2. The Buckthorn Family. Rhamnaceæ. Buckthorn. Rhamnus catharticus. Calyx, pitcher-shaped, lined with a thin disc. Parts of the flower in four or five. A small thorny tree, with egg-shaped serrated leaves. Flowers in dense bunches. Berries black, cathartic. May-July. Alder buckthorn. Rhamnus frangula. thorns. Flowers two or three together. also purgative. May, June. Branches without Berries dark purple ; Both these shrubs may be found in woods and thickets. Neither produce flowers of any size or beauty, but yield fruit that is medicinally valuable, though nauseous to the taste. Moral correctives are by no means agreeable, yet, wisely administered, promote spiritual health. "No affliction for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous." The crown of thorns with which the Saviour's head was crowned in mockery is by many supposed to have been composed of the pliable prickly branches of the Paliurus australis, a common shrub in Judæa, and is a species belonging to this family. "One Spirit-His Who wore the platted thorns, with bleeding brows, 3. The Leguminous Family. Leguminosa. Exogenous. Perianth double. (See page 72.) Polypetalous. Perigynous. Calyx divided into five unequal segments. Petals usually papilionaceous. Stamens ten, united by the filaments either into one set (monadelphous), or into two sets (diadelphous). Ovary, one-celled, with one style and stigma. Fruit usually a legume. Plants, with compound leaves, accompanied with stipules. The two principal characters of this family are its papilionaceous flowers, and its leguminous fruit. Some of the foreign species have but one of these characters; all the British wild species have both. (See Plate III. Fig. 1, 2, 3.) The flowers are papilionaceous, or butterfly-shaped. (Fig. 1.) The lower petal is called the keel. (Fig. 2 c.) The fruit is leguminous. (Fig. 3.) A legume is a pod, one-celled and two-valved. The flower and pod of the common garden pea will render the peculiar characteristics of this family sufficiently familiar. BRITISH GENERA. Ulex. Genista. Cytisus. Anthyllis. Ononis. Astragalus. Oxytropis. Melilotus. Trifolium. Lotus. Trigonella. Medicago. Ervum. Pisum. Vicia. Lathyrus. Orobus. Ornithopus. Hippocrepis. Onobrychis. ILLUSTRATIONS. Furze, Whin, or Gorse. Ulex Europæus.-A well-known prickly shrub, producing a profusion of bright yellow fragrant Abundant on heaths and commons. May. flowers. The gorse is yellow on the heath, The banks with speedwell flowers are gay, The oaks are budding, and beneath The hawthorn soon will bear the wreath, Green-weed. The silver wreath of May." Genista tinctoria.-An erect shrub, with narrow leaves, pale-yellow flowers, and stems without thorns. July, August. The name Plantagenet (Planta genista) is derived from this shrub. Broom. Cytisus scoparius.-A large spreading shrub, with long green branches. Leaves either in threes, or single. Flowers, bright yellow. Often introduced into the shrubbery. April-June. The young tops are used medicinally. Kidney vetch, or Ladies' finger. Anthyllis vulneraria.—A beautiful little plant, with flowers in heads similar to those of clover. Leaves unequally divided. Each flower-stalk bears two heads of flowers, which are usually yellow, but sometimes red, and appear as if set in fine wool. Chalky pastures and banks. June-August. Stems usually Rest-harrow. Ononis arvensis.-Shrubby. spreading upon the ground, sometimes thorny. Flowers large, rose coloured, striped. Borders of fields. June-August. Melilot. Melilotus officinalis.-An upright herb, with ternate leaves like those of clover, and long spikes of small yellow flowers. Not common; way-sides. June-August. Clover or trefoil. Trifolium.-Well known by the dense heads of flowers, ternate leaves, and generally powerful fragrance. There are several species: White trefoil, or Dutch clover. Trifolium repens.-Heads of flowers white. Leaves with a dark spot in the centre. By some considered to be the Irish shamrock. Common in meadows and pastures. May-September. Purple clover. T. pratense. The principal species in clover fields. Flowers purple, sweet-scented. May-September. Hare's-foot trefoil. T. arvense.-A very pretty little plant, having silky cylindrical heads of white flowers. Dry pastures. July, August. Strawberry-headed trefoil. T. fragiferum.-Heads of flowers, or fruit, at a distance resembling strawberries. Meadows and pastures. July, August. Hop trefoil. T. procumbens.-A trailing, straggling plant, with small yellow heads, in shape resembling minute hops. T. minus, similar, but much smaller. June, July. Dry pastures and borders of fields. Bird's-foot trefoil. Lotus corniculatus.-A common and yet favourite wild flower. Its large golden-yellow blossoms, in heads of from two to five flowers, abundantly adorn meadows, banks, and way-sides in spring and summer. June-September. Its pods are spread out like the claws of a bird. Culti Lucerne. Medicago sativa.-Violet-coloured flowers, not in heads, and smooth stems. The pod is spirally twisted. vated in fields. June, July. Black nonsuch. M. lupulina.-Legumes, kidney-shaped, rugged, veiny, singled-seeded, black. Flowers yellow. Common. June-August. Pea. Pisum maritimum.-Calyx with leafy segments, the two upper shortest. Flowers purple, variegated with crimson. Stony sea-shores. Rare. July. The Edible Pea, Pisum sativum, is supposed to have been obtained from the south of Europe. Vetch or Tare. Vicia sativa.-Leaflets 6-10, in pairs. Flowers purple and blue, one or two together at the axils (angles) of the leaves. Common. May, June. Vicia sepium.Leaflets from 4 to 8 pairs. Bunches of 4 to 6 purple flowers. June-August. Common in shady places. Vicia cracca.—The most beautiful of the genus, bearing long stalks with numerous violet-coloured flowers. Bushy places and often on margins of streams. June-August. Meadow vetchling. Lathyrus pratensis.-Leaves curiously formed, having two large arrow-shaped stipules, two narrow leaflets, and terminated by a tendril. Flower-stalk long, with numerous yellow blossoms. July, August. Crimson vetchling, or Grass vetch. L. Nissolia. -Foliage similar to grass; amongst which appear a few beautiful crimson flowers. June. Not common. Generally grows among grass. May, Everlasting pea. L. latifolius.-Broad leaves; stems, with leafy wings. Flowers large, rose-coloured. A well-known ornament of the cottage garden. Very rarely found in woods. July, August. The garden Sweet-pea, L. odoratus, is from the south of Europe. Bitter vetch. Orobus tuberosus.-Leaves with a short hair, |