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A

SYNOPSIS

OF

THE BRITISH FLORA.

A

SYNOPSIS

OF

THE BRITISH FLORA.

CLASSES.

1. VASCULARES.

Syn. Phanerogamia, or Phænogamia of authors-Cotyledoneæ Juss. - Embryonatæ Rich.-Vasculares Dec.

Formed of cellular tissue, woody fibre, and spiral vessels. Embryo furnished with cotyledons. Epidermis with cuticular pores. Sexual organs developed.

2. CELLULARES.

Syn. Cryptogamia Linn. - Acotyledoneæ Juss. Dec.-Exembryonatæ or Arhizæ Rich. - Cellulares Dec.-Nemea, Cellularia Fries. - Acotyledoneæ and Pseudo-cotyledoneæ Agardh.

Formed of cellular tissue only, rarely with woody fibre. Embryo destitute of cotyledons. Epidermis without cuticular pores. Sexual organs none.

CLASS I. VASCULARES.

Substance of the plant composed of cellular tissue, woody fibre, and spiral vessels. Leaves formed with parenchyma, and veins consisting of woody fibre and spiral vessels. Epidermis with cuticular pores. Flowers consisting of floral envelopes, stamens, and pistilla. Seeds distinctly attached to a placenta covered with a testa, and containing an embryo with one or more cotyledons; germinating at two fixed points, viz. the plumule and radicle.

1. DICOTYLEDONES.

SUBCLASSES.

Syn. Dicotyledones Juss. - Dicotyledoneæ or Exogenæ Dec. Exorhizeæ and Synorhizeæ Rich. - Phanerocotyledoneæ or Seminiferæ Agardh, aph. 74.

Trunk consisting of bark, wood, and pith, in concentric layers. Leaves with reticulated veins. Cotyledons two or more, opposite;

radicle naked.

2. MONOCOTYLEDONES.

Syn. Monocotyledones Juss. - Monocotyledoneæ or Endogenæ Dec. Endorhizeæ Rich. - Cryptocotyledoneæ or Graniferæ Agardh, aph. 73.

Trunk consisting of a homogeneous substance, with no distinction of bark, wood, and pith. Leaves with parallel veins. Cotyledon one, or, if two, alternate; radicle enclosed in a sheath.

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Subclass I. DICOTYLEDONES.

TRUNK more or less conical, formed of three parts one within the other, viz. the bark, the wood, and the pith, of which the wood is enclosed between the two others; increasing by an annual deposition of new wood and cortical matter between the wood and bark. Leaves always articulated with the stem, with branching reticulated veins, often opposite and divided. Flowers generally with a distinct calyx and a quinary division of the floral envelopes. Embryo with two or more opposite cotyledons, which often become green and leaf-like after germination; radicle naked, i. e. elongating into a root without penetrating any external case.

DIVISIONS.

1. DICHLAMYDEE. Calyx and corolla both present; occasionally imbricated and confounded with each other.

2. MONOCHLAMYDEE. Calyx only present. Corolla none. 3. ACHLAMYDEE. Flowers destitute of calyx and corolla.

Division 1. DICHLAMYDEE.

ARTIFICIAL ANALYSIS OF THE ORDERS.

§ 1. Polypetalous. (Petals distinct.)

* STAMENS HYPOGYNOUS.

+ Carpels more or less distinct; sometimes single, and then having only one placenta.

Anthers bursting by valves curling backwards

Anthers bursting by longitudinal slits

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2. BERBERIDEE.
1. RANUNCULACEE.

++ Carpels combined into an undivided ovary, with more placentas than one.

Ovary with the ovules attached to the face of the dis-2
sepiments

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3. NYMPHEAСЕЕ.

Ovary with parietal placentæ

Stamens, four long, and two short, or tetradynamous 6. CRUCIFERÆ.

Stamens not tetradynamous

Sepals 2

Corolla regular

Corolla irregular

Sepals 4 or 5, never 2

Young leaves rolled spirally downwards

Young leaves straight

4. PAPAVERACEJE.

5. FUMARIACEÆ.

9. DROSERACEE.

Anthers with a membranous termin-2 in-} 7. VIOLACEAE.

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Stamens united into a column (monadelphous) 12. MALVACEE.

Sepals with their edges overlapping or not touching

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** STAMENS PERIGYNOUS.

† Carpels more or less distinct, or only one.

Calyx adhering more or less to the carpels (= ovar. inferior)

Fruit, a capsule; herbs

Fruit, an apple or haw; trees or shrubs

Fruit, a berry; parasites on trees

25. SAXIFRAGEE.

33. POMACEE.

41. LORANTHEE.

A flower is symmetrical when the sepals, petals, and stamens are all of the same number, or some multiple of that number, as 5, 5, and 10; it is unsymmetrical when the number is neither equal nor proportional, as 5, 5, and 8, or 5, 4, 7. This must not be confounded with irregularity, which only refers to inequality of size or form, and not to number.

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