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Synopsis: Named

ESCHSCHOLTZIA. Named in honour of Dr. Eschscholtz, an eminent botanist. N.O., Papaveraceoe. LINNEAAN: 13, Polyandria; 4, Tetragynia.- The poppyworts are mostly herbs, but a few are subshrubby; all contain a milky narcotic or acrid juice. The leaves are alternate, more or less divided, usually widened at the base, and half clasping the stem; flowers hermaphrodite, usually regular; calyx with two or three pieces, which fall as the flower expands; corolla of four or five petals, much crumpled before expanding; stamens indefinite in number; ovary distinct; fruit a dry, many-seeded spherical, or cylindrical capsule, or an elongated pod opening by two membranous valves. A small but important order, comprising the poppy, great celandine, bocconia, sanguinaria, platystemon, &c. Most of the members of this order possess decided chemical properties, and are more or less poisonous. The poppy is the most renowned in this respect from its production of the powerful narcotic opium, a great blessing and also by misuse a great curse to the human family. SAXIFRAGA, from Lat. saxum, a stone, and frango, to break, in allusion to certain supposed medical properties. But as these plants often grow amongst rocks, and their expanding and ramifying roots tend to rend them asunder, the name may quite as fitly represent their occasional occupation as stone-breakers. N.O., Saxifragaceoe. LINNAEAN: Decandria; 2, Digynia.-This order comprises herbs, shrubs, and trees. Leaves alternate or opposite, sometimes in whorls; flowers hermaphrodite, regular; calyx usually with five lobes, which are sometimes united and adherent to the ovary; corolla of five petals; stamens five or ten, inserted with the petals on the tube of the calyx; fruit a capsule, many-seeded, often terminated with two small horns. A small order, comprising the exquisitely beautiful family of saxifrages, the hydrangea, chrysosplenium, and heuchera. The very common and much admired Astilbe Japonica, commonly called "Spiraea Japonica," is a member of the saxifrage family, and is therefore not a spiraea, for all the true spiraeas are allied to the family of roses.

MALCOMIA. Named after W. Malcom, mentioned by Ray. N.O., Crucifereoe. LINNAEAN: 15, Tetradynamia.

HYPERICUM, possibly from Greek hyper, over, and ereike, heath, a plant growing on a heath. The name is certainly from the Yperikon of Dioscorides and Hippocrates, who were acquainted with Hypericum crispum and H. empetrifolium, and advised their employment in complaints of the chest. N.O., Hypericaceoe. LINNAEAN: 18, Polyadelphia; 2, Polyandria - The plants of this order are herbs, shrubs, and trees, the best known amongst them being the tutsan of the hedgerows. Leaves simple, entire, opposite, full of pellucid and black dots; flowers hermaphrodite, regular; calyx usually of five pieces, the two outer smaller than the three inner; corolla of five petals; stamens indefinite, united at their base into bundles; ovary free, globular; fruit a dry or fleshy capsule of many valves; seeds small, tapering, with an inferior radicle. A small and unimportant order, comprising St. John's wort, parnassia, elodea, and the gum gutta, or American gamboge.

ASTER, from Greek aster, a star. N.O., Compositoe, or Asteraceoe. LINNAEAN: 19, Syngenesia; 2, Superflua-The composite plants have a strong family likeness, and yet, owing to the breadth and fewness of the ray florets in the flowers of some kinds, the beginner may occasionally fail to recognise them. They are herbaceous plants, or small trees, with leaves opposite or in whorls, ntire or divided. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, sometimes in single heads or capitules, sometimes in compound umbels or corymbs. The "composite" character is revealed when we examine one of the capitules or stars. This is found to consist of a number of separate flowers, varying in structure, packed together on a common receptacle. The following may be accepted a general statement of a very difficult case:-Every head of flowers, or florets, as they are technically named, has a central part, or disc, and a circumference, or ray; of these florets some are regularly tubular, with their limb cut into four or five segments; others are slit up on one side, opened flat, and turned towards the circumference of the head; the latter are named ligulate florets. When in a head of flowers all the florets are alike and ligulate, it belonged to the division Cichoraceoe, as in the dandelion; if the florets of the disc were tubular, and those of the circumference only ligulate, it was referrible to Corymbiferoe, as in the marigold; and when all the florets are alike tubular, both in the disc and ray, it belonged to Cynarocephaloe, provided the involucre was at the same time stiff and ovate, as in the thistle. The latter character was necessary in order to distinguish Cynarocephaloe from those Corymbiferoe in which the ray is not developed, as common groundsel. To these three divisions a fourth has in later times been added under the name of Labiatifloroe, in consequence of the florets having distinctly two lips of unequal size. These divisions have, however, been thought objectionable on several accounts, and De Candolle, following Cassini and Lessing, has trusted more to modifications of the style, the result of which is the following arrangement of the order in eight tribes, named respectively Vernoniaceoe, Eupatoriaceoe, Asteroideoe, Senecionideoe, Cynareoe, Mutisiaceoe, Nassauviaceoe, Cichoraceoe. A very large order, the members of which are met with in every part of the world. They are mostly astringent, tonic, and aromatic, affording foods, fibres, dyes, and drugs. There is scarcely a poisonous plant in the family.

MARIGOLD, or CALENDULA. N.O., Asteraceoe. LINNAEAN: 19, Syngenesia; 4, Necessaria.

FUCHSIA. Named after Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist. N.O., Onagraceoe. LINNAEAN: 8, Octandria; 1, Monogynia. This small order consists of herbs or shrubs, with opposite or alternate leaves. It is a very natural order of polypetalous exogenous plants, which, in their more complete condition, are certainly known by their inferior ovary, and by all the parts of the flower being four, or a constant multiple of that number. Thus in Jussioea grandiflora there are four sepals, four petals, twice four stamens, four stigmas, four cells to the ovary, and the fruit when ripe bursts into four valves. The species characterised by this peculiarity are chiefly herbaceous plants, inhabiting the more temperate parts of the world, and have white, yellow, or red flowers, such, for example, as the great genus of oenotheras, or evening primroses, and the epilobiums, or willow-herbs, which are so common as wild plants. It is only in the fuchsia, which has a succulent fruit and forms an approach to Myrtaceoe, that a woody structure is met with. The enchanter's nightshade (Circoea) is a member of this order. POPPY, or PAPAVER. N.O., Papaveraceoe. LINNAEAN: 13, Polyandria; 1, Monogynia. BALSAM, or IMPATIENS. The word balsam explains itself, although the plant so called does not furnish any oil or balm or resin that might be so called. The term impatiens refers to the hasty escape of the seeds when the pod is touched. N.O., Balsaminaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.-The order consists chiefly of succulent herbs, with sometimes radical leaves, but more frequently caulescent leaves which are alternate or opposite; flowers irregular, issuing from the axils of the leaves; calyx with five segments, which are petal-like and unequal; corolla with five petals alternate with the segments of the calyx, the anterior petal large and concave, the two posterior united with the two small lateral ones; stamens five; fruit a capsule with five many-seeded cells beneath, but one-celled above and opening in five elastic valves. A small order containing no plants of special interest or importance.

TULIP, from tulipan, Turkish for turban. N.O., Liliaceoe. LINNAEAN, 6, Hexandria; 1, Monogynia.

CONVOLVULUS, from Lat. convolvo, to entwine. N.O., Convolvulaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.- Herbs, shrubs, and trees, all of them monopetalous exogenous plants, with bell-shaped flowers, opening or contracting beneath the influence of light, a plaited aestivation of the corolla, five stamens, and a fruit with two or three cells, in which one or two ovules stand erect. The embryo is crumpled up in the midst of very firm albumen. The common bindweeds of the hedges, the Ipomoea and Convolvuli of the garden, offer illustrations of the ordinary state of this order, the species of which have purgative roots; and in the case of scammony, yielded by Convolvulus Scammonia, and of jalap, produced by various species of Ipomoea, are of great medicinal importance. Occasionally the purgative principle is so much diffused among the faecula of the root as to be almost inappreciable, as is the case in the Convolvulus Batatas, or sweet potato of America, which was the forerunner of the common potato, and gave it its name, and which is still cultivated in the south of Spain and France.

JESSAMINE, or JASMINE. N.O., Jasminaceoe. LINNAEAN: 2, Diandria; 1, Monogynia.-Climbing shrubs or miniature trees, with leaves opposite or alternate; trifoliate or unequally pinnate, without stipules; flowers hermaphrodite, regular; calyx of five to eight lobes; corolla with five to eight lobes; stamens two; ovary two-celled; fruit a double berry or duplex capsule. A small order, the members of which are met with in tropical and warm temperate climates. In many instances the flowers abound in a fragrant essential oil.

SNAPDRAGON, or ANTIRRHINUM. N.O., Scrophulariaceoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Tetradynamia; 2, Angiospermia.

IRIS, from iris, the rainbow. N.O., Iridaceoe. LINNAEAN: 3, Triandria; 1, Monogynia.-This order consists entirely of herbs that have fibrous, tuberous, or bulbous roots; but the "bulbs" of this order are not formed of scales like those of lilies, but are woody, and multiply by a new growth at the summit, which true bulbs never do; hence the bulb-like roots of these plants are called corms. The order comprehends the iris and crocus of the northern hemisphere, and the gladiolus and ixia of the southern hemisphere. All are furnished with sword-shaped or sickle-shaped leaves; the flowers are hermaphrodite, regular and irregular, enclosed before opening in a sheath; the perianth has six divisions arranged in two series; there are three stamens; the fruit is a three-celled capsule. There are several edible plants in the order, and a few that furnish aromatic drugs, and all the species are highly ornamental. Though a comparatively unimportant order it comprises fifty-three genera and 550 species.