Flowers monopetalous. Stamens epipeta-) lous. Ovules, in part at least, suspended. 228. Styracaceæ, or Storaxworts, p. 592 Radicle long. Cotyledons leafy. ALLIANCE 45. GENTIANALES, p. 594. Stipules 0. Stigmas simple, sessile, radiating 229. Ebenacea, or Ebenads, p. 595 manifest style. Placentæ axile. Seeds 230. Aquifoliaceæ, or Hollyworts, p. 597 Stipules 0. Stigmas collected into a massive head, expanded at the base in the form of 231. Apocynacea, or Dogbanes, p. 599 Leaves opposite, with intervening stipules 232. Loganiaccæ, or Loganiads, p. 602 manifest style. Placenta axile. Seeds 233. Diapensiacea, or Diapensiads, p. 606 indefinite, peltate. Stamens interpetalous) Stipules 0. Stigmas simple, at the end of a manifest style. Placentæ axile. Seeds definite, erect. Corolla valvate. Flowers 234. Stilbaceæ, or Stilbids, p. 607 Stipules 0. Stigmas simple, at the end of a manifest style. Placenta parietal. Flow- 235. Orobanchaceæ, or Broomrapes, p. 609 ers didynamous. Stipules 0. Stigmas simple, at the end of a manifest style. Placenta parietal. Flow-236. Gentianacea, or Gentianworts, p. 612 ers regular Stamens alternate with the petals. Styles 2. 244. Hydrophyllacea, or Hydrophyls, p. 638 Stamens opposite the petals. Fruit membra- Stamens alternate with the petals. Style 1.246. Plantaginaceæ, or Ribworts, p. 642 Inflorescence straight ALLIANCE 48. ECHIALES, p. 649. *Regular-flowered Orders, passing from Solanales. 247. Primulaceæ, or Primworts, p. 644 248. Myrsinacea, or Ardisiads, p. 617 Flowers regular, /, unsymmetrical. Sta 249. Jasminacea, or Jasminworts, p. 650 Flowers regular, symmetrical. Stamens 4.1 Flowers regular, symmetrical. Stamens 5. 250. Salvadoraceæ, or Salvadorads, p. 652 Stigma naked. Nuts 4, confluent. Inflo- 251. Ehretiacea, or Ehretiads, p. 653 Flowers regular, symmetrical. Stamens 5. Nuts 5 or Stigma naked. Inflores- 252. Nolanacea, or Nolanads, p. 654 Flowers regular, symmetrical. Stamens 5.) Nuts 4 or Stigma naked. Inflores- 253. Boraginaceæ, or Borageworts, p. 655 cence circinate Flowers regular, symmetrical. Nut solitary.) 254. Brunoniaceæ, or Brunoniads, p. 657 ** Irregular-flowered Orders, passing into Bignonials. Flowers irregular, unsymmetrical. Nuts 4.) 255. Lamiacea, or Labiates, p. 659 Flowers irregular, unsymmetrical. Nuts 256. Verbenacea, or Verbenes, p. 663 Nuts Flowers irregular, unsymmetrical. confluent. Ovules pendulous. Anthers 257. Myoporacea, or Myoporads, p 665 2-celled. Flowers irregular, unsymmetrical. Nuts confluent. Ovules pendulous. Anthers 1-258. Selaginaceæ, or Selagids, p. 666 ALLIANCE 49. BIGNONALES, p. 668. Placenta parietal. Fruit bony or capsular. 259. Pedaliaceæ, or Pedaliads, p. 669 Placenta parietal. Fruit capsular or baccate.) Embryo with minute cotyledons. Radicle 260. Gesneracea, or Gesnerworts, p. 671 Placenta parietal. Fruit succulent, hard- 261. Crescentiacea, or Crescentiads, p. 673 262. Bignoniacea, or Bignoniads, p. 675 hard placental processes, without albumen. 263. Acanthacea, or Acanthads, p. 678 Placenta axile. Seeds albuminous. Cotyle dons scarcely larger than, or not so large as, 264. Scrophulariaceæ, or Linariads, p. 681 the radicle Placenta free, central. Seeds minute, without albumen Cotyledons much smaller than 265. Lentibulariaceæ, or Butterworts, p. 686 the radicle . ALLIANCE 50. CAMPANALES, p. 688. Ovary 2- or more-celled. Anthers free, or half united. Stigma naked. Corolla valvate. 266. Campanulaceæ, or Bellworts, p. 689 regular Ovary 2 or more-celled. Anthers syngene-) sious. Stigma surrounded by hairs. Corolla 267. Lobeliacea, or Lobeliads, p. 692 Ovary 2- or more-celled. Anthers syngenesious or free. Stigma indusiate. Corolla indu-268. Goodeniacea, or Goodeniads, p. 694 plicate Ovary 2- or more-celled. Stamens and style 269. Stylidiacea, or Styleworts, p. 696 united into a column. Corolla imbricated 271. Dipsacaceæ, or Teazelworts, p. 699 Ovary 1-celled. Corolla imbricated. Anthers 270. Valerianacea, or Valerianworts, p. 697 Ovary 1-celled. Corolla valvate. Anthers syn-273. Asteraceæ, or Composites, p. 702 ALLIANCE 51 MYRTALES, p. 716. Ovary 1-celled. Ovules pendulous. Leaves) dotless. Seeds without albumen. Cotyle- 274. Combretacea, or Myrobalans, p. 717 dons convolute Ovary 1-celled. Ovules pendulous. Leaves dotless. Seeds albuminous. Cotyledons flat. 275. Alangiaceæ, or Alangiads, p. 719 276. Chamalauciaceæ, or Fringe Myrtles, p, 721 Ovary with more than one cell. Flowers poly- mens definite. Ovules horizontal or ascend- 278. Onagracea, or Onagrads, p. 724 radicle . Ovary with more than one cell. Flowers poly- Cotyledons flat, much shorter than the radi-279. Rhizophoracea, or Mangroves, p. 726 Ovary with more than one cell. Flowers mono- mens indefinite, monadelphous. Cotyledons (280. Belvisiaceæ, or Napoleonworts, p. 728 Ovary with more than one cell. petalous. Calyx imbricated. nite. Flowers poly 281. Melastomaceæ, or Melastomads, p. 731 Stamens defi- Ovary with more than one cell. Flowers poly-) petalous or apetalous (or valvate). Calyx282. Myrtacea, or Myrtleblooms, p. 734 imbricated. Stamens 00. Anthers oblong. Leaves usually dotted Ovary with more than one cell Flowers poly petalous. Calyx valvate or imbricated. Stamens 00, in part collected into a fleshy283. Lecythidaceæ, or Lecyths, p. 739 hood. Anthers oblong. Leaves dotless. ALLIANCE 52. CACTALES, p. 741. Sepals and petals distinct. Stamens opposite) the petals. Styles separate. Ovules pendu-284. Homaliaceæ, or Homaliads, p. 742 Sepals and petals distinct. Stamens scattered. Styles confluent. Ovules pendulous. Seeds 285. Loasacea, or Loasads, p. 744 Sepals and petals numerous, undistinguish-" able. Stamens scattered. Styles confluent. 286. Cactacea, or Indian Figs, p. 746 stamens definite. Calyx imbricated 287. Grossulariacea, or Currantworts, p. 750 288. Escalloniaceæ, or Escalloniads, p. 752 Fruit capsular. Placenta axile. Styles dis-289. Philadelphacea, or Syringas, p. 743 united. Stamens 00. Calyx valvate. Fruit pulpy or fibrous. Placente axle. Style) 290. Barringtoniacea, or Barringtoniads,p.754 1. Stamens 00. Calyx imbricated ALLIANCE 54. CINCHONALES, p. 756. 292. Columelliacea, or Columelliads, p. 759 Stamens epigynous; anthers opening by pores. 291. Vacciniaceæ, or Cranberries, p. 757 anthers straight. Leaves with interpetiolar 293. Cinchonacea, or Cinchonads, p. 761 Stamens epipetalous, bursting longitudinally;" anthers straight. Fruit consolidated. Leaves 294. Caprifoliacea, or Caprifoils, p. 766 Stamens epipetalous, bursting longitudinally;" anthers straight. Fruit didymous. Leaves 295. Galiacea, or Stellates, p. 768 ALLIANCE 55. UMBELLALES, p. 772. Fruit didymous, with a double epigynous disk. 296. Apiacea, or Umbellifers, p. 773 disk, 3- or more-celled. Pentamerous flowers. Corolla valvate. Leaves alternate, without 297. Araliacea, or Ivyworts, p. 780 Fruit not didymous, without a double epigy nous disk, 2- or more celled. Tetramerous 298. Cornacea, or Cornels, p. 782 Fruit not didymous, without a double epigy-" · 299. Hamamelidacea, or Witch-Hazels, p. 784 Fruit not didymous, without a double epigy-) wise J 301. Santalacea, or Sandalworts, p. 787 THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. WHEN HEN the Animal Kingdom is studied as a vast whole, and not merely in the highly-developed classes of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles, the naturalist perceives forms with which he is most familiar gradually changing, organs which are indispensable to the highest orders of Animals disappearing, the limbs ceasing to be formed, all the internal structure of the body simplified, and, at last, nothing left but pulpy and seemingly shapeless masses, such as inhabit shells. Let his power of vision be enlarged, and the microscope discovers to his amazement, that the Animal Kingdom has not ceased with the soft-bodied creatures at which his inquiry had stopped, but that a new and vast field of observation opens before him, teeming with myriads of forms, which are, as it were, the beginning of another kingdom of nature. Nevertheless, he soon finds that the smallness of the size of these creatures is no hindrance to their possessing the peculiar attributes of animal life. Though bones, and muscles, and external limbs, with veins, arteries, and nerves, may have disappeared, or become too fine for human vision, yet there is still left the animal motion, and the power of hunting for prey, of feeding by a mouth and by the destruction of other species, which is one of the great marks of animal structure. He sees that cells, although so small that the acutest vision and the most powerful instruments are alone sufficient to detect them, are the recipients of a stomach, of eyes, of a mouth. He perceives in such bodies all those elements of activity, by which the Animal Kingdom is in general so well distinguished from the passive Region of plants. And hence it is that those who deal in generals only, without descending to particulars, pronounce with a voice of authority that the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms are sundered by decisive characteristics. The zoologist declares that the power of spontaneous motion, and the feeding by a stomach, are qualities confined to the Animal Kingdom. But numerous plants move with all the appearance of spontaneity; the spores of those Conferve which are sometimes called Zoosporous, swim in water with great activity; the filaments of Zygnemata combine with the energy of animal life; and as for a stomach, it is impossible to say, that the whole interior of a living independent cell is not a stomach. Chemists once referred to the presence of nitrogen as a certain characteristic of animals; but plants abound in nitrogen. With more reason they now appeal to the existence of starch in plants, an organic compound unknown among the animal creation. And this is perhaps the B best mark of distinction that has hitherto been found; for it is universally present in plants, and has enabled Mr. Payen to confirm by chemical evidence the vegetable nature of certain productions till lately regarded as Zoophytes, and therefore as belonging to the Animal Kingdom. (Ann. Sc. Nat. 2. ser. xx. 65.) But it has been long ago asserted by Bory de St. Vincent, and others, that there exist in nature organised bodies which are animal at one period of their lives, and vegetable at another! This, if true, would for ever put an end to the possibility of distinguishing the two kingdoms when they shall each have arrived at their lowest forms. Its truth has, however, been denied. On the contrary, Kützing, in his recent magnificent work on Algæ, insists that it happens in his Ulothrix zonata, (Fig. I.) He asserts that in the cells of that plant there are found minute animalcules, with a red eye-point, and a Fig. I. transparent mouth-place; that they are not in fact, distinguishable from Ehrenberg's Microglena monadina; these bodies, however, are animals only for a time. At last they grow into vegetable threads, the lowest joint of which still exhibits the red eye-point. This phenomenon, which Kützing assures us he has ascertained beyond 3 all possibility of doubt, puts an end to the question of, whether animals and plants can be distinguished at the limits of their two kingdoms, and sufficiently accounts for the conflicting opinions that naturalists entertain as to the nature of many of the simpler forms of organisation. Such being the case, it is not worth attempting to decide, whether the lowest forms of structure, to be presently mentioned, belong to the one Kingdom or the other. It will be sufficient that they have been regarded as plants by many eminent naturalists. It is in this microscopical cellular state of existence that the Animal Kingdom ends, and the Vegetable commences. It is from this point that the naturalist who would learn how to classify the Kingdom of Plants must take his departure. He perceives that those species which consist of cells, either independent of each other (Protococcus, Uredo), or united into simple threads (Conferva, Monilia), are succeeded by others in which the threads collect into nets (Hydrodictyon), or plates (Ulva), or the cells into masses (Laminaria, Agaricus); peculiar organs make their appearance, and at last, as the complication of structure increases, a leaf and stem unfold as distinctly limited organic parts. Those simpler plants which exist without the distinction of leaf and stem, are also destitute of flowers; they are equally without the breathing-pores so abundantly formed in the skin of more complex species, and they multiply by the spontaneous formation in their interior, or upon their surface, of reproductive spheroids called spores. Among the many names that Botanists have given such plants, that of THALLOGENS is here preferred. A thallus is a fusion of root, stem and leaves, into one general mass; and that is much the nature of these elements of Vegetable structure. Fig. I. ULOTHRIX ZONATA, after Kützing.-1. A portion of the plant discharging its vegeto-animalcules; 2. the latter much enlarged, and in various states of progress into a thread; 3. a young thread, or plant, three or four days old, much less magnified. |