Horned Poppy. Glaucium luteum.-Upon sandy sea-shores, having wavy grey-tinted leaves, and yellow flowers. July. Violet Poppy. Romeria hybrida.-Purple flowers and long pods. Rare. May, June. OBSERVATIONS. This family is also both showy and poisonous. The deleterious property, however, is narcotic, and not acrid, as in the ranunculus family. Opium and its extracts under judicious scientific direction are precious anodynes, and have often soothed the sufferings and composed the restlessness of disease. But taken as an indulgence, the consequences are frightful and in the end fatal. Slumber may recruit the energies, sloth ever tends to ruin and misery. Divine providence may overrule for peace and health, those sorrows which, excessively indulged in, bring death. Works of fiction are narcotics, destructive of mental and moral health, when abused by excessive indulgence in them. "Oh! mickle is the powerful grace that lies In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities; Poison hath residence and med'cine power." 5. The Fumitory Family. Fumariaceæ. Exogenous, &c. Sepals 2, falling off. Stamens 6, in two bundles. Ovary one-celled. Petals 4, irregular. link between the poppy and cruciferous families. Plants a kind of Fumitory. Fumaria officinalis.-Rather elegant in appearance. Stems much spread. Leaves tender, finely divided, light green. Flowers, pale red, one of the petals either gibbous or spurred at the base, more deeply coloured at the apex, small and arranged in loose clusters. May-August. Corydalis. Corydalis claviculata.-A delicate climbing plant, with small white flowers, similar to the above. In shady situations. June, July. Yellow C. C. lutea.-Large yellow flowers of a similar structure, rarely wild, more commonly cultivated in gardens. May. 6. The Cruciferous Family. Cruciferæ. Exogenous, &c. This family derives its name cruciferous or cross-bearing, from the shape of the calyx and corolla, which are each cruciate, that is, arranged in the form of a cross. (Plate II. Fig. 10.) Sepals 4, cruciate. Petals 4, cruciate, alternate with the sepals. Stamens 6, tetradynamous, i.e., 2 being opposite, shorter than the other 4, which are in opposite pairs. Ovary one-celled, most frequently with a membranous partition upon which the seeds are attached on either side. siliqua (pod). (Fig. 11.) Fruit either a silicula (pouch), or a The most convenient subdivision of this family is into BRITISH GENERA. 1. SILICULOSE. Fruit, a pouch. Cakile. Crambe. Senebiera. Isatis. Vella. Capsella. Thlaspi. Hutchinsia. Teesdalia. Iberis. Lepidium. Cochlearia. Subularia. Draba. Camelina. Koniga. Alyssum. 2. SILIQUOSÆ. Fruit, a pod. Dentaria. Cardamine. Arabis. Turritis. Barbarea. Nasturtium. Sisymbrium. Alliaria. Erysimum. Cheiranthus. Matthiola. Hesperis. Brassica. Sinapis. Diplotaxis. Raphanus. ILLUSTRATIONS. From the above list of genera it will be seen that this is one of the most extensive of British families. It is identical with the Linnæan class, Tetradynamia. Stock. Matthiola.-Two species are found wild on the seacoast, south of England and Wales. M. incana, and M. sinuata. Both rare. This genus is better known by the rich species and varieties cultivated in the garden. Wall-flower. Cheiranthus cheiri.-Found in its wild state on old walls and rocks. "Flower of the solitary place, Grey ruin's golden crown; To haunts of old renown. Water-cress. Nasturtium officinale.-A well-known herb grow ing in running waters. Its cruciferous flowers at once distinguish it from poisonous plants with similar foliage often growing in the same locality. June, July. Wall-cress. Arabis thaliana.-A common plant on walls, banks, roofs, &c. It may be known by its slender branched stem, toothed leaves, small white flowers, and narrow spreading pods. April. Cuckoo-flower. Cardamine pratensis.-One of the early harbingers of spring, companion of the violet, cowslip, and blue-bell. It has pinnate leaves, and large purplish flowers. April, May. This and some other plants take the name of cuckoo as they bloom about the time of this bird's arrival. In early spring "There is a blessing in the air, Which seems a sense of joy to yield To the bare trees, and mountains bare, Whitlow grass. Draba verna. -A little plant two or three inches high and without branches, growing upon banks, old walls, and roofs, in March and April. It produces an upright bunch of small white flowers with cleft petals, followed by flat oval pouches. Leaves small. A perfect plant, with root, leaves, and flower-branch, occupies but a small space, and is very pretty. Shepherd's purse. Capsella bursa pastoris.—A very common plant. Its numerous pouches are heart-shaped, nearly triangular, and attached to the stalk by the narrow extremity. The broad end of the pouch is emarginate, and the valves are keeled. It flowers the greater portion of the year. Teesdalia. Teesdalia nudicaulis.-A pretty little plant with a single stem bearing flowers only, and with several cut leaves at the base. Petals of unequal size. Fruit a somewhat oval pouch. In dry gravelly fields and on walls. May. Hedge-garlic. Alliaria officinalis.-Called also "Jack by the hedge," and "Sauce alone." Heart-shaped leaves, when rubbed emitting the odour of garlic. White flowers and ribbed pods. Very common in hedges. May. Dame's Violet, or Rocket. Hesperis matronalis.-Rose-coloured flowers. Sometimes cultivated in gardens. It becomes fragrant only at the close of the day. "Call it not wasted the scent we lend To the breeze, when no step is nigh; Hedge-mustard. Sisymbrium officinale.-Flower-branches very long and straggling, with numerous pods pressed close to |