SECTION II. NATURAL ORDERS. THE following arrangement of Natural Orders, is that of Jussieu, as approv ed by Mirbel, and adopted at the Jardin Des Plantes at Paris. Many of the subdivisions of Brown, De Candolle, and Lindley, are noticed under their proper heads. These orders are introduced that the student, by reference to them in the analysis of plants, may gain general ideas of the agreements which exist among the different vegetable tribes. The author would recommend to teach ers, to give the advanced pupil these orders as an exercise for occasional recita tions, dwelling chiefly on the most important divisions. CLASS I. Acotyledons. Embryo destitute of cotyledons, and a separate albumen. 1. FUNGI, or Mushroom-like plants. These are either parasitical, or spring from the ground naked or enclosed in a volva. The substance of mushrooms is fleshy, fungous, or mucilaginous. They are round or flat; some have a pileus, (signifying hat.) They have neither leaves nor flowers. Instead of anthers, they have a scattered, external or internal powder. Instead of pistils they have organs, which resemble thin plates, wrinkles, pores, tubes, &c. In these organs exists a substance analogous to seeds, called sporules, which germinates and reproduces the species. The different species of fungi are known by the common names of toad-stool, puff-ball &c. The medicinal qualities of this order are, tonic when dry, narcotic when juicy. Some are eatable, others poisonous. 2. MUSCI. Moss-like plants These are little herbaceous plants, often resembling trees in miniature. They grow in humid situations, and are found in the most northern latitudes which are known to produce vegetation. They resemble the Hepaticæ in their general appearance, but the latter are destitute of the operculum or lid which covers the seed vessel of the mosses. 3. ALGE. Sea-weed-like plants. Aquatic; differently coloured, herbaceous, cartilaginous or membranous, seeds contained in conceptacles, or in the substance of the plant. These plants are found both in salt waters, and in ponds, ditches and rivers. They are often mere tufts of fine filaments. Examples: Sea-rock weed, Fucus, and Conferva. (Plate 8. Figs. 8, 9, 10.) 4. LICHENS. Seldom vegetating on the earth, sometimes upon living plants, as leaves and bark, often upon stone and dead wood; sometimes pulverulent, dry, or coriaceous; sometimes thick, woody, or fungous. Colour various. In dry places. Some used in dying, some, food for the arctic rein-deer. 5. FILICES.t Fern-like plants. Roots fibrous, leaves radical, circinate when young. Capsules collected in clusters (sort) upon the frond or leaf. Examples: Common fern, scouring rush, &c. 6. HEPATICE Liverwort plants. Succulent; some grow in earth, some in waier, and others are parasites. Resemble the mosses in their general appearance. 7. NAIA DES Duck-meat Tribe. Floating plants with very cellular stems, and leaves scarcely to be distinguished. Astringent. CLASS II. Monocotyledons. Stamens hypogynous (below the germ.) Embryo with one cotyledon. The characters of this class are:-stamen inferior; calyx inferior, when present; stamen seldom indefinite; leaves mostly alternate and sheathing. 8. ARCI'DEE. The Arum tribe. Inflorescence a spadix, surrounded by a spatha. Leaves petioled, sheathing at the base with parallel or branching veins. Roots often tuberous. Properties: acrid and heating. Examples: Wild-turnip and Calla. 9. TY'PHE. Cat-tail tribe. Growing in marshes or ditches. Leaves rigid, ensiform, with parallel veins. (See Plate 1. Fig. 6.) 10. CYPEROIDEE. Sedge-grass tribe. Stem herbaceous, simple. Leaves grass-like. Petiole sheathing. Flowers glume-like, in spikes. Roots fibrous. • Mirbel makes of this order a division called Hypoxyleæ. Ovary one-seeded, often surrounded by bristles. Examples: Carex, Cyperus, Scirpus, &c. 11. GRAMINE'E. The Grasses. This is a very important family. The flowers have generally three stamens and one germ. The embryo is small and attached to a farinaceous albumen. In germinating, the cotyledon remains attache to the albumen and nourishes the plume. The roots are fibrous and capillar The culms are cylindrical, hollow, or pithy. The flower and calyx consist of scales, called glumes. The chaffy flower, single seed, mealy albumen, situation of the embryo, and method of germination, distinguish, in a peculiar manner, this family. Properties: farinaceous, valuable as food for men and animals. Examples: wheat, meadow-grass, sugar-cane. (See Plate 2. Fig. 2, and Plate 4. Fig. 6.) CLASS III. Stamens perigynous (around the germ.) Monocotyledons. Fruits with three cells. Embryo small, with a laı ge albumen. 12. PAL/ME. The Palm tribe. This family is a native of warm climates. The flowers are often dioecious. (See ARECA oleracea, Plate 1. Fig. 1.) The number of stamens is usually six; the filaments are often united at the base. The germ is superior; corolla deeply parted into six segments, the three outer ones being smallest. The germ is superior. The fruit is a berry or a fibrous drupe, the albumen of which is, at first, tender and eatable, and at last becomes hard. The stems of palms are usually undivided, lofty, and round; they are not composed of concentric circles, being endogenous or growing internally; they are scaly from the remains of the indurated foot-stalks of leaves. The leaves of palms appear in a terminal tuft, alternate and sheathing. 13. LILIA CEE. Lily-like plants. Six petals spreading gradually from the base, and exhibiting a bell-form appearance, but differing from the campanulate flowers in being polypetalous. The number of stamens is generally six, sometimes but three, usually alternate with the petals. The germ is always of a triangular form, and contains three cells; the roots are mostly bulbous. The calyx is usually wanting; the stems are simple, without branches; the leaves entire, and nerved. To this family belong the tulip, lily, crown-imperial, dog-tooth violet, &c. Plants of this natural family usually belong to the artificial class, Hexandria; the Crocus and Ixia, having 3 stamens, belong to the class Triandria. (Plate 7. Fig. 4.) 14. ASPARAGI. Asparagus-like plants. Corolla, monopetalous, 6-parted. Stamens six. Fruit a berry, superior, 3-celled. Roots fasciculated. Examples: Asparagus and Convallaria. (See Plate 1. Fig. 3, for a plant of this family.) 15. NARCIS'SI. Roots mostly bulbous. Leaves sessile, elongated, alternate; radical leaves sheathing. Flowers with spathas; panicled, corymbed or solitary. Perianth, which is usually called a corolla, 6-parted. Stamens 6, inserted into the tube of the perianth. Style 1. Stigma simple or 3-parted, Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, or 3-parted. Seed with a perisperm. Examples: Narcissus and Ga lanthus. 16. IRIDE'E. Iris-like plants. Root tuberous. Leaves sessile, alternate, equi. tant, compressed, ensiform. Flowers with spathas. Perianth petal-like, 6-parted, 3 internal, 3 external. Stamens 3. Style 1. Stigmas 3, often petaloid. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, many-seeded. Examples: Iris, Gladiolus. Roots useful in dropsical complaints, antiscorbutic. (Plate 6. Fig. 6.) Leaves 17. JUNCE E. The Rush tribe. Flowers imperfect, glumaceous. fistular, or flat and channelled, with parallel veins. Examples: Juncus, Luzula. The leaves are used for bottoming chairs. Medicinal properties doubtful. (Plate 8. Fig. 7.) 18. BROME LIE. Pine-apple tribe. Leaves radical, ensiform, caniculate. Scape short. Fruit a sorose, ovate succulent, surmounted with a crown of leaves. Examples: Bromelia, Agave. (See Plate 5. Fig. 3.) 19. ASPHODELI. Asphodel tribe. Stamens 6; corolla 6-parted; germ 3-celled. Roots bulbous, or fasciculated. Examples: Onion, Hyacinth Properties: acrid and stimulating. 20. COMMELI'NEE. The Spider-wort tribe. Examples: Tradescantia, Com. melina. Herbaceous plants. Leaves usually sheathing at the base. This family is taken from Junceæ. 21. ALISMA CEE. The Arrow-head tribe. Examples: Sagittaria, Alisma Taken from Junces. (Plate 3. Figs. 4, 5.) 22. COLCHICE E. Colchicum tribe. Emetic and cathartic. Examples: Col chicum, Melanthium. This order is by some called Melanthacea. CLASS IV. Monocotyledons. Stamens epigynous, (above the germ.) 23. ORCHIDEE. Orchis-like plants. Roots fibrous or tuberous. Stem simple. Leaves mostly radical, sheathing; cauline ones sessile. Flowers bracted, commonly in a spike, seldom solitary. Perianth irregular, 6-parted, 3 divisions external, 3 internal, and 9-petaloid; a lower one in the form of a lip, often spurred. Stamens 3, adrate to the style in part or wholly; two are usually abortive. Style thick. Stigma oblique, viscid. Examples: Orchis, Cypripedium, Neottia. Properties: farinaceous and emollient. 24. MUSE. Banana tribe. Examples: Plantain-tree, (Musa,) Bread-fruit, (Artocarpus.) (See Plate 2. Fig. 4.) 25. CAN"NE. The Indian reed-tribe. This is subdivided into Marantaceæ, the arrow-root tribe, and Amoma, or Scitaminacea, the ginger tribe. Properties: aromatic, and carminative. (Plate 3. Fig. 4.) 26. HYDROCHARIDES. Tape-grass tribe. Floating plants. Examples: Hydrocharis, Vallisneria. (Plate 8. Fig. 1.) CLASS V. Dicotyledons. Apetalous-Stamens epigynous. Calyx superior. Monosepalous, (above the germ.) 27. ARISTOLO'CHIE. Wild ginger tribe. Perennial. Flowers Gynandrous. Examples: Virginia snake-root, (Aristolochia,) Wild ginger, (Asarum.) CLASS VI. Dicotyledons. Stamens perigynous, (around the germ.) Perianth single, in some cases resembling a cayx, in others a corolla. 28. ELEAGNE. Flowers diœcious. Fruit a drupe or nut. Leaves alternate. Trees or shrubs. Examples: Pepperage-tree and Eleagnus. 29. HYMELE E. Under-shrubs. Stamens 8. Style 1. Fruit, a drupeole. Cotyledons large, fleshy. Perisperm, thin. Examples: Leather-wood and Daphne. Bark caustic when chewed. 30. PROTE E. Silver-tree tribe. Deciduous shrubs from the Cape of Good Hope. Example: Protea. 31. LAURI, (or Laurinea.) The Laurel tribe. Trees. Flowers Enneandrous; 4 to 6 cleft. Fruit a berry or drupe. The American plants of this family are the spice-bush, (Laurus benzoin,) and Sassafras. Medicinal properties various and important. 32. POLYGO'NEE. The Dock tribe. Herbaceous. Leaves alternate, at first revolute, petioled. Flowers panicled, or in a spike. Fruit a nut, usually triangular, as in the buckwheat. Seed with farinaceous albumen. Examples: Dock, rhubarb, buckwheat. 33. ATRIP LICES. Pig-weed tribe. Flowers with little beauty. Herbs or small shrubs. The beet, poke-weed, and pig-weed, are examples of this family. The pig-weed is by some arranged in a new order, Chenopodeæ; and the pokeweed in another, Phytolacceæ. CLASS VII. Dicotyledons. Stamens, (beneath the germ.) 34. AMARANTHI. Coxcomb-like plants. Stem herbaceous. Leaves entire. Flowers small, numerous, often bracted, sometimes imperfect, in a head, raeeme or spike. Perianth often coloured, monose palous. Pericarp either a pyxide or utricle. Example: Amaranthus. 35. PLANTAGIN'EE. Plantain tribe.. Herbaceous. Leaves many-nerved Flowers sessile, bracted in a spike. Stamens 4. Pyxide 4-celled, many-seeucu. Example: Plantain. Useful as a pot herb. Emollient. 36. NYCTA'GINES. Mirabilis tribe. The principal family in this order is the Four o'clock, (Mirabilis.) Properties: cathartic and emetic. 37. PLUMBA GINES. Marsh rosemary tribe. Herbs or under-shrubs. Leaves alternate or clustered. Corolla regular. Stamens 5, ovary 1-celled; ovule, pendulous. Fruit, a utricle. Properties: astringent, tonic. Example: Statice. CLASS VIII. Dicotyledons. Corollas monopetalous. hypogynous, (below the gerin,) regular or irregular, bearing ine su mens, which generally alternate with its segments when of equal number; germ superior. 38. LYSIMACH'IE, (or Primulacea.) The Loose strife, or primrose tribe. A fami |