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Synopsis: Mercurie

CROCUS, from Greek crocus, saffron. Holinshed ("England," c. 8), says that "a certain young gentleman named Crocus went to plaie at coits in the field with Mercurie, and being heedlesse of himselfe, Mercurie's coit happened by mishap to hit him on the head," &c. &c. The coit killed him, and saffron sprung from the ground whereon he had bled, and was called crocus in commemoration of the event. N.O., Iridaceoe. LINNAEAN: 3, Triandria; 1, Monogynia. MUSK, from the Arabic musch, the name of an animal from which a perfumed substance is obtained, probably the Muntjak (Cervus moschatus). N.O., Scrophulariaceoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Didynamia; 2, Angiosperma. LAVENDER, from Latin lavo, to wash. N.O., Lamiaceoe, or Labiatoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Didynamia; 1, Gymnospermia.-The labiate order is marked with strong characters, and constitutes a distinct though extremely large group. The members of it are mostly herbs and low shrubs with square stems, opposite leaves, and aromatic juices; the flowers are singularly formed; the calyx is bell-shaped with five teeth; the corolla tubular, irregular, two-lipped, the upper one very short and sometimes wanting; stamens four; ovary four-lobed; stigma two-cleft; fruit composed of four one-seeded nuts enclosed in the interior of the permanent calyx. A large proportion of the most useful aromatic herbs belong to this order, such as sage, thyme, marjoram, mint, betony, ground-ivy, &c. About 1,714 species are known, of which over 1,000 belong to the eastern hemisphere. The temperate and warm temperate parts of the earth are largely occupied with labiates; there are but few in the Equinoctial regions, and still fewer are Arctic.

PETUNIA, from petun, the Brazilian name for tobacco. N.O., Solanacoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria: 1, Monogynia.-This order is composed of herbs or shrubs, rarely of arborescent plants, with colourless juices, round or irregularly angled stems or branches, sometimes armed with thorns or prickles; their leaves alternate, simple, entire, or lobed; the inflorescence is variable, mostly axillary, sometimes terminal; the flowers regular and united; the calyx is five-parted, persistent; corolla monopetalous, five-cleft or four-cleft, regular, deciduous; stamens inserted upon the corolla, as many as the segments of the limb, and alternate with them; ovary two or four-celled, stigma simple; fruit either a capsule or a berry; seeds numerous. A large and somewhat anomalous order, comprehending many useful and many noxious plants, as, for example, the potato, tomato, nightshade, egg-plant, capsicum, henbane, and tobacco. Between the flower of the potato and that of the petunia what a difference, and yet we are to regard them as somewhat nearly related! OLEANDER, or NERIUM. By the term Oleander we are to understand a flowering olive. Nerium is from neros, humid, in reference to the marshy and river-side habitats of the plants. N.O., Apocynaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.-This order comprehends a series of trees and shrubs which have leaves opposite or in threes, regular flowers with calyx and corolla five-cleft and five stamens; fruit sometimes a double berry. They are mostly found in tropical and warm temperate climates, but are in this country represented by the humble periwinkle (Vinca). Many of them possess an acrid, milky juice, which is virulently poisonous; the oleander is an especial example of this. In this order occur the beautiful allamanda, the caranda plam, the deadly ordeal tree of Madagascar, the celebrated cow-tree of Demerara, and the Indian hemp.

CHRYSANTHEMUM, from Greek chrysos, gold, and anthos, a flower. N.O., Asteraceoe. LINNAEAN: 19, Syngenesia; 2, Superflua.

PENTSTEMON, from pente, five, and stemon, a stamen. N.O., Scrophulariaceoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Didynamia; 2, Angiospermia.