Inquire then of a flower belonging to an Endogenous plant, Is it glumaceous, i.e., like grass and corn, having chaffy bracts instead of petals? If not glumaceous, it belongs to the Petaloideæ. If it has inconspicuous flowers, it will be found under the second subdivision of Petaloid plants. If it has conspicuous flowers, a further approach to its family may be made by inquiring, Is the ovary inferior or superior? If inferior, does it belong to the Orchis family? If superior, does it belong to the Lily family? If neither orchidaceous nor liliaceous, it will be found in one of the families that follow either of these, according to the position of the ovary. DIVISION VI. CRYPTOGAMIA. See observations upon this division, PART II. III. APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING PORTIONS OF THIS CHAPTER EXEMPLIFIED BY A FEW CASES. Let the hare-bell, Campanula rotundifolia, be under examination. No difficulty will be found in replying to the series of questions till the 4th. Is it monopetalous? It does not belong to Division III., Corollifloræ, because the corolla and stamens are attached to the calyx, and the ovary is inferior. It belongs therefore to Division II., Calyciflora. It is evidently neither leguminous (or papilionaceous), rosaceous, umbelliferous, nor composite. It also does not belong to a shrub or tree. Being monopetalous, it must be sought for in the last subdivision, and a little consideration will show that it belongs to the Bell-flower family, Campanulaceae, which will be verified by referring to the subsequent description of this family. Violet, Viola odorata. The series of questions will stop at the 5th. Not being ranunculaceous, or papaveraceous, or cruciferous, or caryophylleous, its family may be approached by examining the number of stamens, which, being 5, it will be easily recognized as belonging to the family Violacea. Crocus, Crocus vernus. The second question determines it to belong to the 5th Division. It is not glumaceous, nor inconspicuous, but petaloid. The ovary is inferior, but the flower is not orchidaceous. It is in one of the four following families that it must be sought for. There will be no difficulty in determining that family to be the Iris and Crocus family, Iridaceæ. Thus by means of the Six Questions (pages 26 and 27), the General Division to which a wild plant belongs may be ascertained; and by the aid of the Analysis at the commencement of each division in PART II. (explained in pages 29-33), its family also. If it possesses any striking interest, its name and description will be found under the head of that family. In this manner, an interest, both of an intellectual and of a moral kind will be maintained, and the way prepared for consulting more elaborate and profoundly scientific works Each step of the inquiry will bring to view some principle of structure, and eventually much more will be known than the |