are inserted upon the tube of the corolla, and the anthers open from within by two longitudinal clefts. Before the expansion of the flower they are straight, but become spirally gyrose after the emission of pollen. The pistil is composed of a superior ovary, surmounted by a filiform style, divided into two branches, which are rounded at the summit. The ovary is uniocular, and encloses a parietal placenta, bearing a great number of anatropal ovules. The fruit is a capsule opening in two valves, which bear the seeds upon their sides. These enclose a very small embryo in a fleshy albumen. The Gentians (Gentiana) only differ from the preceding in _ the secondary characteristics drawn from the shape of the ovary, the placenta, and stamens.

The root of the Yellow Gentian (G. lutea) is employed in medicine, being the plant which furnishes the Gentian root of the druggists. It isa native of the Alps and other mountains of Central Europe, growing vigorously in calcareous soils, where its numerous bright yellow flowers, in bundles and verticles, surprise the traveller by their unexpected appearance.

Most other species of Gentians are now abandoned in medicine; but botanists cherish them for their elegance of form and the brilliant colouring of their flowers. We may cite as belonging to this family two of the most graceful ornaments of our rivers and ponds: the Marsh Trefoil (Menyanthis trifoliata), whose trifoliate leaves and flowers, disposed in spikes, snowy white, rose-coloured or purple in their tints, are furnished on the inside of their corolla with delicate filaments, rolled up from within, and of a dazzling whiteness. Again, there is the Fringed Buckbean (Villarsia nymphoides), the elegant rival of the Nuphars; which is being introduced into our ornamental waters, where their dark green leaves, and white, yellow, or orange-coloured flowers form a very graceful ornament.;

SoLaNnaLs. Perigynous exogens, grouped together by the common cha- Tacters of a monopetalous corolla; axile placentw; symmetrical flowers;two and three-celled fruit, with large embryo, surrounded with small albumen. Anomalous genera, having no corolla or

separate petals, occur, but they are rare. Lateral affinities occur, which render the separation of the various groups a subject of very minute discrimination.

Trees or shrubs, with opposite, sometimes pinnate, leaves, on aicho-tomous branches; CCXXXVII. Oleacez. ore inferior; corolla hypogynous; four-cleft stamens, two or four, fre

tbaceous plants or shrubs, iigeos alternate undivided or lobedar leaves; calyx five-parted; inferior corolla, on as five-cleft; COXXXVITII. Solanacezx. stamens sid oe; axile Leacirh embry ternat

Gapeue: or yecinees see in gon of gorse ons in abet CCXXXIX. Asclepiadacez. calyx five-parted; corolla monopetalons; stamens _- inserted in its ; anthers and stigma consolidated into a colum

with alternate leaves, scabrous, cus. flowers in panics; calyx -inferior; corolla monopetalous; stamens five, free; t CCXL, Cordiacez. axile placente; leafy—c edon, folded wong ei

Herbaceous plan shrubs, usually twining; smooth or simply pubescent leaves, airrhate, non-stipulate; howe axillary; corolla ulacex. monopetalous gis = free, inserted in the base of thecorolla COXLL. Convalv doubledup iaity cotyledon

Leafless colourless parasites, with flowers in dense clusters; calyx inferior; corolla persistent; stamens equal to segments of the CCXLII, Cuscutacezx.

Herbaceous plants, opposite, occasionally alternate leaves; calyx. inferior; corolla regular; five-lobed stamens, free, five inseerted in CCXLIII. Polemoniacez. tube of corolla; axile placente; straight cotyledons.

This important and numerous group includes a vast number of useful plants. Among the OrEacem we have the Common Olive, whose fruit and oil are alike valuable. The Ash (Fraxinus) is

extremely abundant both in this country and America, and over the whole of Europe, the sap generated between the bark and the wood of /raxinus rotundifolia yielding the manna of the druggists. Tn the warm climates of Southern Europe this substance, which isa distinct principle called “ mannite,”” is also produced from the Common Ash (F. excelsior). The Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) }is also known to possess valuable febrifugal properties.

The Lilac, Olive, and Ash trees are the most interesting plants of the Oleaces. Lilacs have regular and hermaphrodital flowers; their monosepalous calyx is four-lobed; corolla four-cleft, monopetalous, hypocrateriform, the tube of which is much elongated, and surrounded by a spreading, four-lobed limb; two stamens, having bilocular anthers opening from without by two longitudinal clefts, are inserted upon the tube of the corolla. Bae pistil is composed of a superior ovary,8surmounted by @ divided into two stigmatic branches. This ovary is two-celled, ie cell containing two suspended anatropal ovules. Fruit, a his a

a berry, or a capsule, the latter opening into two valves, having a partition in the centre, and only containing one seed by abortion. They are provided with a fleshy albumen and with a straight embryo. The Lilacs were originally from Asia. Their leaves are opposite and simple. Two species are cultivated in our gardens: the Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) and the Persian Lilac (Syringa Persica); both of them bitter, but without acridity, and useful febrifugals. The Olive (Olea Europea) is a tree of middle size, from twelve to twenty feet high, of a sober greyish green aspect, and without beauty, Its leaves are oblong, or appearance. stunted aving a rugged entirely lanceolate; the upper surface smooth and whitish green, the lower scaly. The flowers of this tree form axillary bunches, straight and pendent during efflorescence, drooping when at maturity. Its fruit is a drupe, with unilocular stone produced by the abortion of one cell. The pericarp of this drupe contains a fixed oil holding the highest rank among oils used for alimen- In November, by pressure. obtained which is tary purposes, _when the fruit is quite ripe, and assuming a reddish colour, it is grinding taken to the mill, and passed between two gathered, as to crush the fleshy part stones, placed at such a distance without breaking the stone; the fleshy part and the stones being the former mass is put into bags made of rushes, thus separated, and moderately pressed. What is called “virgin oil” is thus submitted to with water and again moistened;the pulp isobtained the quality is obtained, oil of commerce ordinary and the pressure, to the number of times the pulp is watered. - varying according The Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) is, like the Olive, nearly allied and the berries, which the astringent, to the Lilac. Its leaves are birds eat, furnish a black colour used in dyeing. Country people a writing ink with the crushed fruit of the in France manufacture Privet. The Ash (Fraxinus) also belongs to the same family. To understand the structure of the Ash, let us examine the structure Ash (Mraxinus ornus) and of two species, namely, the Flowering The former is a tree from thirty: the Common Ash (F. eacelsior). ___ to forty feet in height—a very ornamental tree. HH mae

Growing almost spontaneously in the South of France, it is cultivated as an ornamental tree in most countries. e composite leaves of the Flowering Ash have from seven to nine sessile, lanceolate and dentate folioles; they are green and smooth on the upper surface, the lower part a little paler, and barbate throughout the whole length of the midrib. The flowers appear with the leaves; they are regular and hermaphrodite, and of a greenish white. The calyx is four-lobed, and the whitish corolla has four very long linear petals. There are two stamens and one pistil, with two cells each, containing two suspended anatropal

ovules, like the lilac; the fruit a winged samara. rom this and some other species of the Ash—notably, as already observed, from F. rotundifolia—a liquid is drawn from it by incisions made in the bark, which concretes when exposed to the air. It is known under the name of “manna,’’ and seems to be @ principle in itself, being incapable of fermentation. When fresh, it is sweet and nutritious; with age it becomes slightly purgative, and serves a useful purpose in medicine. The most highly esteemed manna is obtained from Sicily. It is furnished by - different species of the Ash, especially the species named.

The Common Ash (Frazinus excelsior) (Plate XVIIL.) is a large tree, which when in good condition reaches the height of seventy or eighty feet, with a trunk of eight or ten feet in circumference. It grows in the woods, in clumps, or by itself, blossoming in April and May. Its leaves present from nine to fifteen nearly sessile, — opposed folioles, smooth on the upper part, velvety_ lanceolate, below, at the base of each side of the midrib. The flowers of the Common Ash, contrary to those of the Flowering Ash, are completely destitute of envelopes; they are composed of two gta mens and a pistil. The flowers and the fruit resemble those of the Flowering Ash (Fraxinus ornus). ee

The Common Ash is found in many parts of Northern Asia, | and is said to be indigenous in Japan. Its rapid growth and tough, hard wood make it one of the most useful British trees — on lawns os as an ornament graceful being singularly besides parks; but more especially does it seem the natural ornament of — where it = abbeys, or Netley ruins, such as Melrose architectural may be seen in great perfection, blending its slender branches —

Plate XVIII.—The Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior).

and airy foliage with the venerable walls and tracery of the windows. | | The Ash, however, is an enemy to all interloping vegetation; its rapid growth exhausts the soil of all organisable substances, and the extension of its roots may be traced in the languid growth of its vegetable neighbours. | ' The Weeping Ash (F. pendula) has all the characters of the Common Ash, while the tendency of its branches is to bend downwards, so that the arching boughs, when grafted on a stem of suitable height, will soon reach the ground, and form a natural arbour. Probably F. excelsior, if weighted at the extremity of the branches, would have the same tendency. The Soranace®, or Nightshades, are natives of all parts of the world without the polar circle, but they culminate in number and energy in the tropics. At first sight it would seem an anomalous system which places the Potato and the Love Apple in the same order with the Deadly Nightshade and Henbane; but, as De Candolle remarks, “it is not to be lost sight of that all our food should include a modicum of an exciting principle, which if it existed in greater quantity would be injurious, but which in moderate proportions 1s only a natural and necessary condiment.” Besides, as Dr. Lindley says, the apples, or fruit, of the potato are narcotic, although the tubers are wholesome and nutritious when cooked. Many plants of this order are used in medicine, Henbane (Hyoscyamus), Deadly Nightshade (Atropa), Bitter-sweet (Solanum), Stramonium (Datura), and Tobacco (Nicotiana) ry ¥ being the chief and most valuable. = ‘ *, If we examine the Potato (S. “=e tuberosum) as a type of the family, oe; we find the calyx (Fig. 426) 1s mono- aT sepalous, with five divisions; the corolla monopetalous, and shaped like a wheel or cup, having lobes alter- Fig. 426 ~~ Blossom. nating with the division of the calyx, five stamens with short filaments, and bilocular anthers, opening at the summit by two spores. The pistil consists of a superior ovary, surmounted by an elongated style, which terminates in an HH 2

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