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their situation will allow. And whether their personal attractions be many or few, it signifies that they wear with simplicity, what is graceful and becoming. All this may be done without liking it, thinking about it, or talking about it: and all beyond this is a degradation of their character and powers as rational, intellectual and immortal beings: and worse than most other follies, it answers no purpose whatever. If they mean it to make them look better, it does not-if they mean it to make them more highly estimated, it does not-if they mean to pass this waste of time and thought upon the world and themselves for the virtues of industry and economyalas! what will they think of the mistake, when, their years told out and time about to be no more, they look back and say, "Ten hours, eight hours, six, five, of each one of those my numbered days, have I expended in clothing and adorning my body, now about to perish, naked and loathsome, in the dust."

INTRODUCTION

ΤΟ

THE STUDY OF NATURE.

BOTANY.

(Continued from page 216.J

CLASS 9.-ENNEANDRIA-9 STAMENS.

THIS Class, though very small in British Plants, contains most beautiful and valuable exotics. Of these is the Laurus, Laurel, now so common with us in some of its species, but in none indigenous: it is the growth of more southern climates. A species of the Laurus is the Bay-tree, and another species the Cinnamon-tree, of which we use the bark as a spice. The Camphor-tree also is a Laurus, from which Camphor is produced. Rheum, Rhubarb, is also in this Class, of which we use

one species as a medicine, and another as a herb-but none of these are found wild.

Of native plants we have none in the Order Monogynia. In Digynia we have only

Mercurialis, Mercury, a greenish flower growing in spikes from the bosom of the leaves, and usually without blossom: the male and female flowers are on different plants.

In the Order Hexagynia we have two plants.

Hydrocharis, Frog-bit, a very pretty water plant, remarkable by its three white petals, and round, unnotched, fleshy leaves, floating on the surface of slow streams.

Butomus, Flowering Rush, or Water Gladiole, is the subject of our Plate, and one of the most elegant and splendid flowers our catalogue can boast. We find it on the banks of rivers and streams, growing to the height of many feet, surrounded by straight, narrow, three cornered leaves almost of equal height with the flower. Having gathered a head and proceeded to dissect it as usual, we find it contains nine Stamens placed in a circle, and six Pistils: of course we place it in the Order Hexagynia, of the Class Enneandria. At the top of the tall, leafless stem, there are three brown leaves, called the Involucrum. Thence rise a number of slender fruit-stalks of unequal length, bearing each a flower so as to form a sort of Umbel. Withering describes these flowers as purple or white-our specimen was more nearly red. Each flower contains six petals, three smaller than the other three, and is without a Calix. We cannot long doubt that we have found the Butomus Umbellatus, Flowering Rush, there being no other flower that in any way resembles it.

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