sypium ; in the place of' which appendage, Adansonia has a mealy powder. Some bear a capsule of five cells, containing many seeds; which in Hibiscus Makaviscus," (now constituting the genus Achania,) " becomes pulpy. It is curious that Hibiscus. Mos. cheutos bears its tiowerstalk upon the footstalk, like Turnera ; a rare circumstance in the whole vegeta ble kingdom." " Ilermennia has hooded petals, in a corolla twisted like that of Melva. They are auricled and dilated below, forming a nectary by their invo lution, as the true Malvacece do by the cohesion, or approximation, of their petals. The calyx is tumid. Capsule of five cells. All the species are shrubby. The flowers are so alike in all, as hardly to be dis tinguishable from one another; and hence perhaps it may be presumed, that the various species, all na tives of the Cape of Good Hope, may in this, as well as other genera, have been produced from the hybrid impregnation of some original one. H. pinnate has the only compound leaves in this order." We must protest against this extensive speculation, of the pro duction of permanent mule species, having seen many arise from such a cause, but none continue to propagate itself for any length of time. It is not the least curious particular, ,in the structure of the ge nus before us, that the flowers, which commonly grow together in pairs,, have the corolla twisted in an opposite direction to each The second section of this order, composed of Camellia, Thea, Gordonia, Stuartia, Tilia and Kig gelaria, are at ;east nearly akin to the foregoing ge nera.
" This whole order contains no disagreeable or hurtful plants, nor are they esculent. None are foe tid, but some agreeably fragrant. Many of the flowers are beautiful. Their quality is generally mu cilaginous, particularly Althaa, Melva and Aka:. The ancients made considerable use of Mallows in their food, but these plants are now out of use in that respect." Order S8. TRICOCCS. " Botanists apply this term to plants what* fruit is, in a manner, composed of three nuts, combined together like that of Thee. In the order under consideration, the seed-vessel generally a roundish three-cornered capsule, round ed on all sides, with single-seeded cells, which burst ing elastically, with considerable force, scatter the seeds to a distance. It must be observed, that as in this order some genera, like Mercuriali; and Chyfirfia, are dicoccous" (having only two cells, or lobes), " so there are tricoccous plants" (as Thee, and many more,) " that do not belong to it." " The plants of this order bear alternate, mostly simple, leaves, often furnished with glands. Many afford a most acrid milk ; they are generally offensive, nauseous, purgative, or poisonous. The style is in several highly remarkable, being more or less deeply three-cleft, and each of its branches divided. The calyx, as well as corolla, have always something un usual in their conformation, or in their nectary ; and many of the genera are monoecious or dioeci ous: " Euphorbia, as a familiar and most distinct genus, may serve as a principal example. It is certainly no less singular than extensive. The calyx of one in flated leaf has four or five marginal teeth, and ter minates in as many abrupt coloured glands. the latter are remarkably situated on the teeth them selves ; but these teeth seem, together with their glands, to be rudiments of petals. In Euphorbia co rolhaa the glands are actual petals, as thin, expand ed, and delicate, as those of Flax ; but scarcely ano ther instance is known, of petals originating in teeth of a calyx." " Plukenetia, a very rare plant, has a four-cleft flower, and four-celled fruit, with a climbing stem."
There are numerous genera besides. Rumphia and Tretvia are added to the list in the Linnamin ma nuscript.
Order 39. SILIQUOSX. " All botanists have ac knowledged the common affinity of the genera con stituting this order, and have denominated them Si liyuosce and Siliculosce. Tournefort called them cru ciform flowers ; Linnrcus, Tetradynamia. These plants have mostly inversely-heartshaped cotyledons, except some Cresses, in which those organs are three-cleft ; the rest agree with the genus Convoku lus ; so this character is no proof of affinity." " The stems are herbaceous, except some species of Alyssum, and one Vella. There is no real tree among the whole. The roots are all fibrous, none bulbous or tuberous," (except perhaps Dentarice.) " Leaves universally alternate, without stipulas, ten drils, prickles, or venomous stings. Inflorescence usually a corymbus, which gradually elongates itself into a racemus, so that the flowers are corymbose, and fruit racemose. Calyx always of four leaves, deciduous, except in Alyssum calyrinum and Bras sier: Erucastrum. Petals four, with claws ; some species of Lepidium and Cardamine only having flat, or straight petals. The receptacle in most, but not in all, is furnished with glands. Stamens six, the two opposite ones shorter, or at least more spread ing." (A very few species have only four or two stamens.) " Fruit commonly a pod, with two valves, two cells, and many seeds. A few genera have a so litary seed, either imbedded in pulp, as Cramhe ; or in a lamellated flat seed-vessel, as hatis ; or in an angular one, as Bunias." " The plants of this order are distinguishable into Siliquosce and Siliculosce, the former having an ob long, the latter a rounded pod. But it being difficult to define the precise limits of each, Linmeus refers to the Siliquosce such as have a stigma without a style, and to the Siliculosce such as have a style to elevate the stigma, which character is conspicuous in every instance, except in Drabs, where the style is but short." " It is of importance to observe whether the ca lyx in the present order be closed or spreading ; that is, whether the leaves composing that part be paral lel, so that their sides touch each other, or horizon tally distant." " The nature of a Siliqua, or Pod, appears from what has been already mentioned. It differ from a Legume, in having the seeds attached to each su ture, or margin." " All these plants have a more or less acrid watery juice ; hence their external application excites red ness in the skin, and their internal use irritates the finer fibres. Nature therefore is solicitous to expel them, and, in consequence of their watery nature, by the kidneys, hence they are all diuretic. Salt being of a corrosive quality, produces scurvy ; but salt is secreted from the body by the promotion of urine, though it must first be dissolved In a watery menstrutun ; consequently the herbs in question rank among the chief antiscorbutics, especially water cresses and scurvy-grass. They ought never to be used in a dried state, as their acrimony and medical virtues are destroyed by drying. Boiling likewise is, destructive of acrimony, especially in these plants ; they ought therefore to be taken recent. Their diu retic powers render eminently serviceable for evacuating water in the dropsy, Yet their use ought not to be too long continued, as their acrimony abrades the minuter fibres, rendering the vessels, and the intestines, in a manner, callous. This ap pears from the rigidity and torpidity of stomach in duced by too much use of mustard.