Flowers yellow, in crowded heads. Stems hairy.

This is so valuable a plant in agriculture, that once none were thought to be equal to it in fattening cattle, and it was therefore called Nonsuch.

O. S. Yellow Sickle Medick, with yellow flowers and pods shaped like a sickle-Purple Medick, often grown and known by the name of Lucerne -Spotted Medick-Flat-Toothed Medick-Little-Toothed Medick-and Reticulated Medick, some of them very rare.

CLASS 17.-POLYANDRIA.

(Containing Plants with their Stamens in more than one bundle.)

A small class, containing only one family or genus of native plants, and this is the St. John's Wort, some species of which are well-known ornaments in the gardens, and others common in the fields and woods. They are beautiful plants, all of them bearing yellow flowers, of five petals. Calyces of five leaves, and capsules of many seeds.

ST. JOHN'S WORT.

PERFORATED ST. JOHN'S WORT.

HYPERICUM.
Hypericum perforatum.

Plate 12-Fig. 1.

Leaves covered with shining dots or small holes.

Abundant everywhere, in hedges, woods, and thicketsrearing up its heads, rich with golden flowers, to the height of a foot or two. It may be known at once from the next, by being larger, and having its leaves nearly pierced through with a number of small holes, so that, when held up to the light, they may be almost seen through. The calyx, the corolla, and sometimes the leaves, have black dots around their edges and tips.

Because of its pierced leaves, and the property it was supposed to have in curing wounds, it is said by the poets to be dedicated to War.

Hypericum was there, the herb of war,

Pierced through with wounds, and marked with many a scar."

SMALL UPRIGHT ST. JOHN'S WORT.

Plate 12-Fig. 2.

And well does it deserve all its names.

H. pulchrum.

It is small and

delicate grows quite upright, and is equalled by very few plants in the abundance of its flowers, or the richness of their colors. Well does Cowper say,

"Hypericum, all bloom, so thick a swarm

Of flowers, like flies, clothing its slender rods,
That scarce a leaf appears.'

They are of a fine golden yellow, tinged with red before opening-with the stamens numerous, red in color, and in three sets. The leaves opposite, very small, heart-shaped, and smooth. Calyx serrate, with black tips. Commonly grows on dry banks and on heaths-flowering in July.

O. S. Large Flowered St. John's Wort, a beautiful shrub, often grown in gardens Square-Stalked St. John's Wort-Imperforate St. John's Wort -Trailing St. John's Wort-Mountain St. John's Wort-Bearded St. John's Wort-Hairy St. John's Wort-and Marsh St. John's Wort.

CLASS 19.-SYNGENESIA.

(Anthers united into a tube. Flowers compound.)

All the plants of this class so much resemble each other, as to form a perfectly natural order, (Compositæ.) No poisonous plant is found among them, but it consists chiefly of such as are bitter in taste, and strengthening in quality. Many are esteemed as ornamental, though few of British growth; we have, however, some of the Everlasting Flowers, and the Daisies.

"And the Thistle is here, but it should not be
Admitted I think in such company

So we'll pass it by-though its purple globe
Might outvie the tints of an emperor's robe.
And the martial leaves that begirt its stem
Are like guards around a regal diadem.

It is armed at all points with a hostile fence,
Eager to wound for each slight offence,
Like vulgar pride in its consequence.

So we'll none of the Thistle tribe or nation,

Nor the surly Nettle, its near relation."-A. STRICKLAND.

In looking at any of the flowers of this class, it will be found that they consist of a great number of little florets, all growing upon one calyx. The corollas are, in some plants, all alike in shape, either strap-shaped or like a tube-in others of two sorts, those on the edge of the flower different in shape from those withinside-thus in the Single Marigold the outside flowers are strap-shaped, the inner ones tubular, and this is very often the case. Also, in some plants, all these numerous flowers have both stamens and pointals-in others, either the stamens are wanting, or the pointals, or both, and from these circumstances the orders are formed.

Order 1. ÆQUALIS.

All the florets with both stamens and pointals.
* Corollas all strap-shaped.

GOAT'S-BEARD (Tragopogon.) Calyx single; crown feathery. LETTUCE (Lactuca.) Calyx double; crown like hairs; fruit with a long beak.

HAWK'S-BEARD (Crepis.) Calyx double; crown like hairs; fruit without a beak, but narrower upwards.

SOWTHISTLE (Sonchus.) Calyx triple; crown sessile, like hairs.

DANDELION (Leontodon.) Calyx double; crown stalked, like hairs.

HAWKWEED (Hieracium.) Calyx tiled; crown sessile, like hairs.

NIPPLEWORT (Lapsana.) Calyx double; crown none. SUCCORY (Cichorium.) Calyx double; crown sessile, scaly.

** Corollas all tubular.

BURDOCK (Arctium.) Calyx hooked; crown short, like hairs. TANSEY (Tanacetum.) Calyx tiled; crown a membranous margin.

WORMWOOD, &c. (Artemisia.) Calyx tiled, few flowered;

crown none.

CUDWEED (Gnaphalium.) Calyx tiled; crown like hairs.

BUTTER-BUR (Petasites.) Calyx double; crown like hairs.