OR, A POPULAR INTRODUCTION TO THE ACCORDING TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF DE CANDOLLE. BY MRS. LOUDON, Author of “Instructions in Gardening for Ladies,” “Year-Book of Natural History,” &c. &c. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. MDCCCXLII. LONDON: BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS...

When I was a child, I never could learn Botany. There was something in the Linnean system (the only one then taught) excessively repugnant to me; I never could remember the different classes and orders, and after several attempts the study was given up as one too difficult for me to master. When I married, however, I soon found the necessity of knowing something of Botany, as well as of Gardening. I always accompanied my husband in his visits to different gardens; and when we saw beautiful flowe

The following pages are intended to enable my readers to acquire a knowledge of Botany with as little trouble to themselves as possible. As, however, Botany is a “wide word,” I must here premise that I only propose to treat of that part of the science which relates to the classification of plants, according to the natural system of Jussieu, as improved by the late Professor De Candolle; and that the grand object I have in view is to enable my readers to find out the name of a plant when they see

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. In this first part I shall endeavour to familiarise my readers with botanical details, as all the orders I shall describe contain a great number of genera; and to begin at the beginning, I must first tell them what is here meant by an order, and what by a genus of plants. A genus then may be compared to a family of children, all the plants in it being known by one common or generic name, in addition to their particular or specific one. Thus, if Rosa alba be spoken of, R

THE ORDER RANUNCULACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE RANUNCULUS, THE BUTTERCUP OR CROWFOOT, THE PEONY, THE ANEMONE, THE HEPATICA, THE CLEMATIS, THE CHRISTMAS ROSE, THE WINTER ACONITE, MONKSHOOD, THE LARKSPUR, AND THE COLUMBINE. Such of my readers who may have formed their first ideas of the natural system from some order, the flowers of which bear a strong resemblance to each other, will be surprised at reading the names of the heterogeneous assemblage of plants at the head of this chapter; for surely no

THE ORDER LEGUMINOSÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE SWEET-PEA, THE RED CLOVER, ACACIA ARMATA, THE SENSITIVE PLANT, THE BARBADOES FLOWER-FENCE, THE CAROB-TREE, THE TAMARIND, THE SENNA, THE GLEDITSCHIA, THE LOGWOOD, THE JUDAS-TREE, AND THE KENTUCKY COFFEE-TREE. This order is a very numerous one, containing above three hundred genera, and including several highly important plants, both for food and commerce. As examples of the utility of the Leguminosæ for food, I need only mention the pea and bean, and all t

THE ORDER ROSACEÆ, ILLUSTRATED BY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ROSES; THE POTENTILLA; THE STRAWBERRY; THE RASPBERRY; SPIRÆA; KERRIA OR CORCHORUS JAPONICA; THE ALMOND; THE PEACH AND NECTARINE; THE APRICOT; THE PLUM; THE CHERRY; THE APPLE; THE PEAR; THE MOUNTAIN ASH; THE WHITE BEAM TREE; QUINCE; PYRUS OR CYDONIA JAPONICA; THE HAWTHORN; THE INDIAN HAWTHORN; THE MEDLAR; PHOTINIA; ERIOBOTRYA; COTONEASTER; AMELANCHIER; BURNET; AND ALCHEMILLA OR LADIES’-MANTLE. All the numerous plants which compose this large or

THE ORDER ONAGRACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FUCHSIA; ŒNOTHERA, OR THE EVENING TREE-PRIMROSE; GODETIA; EPILOBIUM, OR THE FRENCH WILLOW-HERB; AND CLARKIA. The type of this order is considered to be the common evening Tree-primrose ( Œnothera biennis ), and it takes its name from Onagra , the name given by Tournefort to the genus. The Fuchsia seems so unlike the Œnothera, that it appears difficult to any but a botanist to trace the connexion between them; but, botanically, they agree

THE ORDER RUBIACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE CINCHONA, OR PERUVIAN BARK; LUCULIA GRATISSIMA; CAPE JASMINE; RONDELETIA; COFFEE; IXORA; IPECACUANHA; MADDER; GALIUM; WOODRUFF; AND CRUCINELLA STYLOSA. This order contains more than two hundred genera; but by far the greater part of these are composed of tropical plants, many of which are not yet introduced into Britain. Several of the genera, on the other hand, are British weeds; and this difference in habit, with others in the qualities of the plants, &am

THE ORDER COMPOSITÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE SUCCORY, THE SOWTHISTLE, THE DANDELION, THE BURDOCK, THE DAISY, THE CHRYSANTHEMUM, FEVERFEW, PELLITORY OF SPAIN, WILD CHAMOMILE, TRUE CHAMOMILE, YARROW, THE BUR-MARIGOLD, GROUNDSEL, RAGWORT, BIRD’s TONGUE, PURPLE JACOBÆA, CINERARIA, SUNFLOWER, MUTISIA, AND TRIPTILION. The plants composing the order Compositæ have all compound flowers, which differ from other flowers as much as a compound leaf does from a simple one. As the compound leaf is composed of a nu

THE ORDER ERICACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON OR BESOM HEATH, THE MOOR HEATH, CAPE HEATHS, LING OR HEATHER, ANDROMEDA, LYONIA, ST. DABÆOC’S HEATH, ARBUTUS, THE BEARBERRY, GAULTHERIA, CLETHRA, RHODODENDRON, INDIAN OR CHINESE AZALEAS, YELLOW AZALEA, AMERICAN AZALEAS, RHODORAK, ALMIA, MENZIESIA, LOISELEURIA, LEDUM, LEIOPHYLLUM, THE BILBERRY, THE WHORTLE-BERRY, THE CRANBERRY, PYROLA, AND MONOTROPA. The name of Ericaceæ, which most people are aware signifies the Heath family, conjures up immediately

THE ORDER OLEACEÆ, OR JASMINEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON WHITE JASMINE; THE YELLOW JASMINE; THE PRIVET; THE PHILLYREA; THE OLIVE; THE FRINGE-TREE ( Chionanthus Virginica ); THE LILAC; THE COMMON ASH; AND THE MANNA OR FLOWERING ASH . This order was established by Jussieu, who divided it into two tribes—Jasmineæ and Oleineæ, which are now very generally considered as distinct orders. I have, however, thought it best to keep them together, as I wish to make as few divisions as possible, to avoid b

THE ORDER SOLANACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE BITTER-SWEET; GARDEN NIGHTSHADE; POTATO; EGG-PLANT; TOMATO; CAPSICUM; WINTER CHERRY; CAPE GOOSEBERRY; THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE; LYCIUM, OR DUKE OF ARGYLE’S TEA-TREE; CESTRUM; VESTIA; TOBACCO; PETUNIA; NIEREMBERGIA; SALPIGLOSSIS; SCHIZANTHUS; HENBANE; DATURA; BRUGMANSIA; SOLANDRA; VERBASCUM; CELSIA; NOLANA; ETC. This large Order is one of those which appear to have been most troublesome to botanists, as scarcely any two agree as to the plants to be comprised i

THE ORDER URTICACEÆ: ILLUSTRATED BY THE COMMON NETTLE; THE HOP; THE HEMP; THE PELLITORY OF THE WALL; THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE; THE JACK-TREE; THE COW-TREE OR PALO DE VACCA; THE UPAS OR POISON-TREE OF JAVA; THE MULBERRY; THE PAPER MULBERRY; THE OSAGE ORANGE, OR MACLURA; THE COMMON FIG; FICUS SYCAMORUS; THE BANYAN TREE; THE INDIAN-RUBBER TREE; AND FICUS RELIGIOSA. This very large order is divided into two distinct tribes, which many botanists make separate orders; the one embracing the herbaceous spec

THE CATKIN-BEARING TREES: ILLUSTRATED BY THE WALNUT, THE HICKORY, THE WILLOW, THE POPLAR, THE ALDER, THE BIRCH, THE OAK, THE BEECH, THE SWEET CHESTNUT, THE HAZEL, THE HORNBEAM, THE HOP HORNBEAM, THE PLANE TREES, THE LIQUIDAMBAR, MYRICA, COMPTONIA, CASUARINA, AND Garrya elliptica . The plants contained in this chapter are placed by modern botanists in six or seven different orders; but I have been induced to group them together, both because they follow each other in regular succession, and becau

THE CONE-BEARING TREES: ILLUSTRATED BY THE SCOTCH PINE; THE SPRUCE FIR; THE SILVER FIR; THE LARCH; THE CEDAR; THE ARAUCARIA; THE ARBOR VITÆ; THE CYPRESS; THE DECIDUOUS CYPRESS; THE JUNIPER; THE YEW; AND THE CYCADEÆ. The greater part of the trees included in this chapter are comprised by Richard, De Candolle, and other foreign botanists, in the order Coniferæ; which they have divided into three sections: viz., the Abietineæ, or Pine and Fir tribe; the Cupressineæ, or Cypress tribe; and the Taxine

All plants are by this system first divided into the Vasculares and the Cellulares; and to explain the difference between these two great divisions, it will be necessary to say a few words on the construction of plants, though this subject belongs properly to vegetable physiology. All plants are composed of two kinds of matter: viz. Cellular Tissue, which may be compared to the flesh of animals; and Vascular Tissue, which consists of spiral vessels and ducts, which may be compared to the nerves

PHANEROGAMOUS PLANTS—DICOTYLEDONÆ—I. DICHLAMYDEÆ. § I.—THALAMIFLORÆ. In all the plants contained in this chapter the receptacle is a fleshy substance called the thalamus, or disk, which is surrounded by the calyx, and out of which the carpels or seed-vessels, the stamens, and the petals, all grow separately from each other. Sixty-five orders are included in this division, but I shall only describe those which contain plants which have been introduced into Britain, except where the orders chance

PHANEROGAMOUS PLANTS—DICOTYLEDONEÆ.— II. MONACHLAMYDEÆ. In all the plants contained in this division, the stamens and pistils have either no floral covering, or only one; and as, when this is the case, the covering is called the calyx, the plants in this division are said to have no corolla. Some botanists think that the calyx and corolla have become intermixed, so as to form only one covering, which they call the perianth; a word applied to the calyx and corolla together. ORDER CLI.—PLANTAGINEÆ

PHANEROGAMOUS PLANTS.—MONOCOTYLEDONEÆ. All the trees belonging to this division are natives of tropical countries; and they, as well as all the herbaceous plants belonging to it, are distinguished by the veins of their leaves being never branched, but principally in parallel lines. These plants are re-divided into those with a perianth, which are called the Petaloideæ, and in which are included the Orchidaceæ and the bulbous-rooted plants; and those without a perianth, which are called Glumaceæ,

CRYPTOGAMOUS PLANTS. These plants are generally described as being without spiral vessels, and consisting only of cellular tissue; but spiral vessels are known to exist in the Ferns, and are said to have been found in the Mosses. Whether this be the case or not, it is evident that the plants included in this division are very different from all that have preceded them, and occupy a lower grade in the scale of vegetable creation. They are divided into two sub-classes: viz. the Foliaceæ , or those