covering is called the calyx, the plants in this division are said to have no corolla. Some botanists think that the calyx and corolla have become intermixed, so as to form only one covering, which they call the perianth; a word applied to the calyx and corolla together.

ORDER CLI.—PLANTAGINEÆ.

The weed called Plantain, or Rib-grass, is well known to all persons who keep birds, as it is a food that cage-birds are very fond of. It is conspicuous by its strongly-ribbed leaves, which form a flat tuft on the ground, and by the large arrow-shaped anthers of its four stamens, which hang on very slender filaments. The flowers are arranged in dense spikes, and are green and inconspicuous.

ORDER CLII.—NYCTAGINEÆ.

The Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis Jalapa), and the other species of that genus, are the only ornamental plants belonging to this order. The flowers consist of a coloured calyx, surrounded by a five-toothed involucre, which greatly resembles a calyx. The true calyx is funnel-shaped, with a spreading limb, the lobes of which are plaited, and notched at the margin; and which, with the tubular part, form at the base a globular swelling, which incloses the ovary. The stamens grow from beneath the pistil, adhering together at the base, so as to form a kind of cup. The ovary contains only one seed; and the style is long and slender, terminating in a capitate stigma, divided into a number of tubercles or warts. The lower part of the calyx remains on the ripe fruit, hardening into a kind of shell.

ORDER CLIII.—AMARANTHACEÆ.

The flowers of the plants belonging to this order are either in spikes, like Love-lies-bleeding (Amarantus caudatus), in heads like the Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), or in a singular crest-like shape, like the Cock’s-comb (Celosia cristata). In all, the flowers have no corolla, and only a very thin and dry calyx, which is surrounded by hard, thin, dry bracts, of the same colour, each ending in a long point. There are generally five anthers, and two or three styles, with pointed stigmas; but the capsule contains only one cell and one seed; and when ripe, it divides horizontally in the middle, like the capsule of the Pimpernel.

ORDER CLIV.—PHYTOLACEÆ.

Herbaceous plants and shrubs, with racemes of red, white, or greenish flowers. Phytolacca is the principal genus; and one species, the Virginian Poke (Phytolacca decandra) is remarkable for being found wild in climates so different as Spain and Portugal, the north of Africa, Jamaica, and North America. The flowers are greenish, tinged with red, and they are followed by very dark purple berries, which are said to have been formerly used for colouring port wine, but the juice having medicinal qualities, their use in Portugal is now prohibited. Rivina belongs to this order.

ORDER CLV.—CHENOPODEÆ.

The plants belonging to this order bear considerable resemblance to those included in the order AmaranthaceÆ, but their flowers are disposed in loose clusters without bracts, and all their parts are fleshy; while the flowers of the AmaranthaceÆ are disposed in dense spikes with bracts, which, as well as the divisions of the flowers, are quite hard and dry. The stamens are five in number, and they are spread out like those of the Nettle tribe; there are two styles with hairy stigmas, and the capsule resembles the Echinus, or Sea Urchin. The principal genera in this order are,—Spinach (Spinacea), Red and White Beet (Beta vulgaris), Mangold Wurtzel (B. altissima), Chard Beet (B. cicla), the Strawberry Blite (Blitum), Fat-hen or Goosefoot (Chenopodium); Glasswort, the ashes of which are used in making glass (Salicornia), Saltwort (Salsola Kali, or Soda), from the ashes of which soda is prepared; and the Garden Orache (Atriplex hortensis). The leaves of all the species are somewhat succulent and pulpy, and they are frequently stained with brilliant colours.

ORDER CLVI.—BEGONIACEÆ.

The only genus in this tribe is Begonia, the plants belonging to which have pretty flowers, and strongly-veined leaves, which are crimson on the lower side, with one half smaller than the other, and each furnished with a pair of large stipules. The flowers are male and female; the first consist of four sepals, two of which are much longer than the others, and a beard of anthers, with the filaments united into one common stalk, and each anther containing two cells for pollen. The female flowers have five sepals; the lower part is thick and fleshy, having three unequal wings. This part becomes the capsule, and it is furnished with three stigmas, each of which has two curiously-twisted lobes. The capsule when ripe has three wings, one much longer than the others; and it is in three cells, each containing a central placenta with a double row of seeds, which are covered with a beautifully reticulated skin.

ORDER CLVII.—POLYGONEÆ.—THE BUCKWHEAT.

This order comprehends the Rhubarb (Rheum), the Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), Sorrel (R. acetosa), the Buckwheat (Polygonum Fagopyrum), Persicaria (P. orientale), Water-pepper (P. hydropiper), and Knot-grass (P. aviculare). The leaves of these plants either sheath the stem with the base of their petioles, or are furnished with ochreÆ, that is, with stipules which are joined together so as to form a kind of purse or boot. The flowers are inconspicuous, and the fruit is a triangular nut, retaining the calyx till it is ripe. The genera Eriogonum, Calligonum, and Koenigia, formerly included in this order, are now formed into another, called EriogoneÆ.

ORDER CLVIII.—LAURINEÆ.—THE SWEET-BAY TRIBE.

These plants are known by their anthers, which are two or four celled, with the valves curling upwards when ripe, like those of the Berberry, and the filaments are furnished near the base with two kidney-shaped glands. The male and female flowers are distinct; the former have six, eight, or twelve stamens, and a calyx of four or six divisions united at the base. The female flowers have a one-celled and one-seeded ovary, with a simple style, and an obtuse-crested stigma; and four or more abortive stamens, furnished with glands, but without anthers. The most interesting plants contained in this order are,—the Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis), the Sassafras-tree (L. Sassafras, or Sassafras officinale), the Cinnamon-tree (L. Cinnamomum, or Cinnamomum verum, or zeylanicum); the Camphor-tree (L. camphora, or Camphora officinarum); and the Alligator Pear (L. Persea, or Persea gratissima). All the plants belonging to this order are aromatic, either in the leaves, bark, or fruit.

Two small orders, IlligereÆ and HemandiaceÆ, containing Indian plants rarely met with in England, are introduced here by some botanists.

ORDER CLIX.—MYRISTICEÆ.

The only interesting plant in this order is the Nutmeg (M. officinale, or moschata). In this plant, the fruit is pear-shaped, and it consists of a half-fleshy pericardium enclosing a jet-black stone, encircled by a fleshy orange-red arillus, which is the mace. The nutmeg is the kernel of the stone, and it is not taken out for sale till it is sufficiently ripe to rattle when shaken. The leaves are of a dark green above, and glaucous beneath; and the flowers are white, with the red pistil conspicuous in the centre. The tree is a native of Ceylon and the East Indian Islands, and it requires a stove in England.

ORDER CLX.—PROTEACEÆ.

The principal genera are Protea, Banksia, Dryandra, and Grevillea, all very singular plants, the species of which, when one of each genus has been seen, are easily recognised. They are all natives of the Cape of Good Hope and New Holland.

ORDER CLXI.—THYMELÆÆ.

This order is well known from the Mezereon and the Spurge Laurel, both common garden shrubs belonging to the genus Daphne. The berries of both are poisonous, and the bark acrid. The flowers of the Mezereon (D. Mezereum) have a coloured calyx, which is tubular, with a four-cleft limb (see fig. 143), which is slightly hairy on the outer surface, and pitted Fig.143.—A flower of Mezereon. on the inner one. It is said that this calyx will separate readily into two, the inner part peeling off like a lining: but I have never been able to effect this without tearing the outer covering. There are eight anthers, with scarcely any filaments, affixed in two rows to the throat of the corolla; and an egg-shaped ovary, with a tufted stigma without any style. The fruit is a drupe, that is, formed like a plum, with a fleshy pericardium, enclosing a stone or nut, the kernel of which is the seed, and which sometimes appears to be partially enveloped in a sort of hairy bag, which is the lining of the ovary become loose. The flowers of the Mezereon grow round the stem, with a tuft of leaves at the top; but those of the Spurge Laurel (D. Laureola) are in a cluster of short drooping racemes. The most remarkable species of the genus is, however, the Lace Bark-tree of Jamaica (D. Lagetto, or Lagetta lintearia), the liber or inner bark of which has such tough fibres as to bear stretching out considerably without breaking; and in this state it resembles lace so much, that a collar and ruffles were made of it and sent to Charles II. Gnidia, a greenhouse plant, has little scales in the mouth of the calyx; and Pimelea has the flowers in heads, surrounded by a four-leaved involucre. The principal other genera are LachnÆa, a little Australian plant with woolly flowers, Passerina or Sparrow-wort, and Struthiola. The curious little tree called Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) also belongs to this order.

ORDER CLXII.—OSYRIDEÆ.

Exotic trees with white or greenish flowers. The only genera are the Poet’s Cassia (Osyris), and a genus of Australian plants called Exocarpos.

ORDER CLXIII.—SANTALACEÆ.

The most interesting plant is the Sandal-wood tree (Santalum album), which requires a stove in England; but the North American trees belonging to the genus Nyssa, including the Tupelo tree and the Ogechee Lime, are quite hardy. The flowers are small and insignificant; and the fruit is a drupe.

ORDER CLXIV.—ELÆAGNEÆ.

The three genera included in this order are the Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae), the Oleaster (ElÆagnus), and the Shepherdia; all so easily recognised by their silvery foliage, as to need no particular description. The flowers are small and inconspicuous.

ORDER CLXV.—ASARINEÆ, OR ARISTOLOCHIEÆ.

The genus Aristolochia, or Birthwort, is remarkable for the very singular shape of its flowers, which are as strange, and as much varied, as it is possible for the wildest imagination to conceive. The flowers are tubular, with one lip much longer than the other; and the tube takes an abrupt bend near the middle. Here are six anthers, fixed very curiously on the outside of a club-shaped column, split into six lobes at the point. In the centre of this column is a style with a six-rayed stigma; and the fruit is a large capsule with six cells, which opens by as many slits, and discharges the numerous thin, flat, dark brown seeds.

Asarum canadense, the Wild Ginger of North America, has kidney-shaped leaves, and dark purplish brown flowers, on very short footstalks, which resemble those of the genus Stapelia, both in appearance and smell.

ORDER CLXVI.—CYTINEÆ.

The most interesting plant in this order is Nepenthes distillatoria, the Chinese Pitcher-plant, the leaves of which have a tendril at the point curiously dilated at the extremity, so as to form a cup-like appendage, which is generally full of water. The rim of the pitcher is beautifully ribbed, and it is furnished with a lid. The male and female flowers are on different plants, but neither of them possess much beauty. The remarkable Javanese fungus Rafflesia belongs to this order.

A small order called CephaloteÆ, and containing only the genus Cephalotis, formerly included in RosaceÆ, is introduced here.

ORDER CLXVII.—EUPHORBIACEÆ.


Fig.144.—Euphorbia.	Fig.145.—Fruit of Euphorbia.

The genus Euphorbia is well known by the British weed called Caper Spurge, and the showy stove plants which belong to it. The male and female flowers are distinct; but both are inclosed in one cup-like involucre. In fig. 144, a is the involucre, b the female flower, and c the male ones. The fruit (fig. 145) consists of three carpels, each containing a single seed, which divide with elasticity when the seeds are ripe. All the plants belonging to this order have a milky, glutinous juice when young, which in some genera becomes solid when exposed to the air. This is particularly the case with Siphonia Hevea, a Brazilian tree, the sap of which yields the Indian rubber used for Macintosh cloaks, &c.; it being more suitable for that purpose than the caoutchouc yielded by the Ficus elastica, which is the true Indian Rubber. The principal other genera belonging to this order are the Box (Buxus), the tree kind of which yields the wood used for wood-engraving, and the dwarf variety is employed as edging for gardens; Croton, an annual species of which (Croton Tiglium) yields the celebrated Croton oil; the Cassava (Jatropha Manihot), which though poisonous in a raw state, becomes the wholesome food called tapioca, when properly prepared; Palma Christi (Ricinis communis), from the seeds of which castor-oil is made; and the Manchineel tree (Hippomane), which is said to be so poisonous as to occasion the death of those who sleep beneath its shade.

ORDER CLXVIII.—STACKHOUSEÆ.

Small Australian shrubs with insignificant flowers.

ORDER CLXIX.—ANTIDESMEÆ.

East-Indian trees with inconspicuous flowers.

ORDER CLXX.—URTICEÆ.—(See Chap. X. P. 157.)

The plants belonging to this order are divided into two sections, viz. those with tough fibres, as the Hemp, the Nettle, &c.; and those with milky sap, such as the Fig, the Mulberry, the Bread-fruit, &c. All the genera have the male and female flowers separate. The male flowers have four stamens which spring back and discharge their pollen with elasticity, and the female flowers have a one-celled ovary with two long stigmas.

ORDER CLXXI.—ULMACEÆ.

The principal genera are the Elm (Ulmus), the Nettle-tree (Celtis), and the Zelkoua-tree (Planera). The flowers, though very small, are pretty, from their opening in clusters before the leaves; and each has four stamens, with dark purple anthers, and is furnished with dark brown bracts. The fruit is a utricle, having a single seed, encircled by a broad thin transparent membrane. The leaves are rough, and their sides are unequal at the base. The bark of Elm trees is rough and deeply furrowed; and the roots spread, instead of penetrating deeply into the ground like those of the Oak.

ORDER CLXXII.—PIPERACEÆ.

The species are generally climbing plants with perfect flowers, which are produced in spikes, and are succeeded by one-seeded berries. The genus Piper contains the common Pepper (P. nigrum), the Betel (P. Betel), and several other species.

ORDER CLXXIII.—JUGLANDACEÆ.—(See Chap. XI. P. 176.)

The male and female flowers are distinct, but on the same plant. The male flowers are pro duced on long thick anthers, and each consists of a scale-like calyx enclosing numerous stamens; the female flowers are two or more together, and each consists of a scale-like calyx, enclosing a one-celled ovary. The fruit is a drupe, that is, it consists of a fleshy husk enclosing a nut. The embryo fills the whole seed; and the cotyledons are fleshy, two-lobed, and wrinkled. There are only two genera, the Walnut (Juglans), the male catkins of which are produced singly, and the Hickory (Carya), the male catkins of which are in clusters.

ORDER CLXXIV.—AMENTACEÆ.—(See Chap. XI. P. 174).

The male flowers are in catkins, and the fruit of most of the genera is, when ripe, partially or wholly enclosed in a cup-like involucre, formed by the adhesion of the numerous bracts.

ORDER CLXXV.—HAMAMELIDEÆ.

This order has been already inserted, p. 380.

ORDER CLXXVI.—EMPETREÆ.

Little heath-like plants, with small flowers and showy berries. The Crowberry, Empetrum nigrum, is very common in Scotland on heaths.

ORDER CLXXVII.—CONIFERÆ. (See Chap. XII. P. 205.)

The male and female flowers are both produced in catkins, and both consist only of scales. The pollen of the male flowers is very abundant, and is discharged freely in fine weather. The female flowers form cones, consisting of numerous scales, at the base of each of which are two winged seeds. The timber abounds in resin.

ORDER CLXXVIII.-CYCADEÆ. (See Chap. XII. P. 229.)

These singular plants have thick timber-like trunks, yet they can hardly be called trees, as they increase in height by a single terminal bud. The leaves are pinnate, and they unroll, when they expand, like those of the ferns. The male flowers are in cones, and the female ones either in cones, or produced on the margin of contracted leaves. The principal genera are Zamia and Cycas, and one species of the latter yields a kind of sago; the true kind being a product of a species of Palm.

Clyx.com