CLASS VI.

HEXANDRIA.

SIX MALES.

THE sixth class is denominated HEXANDRIA*. It embraces those vegetables, whose flowers are furnished with six stamens. But the single circumstance of the number of their stamens is not sufficient to distinguish the plants of the class Hexandria. The plants of another hermaphrodite class, the class Tetradynamia, are also furnished with the same number of stamens. How, then, are we to distinguish these two classes from one another? By attending to the circumstance of the proportion of the stamens. In the class Hexandria, the sta

mens are all of one uniform length; or, at least, there is no determinate inequality in their lengths: but the plants of the class Tetradynamia have their stamens of unequal lengths, four of them being long, and two of them short.

THE class Hexandria is subdivided into five orders, viz. MONOGYNIA, DIGYNIA, TRIGYNIA, TETRAGYNIA, and POLYGYNIA.

MONOGYNIA.

ONE FEMALE.

THIS first order is the most numerous. It contains the following, among many other, genera, viz. Brome

* From &, six.

lia, Tillandsia, Burmannia, Lachenalia, Tradescantia, Berberis, Leontice, Hemanthus, Leucojum, Galanthus, Narcissus, Pancratium, Amaryllis, Crinum, Pontederia, Bulbocodium, Allium, Hypoxis, Gethyllis, Hemerocallis, Agave, Aloe, Aletris, Polyanthes, Convallaria, Hyacinthus, Phormium, Asphodelus, Anthericum, Ornithogalum, Scilla, Cyanella, Dracena, Asparagus, Gloriosa*, Erythronium, Uvularia, Bartonia †, Fritillaria, Lilium, Tulipa, Yucca, Albuca, Massonia, Orontium, Acorus, Calamus, Juncus, and Peplis.

DIGYNIA.

TWO FEMALES.

THIS order contains the following genera, viz. Falkia, Atraphaxis, Gahnia, and Oryza.

TRIGYNIA.

THREE FEMALES.

COLCHICUM, Melanthium, Medeola, Helonias, Triglochin, Rumex, and others, belong to this order.

* Methonica of Jussieu.

+ Bartonia of the late Mr. Humphrey Marshall.

TETRAGYNIA.

FOUR FEMALES.

THIS order contains the genus Petiveria, so named, by Plumier, in honour of Mr. James Petiver, an English naturalist, and collector.

POLYGINIA.

MANY FEMALES.

THE

genus Alisma belongs to this order.

CHARACTER.

THE class Hexandria may, with safety, be characterized as one of the most beautiful in the sexual system. In the scale of importance, it also merits an higher place than several of the other classes. It has no inconsiderable claim to the character of a natural class. It, certainly, embraces some pretty extensive natural assem blages, such are those which Linnæus has thrown into his ninth and tenth orders, Spathacea and Coronariæ, of which I have already made mention *. The following are some of the genera which constitute Linnæus's

*See Part I. p. 13. and p. 117, 118.

eleventh order, or Sarmentaceæ*: Alstroemeria, Convallaria, Dracena, Asparagus, Gloriosa, Erythronium, Uvularia, Medeola, Trillium, and others. Linnæus as

serts, that all his Sarmentacea, with the exception of two, viz. Dioscorea (which belongs to the xxII class) and Asparagus, have something malignant in their composition t. Gloriosa is, indeed, a very poisonous plant; and nearly the same remark may be applied to several others. But the order of which I am speaking contains several plants, that appear to be entirely innocent. The young shoots of a species of Convallaria (called Wild-Asparagus) are eaten in some parts of the United-States, and are deemed little inferior to Asparagus. The root of the Medeola virginica is eaten by our Indians. This plant is called "Indian Cucumber."

THE class Hexandria has given to the materia medica some important or useful vegetables. Different species of Allium, particularly the Allium sativum, or Garlick, and the Allium Porrum, or Leek, though more employed as articles of diet, are, unquestionably, possessed of very useful medical qualities. The aloes of the shops is the inspissated juice of different species of Aloe. That important diuretic, the Squill, is the bulb or root of the Scilla maritima. The bulbous root of the Colchicum autumnale, or Meadow-Saffron, is possessed of the same powers, but in a less eminent degree. I must not omit to mention the Oryza sativa, or Rice, though this is not strictly a medicinal article. This

* I have already made mention (see Part I. p. 22. n. 8.) of the caulis sarmentosus, or sarmentose stem; so called from sarmentum, the twig or spray of a vine. Several of the vegetables of the order Sarmentaceae, such as Smilax, Dioscorea, Tamus, Menispermum, Cissampelos, are furnished with this species of stem: but others (I believe the greater number) have stems of another kind. The order Sarmentaceæ is far from being a very natural assemblage of vegetables.

+ Prælectiones, &c. p. 304.

plant alone gives to the class Hexandria a high importance. BUT HOW GREATLY IS IT TO BE REGRETTED, THAT THIS VEGETABLE, IN THE MOST FREE AND HAPPY COUNTRY UPON EARTH, SHOULD BE CULTIVATED, ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY, BY THE HANDS OF

SLAVES! Shall we never learn to be just to our fellowcreatures? Shall we blindly pursue the imaginary advantages of the moment, and neglect the still but solemn voice of God, until

"Vengeance in the lurid air,

"Lifts her red arm, expos'd and bare."

BESIDE the plants which I have mentioned, it is said that Leontice Thalictroides* and some species of Prinos possess active medical qualities. I repose no manner of confidence in the powers that have been ascribed to the bulb of Hypoxis erecta, as a remedy against the bite of the rattle-snake, and other venomous serpents.

THE United-States are remarkably rich in plants of the class Hexandria.

See Plates XIII & XIV, for illustrations of this class.

CLASS VII.

HEPTANDRIA.

SEVEN MALES.

THE class HEPTANDRIA† embraces those hermaphrodite vegetables whose flowers are furnished with + From sla, seven.

* A native of Pennsylvania, &c.