The Vegetable World: Being a History of Plants, with Their Botanical Descriptions and Peculiar Properties

SILENALS. “ At this point,” says Dr. Lindley, “a considerable advance in structure is evident among exogens. Among these plants a — corolla appears, with all its fragrance and gaudy colours, and the ovary is constituted, not by the rolling up of a solitary carpillary leaf, but by the complete consolidation of several.” Accordingly we find among the Siren many popular plants of great interest. The qualities of Dianthus caryophyllus (Clove Gilliflower), so called from its spice-like odour, are sung by Chaucer:—

“Ther springen herbes, grete and small, The licoris and the stetewall, And many a clove giliflore, + to putinale,. Whether it be moist or stale.” whence another of its popular names, “Sops in Wine.”

They differ from the Geranials in their free placenta.

‘baceousus plants, stems ewoling at the —— leaves opposite“Hy OLXXXVIII. Caryophy-amphitr ovules; stamens double the tals tnnumber; sepals and ics to them. of H alf shrubby branching plants, with ite or alternate entire leaves, and scarious stipules;minom flowers withsoariousA i OLXXXIX. ay babarPures, calyx and corolla, the latter rudimentary;amphi

herbs, with entire alternat houtvons'sti~ersei. oxo.‘Pportulacee. i egPemteanpineaeasdbias sighs ofhairs fineoftenpangns

alyxand corolla; hitropal ovules Herbaceous ransr shrubs, with ‘aberiate leaves, stipules adherin,round the stem; flowers in racemes, occasionally unisexunise fags bonesfre, cxcl. Polyont-coloured;imbricatte, in zstivation, orthotropal ovule; nut.

as a group possess, with the exception of The CaryvorHyLLACcE® the Pinks and Carnations, little general interest. The beauty of form, rich colouring, and aromatic fragrance of the flowers, render these individuals of the family very general favourites. The order has been divided into— Alsinee, which are chiefly weeds, the best known being the common Chickweed (Stedlaria media), of which birds are so fond, and Silenee, which contains the Pinks, Carnations, and many popular plants. The Pinks are herbaceous plants, rarely shrubs, with stem ranching into forks, with tumid joints; leaves simple, opposite, entire; flowers gene-tally hermaphrodite (Fig. 414); calyx five, sometimes four segments, either distinct, so as to form a tube, toothed at the summit, supplied at its base with two or several bracts. The corolla is composed of five free hypogynous petals, with lengthened linear aiglets, with crenulated dentate leaves. The stamens are double the number of the petals, their anthers bi-tr, dorsally attached, and Fig. 414,—Carnation (Dianthus caryo-pening from within by two aes longitudinal clefts. The pistil is composed of an unilocular ovary, _ enelosing a great number of curved ovules, and surmounted by two very slight styles. The fruit is capsular, opening at the Summit by the same number of valves as there are styles. A Straight embryo is attached to the seed at the surface of a farina- _ “eous perisperm. Seed sometimes flat and membraneous, sometimes round.

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Pinks are herbs or under-shrubs, with knotty articulated stems, having opposed leaves and terminal, sometimes solitary, flowers, disposed in cymes. Many hundred varieties, of great beauty, are cultivated as florists’ flowers. To grow them in perfection is quite a speciality in cultivation.

The Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) has red, rose-coloured, or white flowers, sometimes variegated or double. The Carnation of the poet (Dianthus barbatus), has the flowers in compact tufts, protected by slight and pointed bracts, which are of the same length as the tube of the calyx. The Feathered Pink (Dianthus moschatus) has very straight barbate petals, which are odorous, and of a pale rose colour, much varied, like the Pink, by cultivation. The Superb Carnation is truly worthy of this name. Rousseau says in one of his letters, speaking of this beautiful flower, “Have you seen the Dianthus superbus? At all events I

will forward you one. It is really a most beautiful flower, with a sweet though somewhat faint odour. I can collect the seed very easily, for it grows in great abundance in a meadow which is just under my windows. It ought to be well exposed to the power of the sun, which nourishes it as it does "hd

Amongst the principal species belonging to the family of the we will mention the following:—the Soap-wort Caryophyllaceee (Saponaria officinalis), an indigenous plant, the roots of which contain a soft, gummy, resinous matter, which makes a lather like soap in water, and to which sudorific medicinal properties are. attributed. The Clove-tree (Caryophyllus aromaticus) has oblong ovate leaves, accuminate at each end, with distinct margins continued from the petiole; flowers in many-flowered cymes; stamens distinct, in four clusters; berry oblong, one or two-celled, with ” many seeds. This is a fragrant, sweetish, agreeable stomachic, useful in cases of dyspépsia.

Many of the Lychnis genus are extremely beautiful:— meets at the way- frequently Lychnis dioica, which the traveller side; Lychnis flos-cuculi, the red petals of which are deeply cut, and which ornaments our fields in the spring time; Lychms coronaria, or Rose Campion, a plant with purple flowers % whitish downy stem; the Corn Cockle (Agrostemma gethag®), #0) abounds in our harvest-fields; Gypsophyla elegans, the whitt

flowers of which are seen in our gardens, balanced upon an extremely delicate pedicle; the Catch-fly, Pearl Grass, Chickweed, Stitchwort, and Ceraistes, are all prominent members of this order.

CHENOPODs.

A group of plants, the greater part of which have inconspicuous, monochlamydeous flowers, free central placenta, an external embryo, curved or appended to the surface of a mealy or horny albumen.

Annuals or perennials, often with fleshy roots, or shrubs or trees,; Usually articulated at the tumid nodes; tubular, often coloured, calyx, CXCII. Nyctaginaceex, which separates from its buse, | ing ahard sp peri

Herbaceous plants or tender shrubs, with alternate, entire, non-stipulate ) leaves; racemose flowers, with separate flat petals; stamens hypogynous, CXCIII, Phytolacez. or nearly so, alternate with the sepals; 1 carpel ‘ PAsry Se. opposite or alternate non-stipulate leaves; aon in , SCarious, buried in imbricated bracts, pubescent; stamens hypo-: Synous, five with separate sepals opposite the Snaamat one-celledanther; ¢ C*CIV- Amarantacee. and a single ovary, often containing several seeds.

Herbaceous plants or tender herbs, with alternate non-stipulate leaves; small flowers; Calyx deeply divided with imbricated wstivation; stamens CXCV. Chenopodiacese inserted in the base of the calyx; sepals flat, separate, and opposite the stamens;anthers two-celled; herbaceous naked ions

The group is of little general interest. The Nyctagins are natives of the warmer parts of either hemisphere. The Phytolads are natives of inter-tropical America, Africa, and India.

Amaranths are most frequently natives of the tropics; a few are natives of Europe, and a considerable number of Australia.

The Chenopods include many of our pot-herbs, as Spanish Orach, and the well-known agricultural Beet and Mangold-wurzel Plants, being very productive in sugar.

PirerALs.

The Pipers are distinguished by their naked achlamydeous flowers, minute embryo, either external, or just within the surface of a large quantity of mealy albumen. The Pirrracem are €xclusively confined to tropical regions, common in America and

Indian Archipelago, and several species exist at the Cape of Good Hope. Cxtoranruace® differ from the Pipers in their naked embryo and pendulous ovule. They are also natives of the

THE VEGETABLE WORLD.436 —

hottest parts of India, America, and the West Indies. The agree in habit with the Peppers, but differ in the com-SauRURACE# pound nature of the ovary. They are natives of North America, China, and the North of India, growing in marshy places..

Shrubs or herbaceous plants, with articulate stems, opposite leaves; Piperacee. t CXCVI. flowers sessile or pendulate, » ‘spikes or terminal; arranged on one sideor round the ovary; a solitary carpel; erect ovules.

Herbaceous p! or under-shrubs, with jointed stems; opposite and simple leaves, with sheathiing petioleand inte: rmediate stipules; flowers CXCVII. Chloranthacez. in terminal spikes; stamens lateral; asoli pended 7

Herbaceous marshy plants, with alternate stipulate leaves; flowers * spikes, naked; stamens three and six, clabate and hypogynous; neveedt CXCVIII. Saururacee. distinct carpels;erect ovule and embryo lying in a vitellus,

Prriaynots Exocens. This sub-class, the third into which Dr. Lindley divides the great division of Exogenous plants, have uni-sexual, bi-sexual, or hermaphrodite flowers; stamens growing to the side of the calyx or corolla, a superior ovary, or nearly so; the first sub-class of hermaphrodite Exogens having been characterised by the stamens standing clear of the floral envelopes, or being, in the language of Jussieu, “ hypogynous.” But when there is adhesion between the stamens and either the calyx or corolla, it may be assumed that the one organ is in some way necessary to the other. For this reason, the “perigynous character where a real and manifest union of the parts, and not a slight inappreciable connection exists, is admitted to be a valid mark of the sub-class, whether the stamens grow on the petals or on the calyx, provided they grow _ on one of them.” This is essentially the old arrangement of Jussieu, but with this difference, that what the French botanist made a secondary ‘distinction, in the system of Dr. Lindley and his followers becomes ;while his great distinctions of poly- the primary characteristic petalous, monopetalous, and apetalous, become secondary considerations.

Ficos Are for the most part herbaceous plants or bushes, with succulent leaves, monodichlamydeous flowers, central or axile placentz, polypetalous corolla, if any, and an external embryo, curving round a mealy albumen. Carpels partially adherent with the calyx, in which respect they are hypogynous, but with strongly __ Marked perigynous stamens. The Ficoids are plants only inte- _ Testing to the botanist. They comprehend plants with fully-developed corolla, and others with a trace of it. Their characte-tistic marks are the perigynous stamens, curved external embryo, The Basels are tropical, with axile placenta. and mealy albumen, Some of them pot-herbs in India and China. The seed-vessels exhibit the remarkable phenomenon of closing when placed in Water and opening again when dry, which is no doubt a part of “heir economy.

Succulent, climbing, herbaceous or shrubby plants, with coloured calyx; naked flowers; distinct sepals, with stamens opposite them; CXCIX. Basellacez. no petals; carpel; an erect seed.

Herbaceous and shrubby succulent plants, with opposite simple leaves; fl ften termi and showy; numerous narrow petals; CC. Mesembryacea. definite sepals; indefinite stamens; inferirior many-celled ovary;

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Herbaceous plants or small shrubs, leaves succulent, alternate, or non-stipulate, often covered with watery pustules; flowers small and: axillary; calyx three, five cleft, partially;adherent to the ovary; petals CCI, Tetragoniaceze none; stamens definite, alternate with sepals; ovary two to nime-celled; carpels, several consolidated,

Small herbs, with opposite non-stipulate leaves; minute axillary sessile flowers; tubular calyx; four or five-toothed stamens, one to ten inserted in the orifice of the tube; no petals; ovary simple, CCIL, Scleranthacez. superior, one-seeded; fruit a membranous utricle enclosed in the : hardened calyx.

The Basels are climbing, herbaceous, or shrubby tropical plants, with double coloured perianth, simple ovary, stamens inserted in the sides of the receptacle; characters which procured their separation from the Chenopods. The leaves of several are used as pot-herbs. The Mrsempryace® or Ice plants, are low branching, half shrubby, herbaceous plants, chiefly of the hot and arid plains of Africa, the shores of the Mediterranean, Australia, and South America. The Mesembryanthemum macrorhizum, the Ice plant, has the leaves and stem densely covered with papule, resembling globules of water or granules of ice, which sparkle in the sun; these secretions are saline, somewhat nauseous to the taste, and supply alkali for glass-works in the South of Europe, where they abound. Medicinally they are diuretic and demulcent. M. edule, the Hottentot Fig, is abundant on the sandy plains round the Cape of Good Hope, and is edible when ripe; the leaves, pickled, being -substituted for the pickled cucumber, and its juice used medicinally. The Rose of Jericho (M. tripolium) has the singular property of gradually opening its seed-vessels on the approachof rain, contracting again when they become dry—a wonderful provision for the propagation of its species, for the seeds which have been closely shut up in the dry season are thus poured out of the open capsules when the growing season is at hand. e TrTRAGONIACES are plants of no beauty and little interest. Like the Ice plants, they are found on the shores of the Mediterranean, at the Cape of Good Hope, and also in the South nee