the seed-coat, and filling up the cavity of the seed-vessel. Hairs are extremely common on the surface of plants, but are frequently unobserved because of their mi requires the sea air for its healthy growth; the further it is removed from the sea, the more inferior it becomes in nuteness. On the surface of seeds quality. The common sort of they are uncommon, but are found cotton in America is called in plants of the Malvaces," "green-seed cotton. and in several other species. In this description, it is added that Both these kinds are from the herbaceous cotton plant. In India, Arabia, and Egypt, there is another kind called the Vegetable hairs consist of eel-tree-cotton; it sometimes reaches lular substance; and like all the height of 15 or 20 feet. In such tissue (which is the same as the Mauritius, China, &c., that of the leaf), they have thin- there is a species which is not ness and transparency. The hairs high enough to be called treeof cotton when put in water and magnified, look like flat narrow herbaceous cotton. It is, therecotton, but it is higher than the ribands. They break much more easily than the fibres of the flax fore, called the shrub-cotton. plant, which are a woody tissue. It has the curious botanical Thus, cotton cloth is well known name of Gossypium religiosum. to be inferior to linen in strength, One kind of this shrub-cotton for the leafy tissue is the weakest, is always of a light yellowish while the woody tissue is the brown colour, and from this is strongest part of the plant.* made a yellowish brown cloth called Nankeen. I should like to read to you of the wonderful fineness to which the hand-spinners of INDIA, with their delicate fingers, can draw out the cotton fibres. So gauzy and transparent are the fine muslins thus made, that they are called "woven air." Ion. I have worn Nankeen. It is so called from Nankin, the place where it is made. P. That is true; but how we have run away from the subject of our lesson! Order 12, the Mallow plants. I have not yet finished the account of their uses. You see then we may almost say of one single tribe of the order (the Gossypium) that it is of all plants the most useful to man; it is the principal tribe on which 'he depends for clothing. Perhaps the only tribe which is more important is the grass tribe, on which we depend for food; this supplies us with all the kinds of corn, rice, &c. I must add that there are several kinds of cotton. Some produce a long and delicate fibre, which is white; very other kinds produce a short, coarse, and bad-coloured fibre. In America the finest kind is the black-seed cotton. It is properly called "Sea-island cotton, because it was first discovered on an island. It * Penny Cyclopædia. We will finish our account of this order next week. THE JUSSIEUAN SYSTEM. THALAMIFLORALS. Order 12. THE MALLOWS-continued.-(Malvacea). THE BOMBAX. (Bombacea). the species degenerate in beauty and in size. But it is not enough to know the uses and place of this order. You must also learn to distinguish its plants from others. P. Yes. W. I will begin with the P. You have not heard of W. And to do so, we must half the uses of Order 12. You examine the parts. Shall I may remember that the marsh-examine this Mallow? mallow and others are useful as medicine, because of the mucilage in their juice; it is also used as a poultice. The mucilage in one species in the East and West Indies (the Hibiscus esculentes) is so nutritious that it is used to thicken soups. The petals are also useful. The petals of one kind of Hibiscus yield a black juice. This is used in China to blacken the eyelashes and shoe leather. One species of the Hollyhock tribe yields a blue colour. But one of the uses of the Malvacea is like that of Order 11. Some of them have tough fibres in their stalks, like flax. The stalks of one species of Hibiscus are used to make cordage; it is said that this cordage was formerly plaited by the slave drivers of the West Indies to make their whips. There! I think you may say that on the whole this is a very useful order. I have mentioned the places where these plants are found. If you have been looking at your map, you will have noticed that they grow principally Ovary. in the tropics and warm tempe- for you. Now look at the rate countries. As you get into inside. What do you observe? the colder temperate countries L. I notice, 1st, that it is divided into several carpels; and 2ndly, that each carpel contains one seed, which fills up all the space. P. This ovary is like those of most of the order. When carpels thus contain one seed, they are said to be monospermous. But you remember that the seeds of the others are more or less hairy. These carpels easily separate when the ovary is ripe. W. I remember that that was the case when we were gathering the seeds of our Lavatera, in the garden. P. I cannot show you a pistil; but I may tell you that one style arises from each of the carpels, and that these styles unite and appear like one column. Ion. We will notice the stamens. The filaments are like those of order 11. They unite at the base and form one bunch, so that they are monadelphous. They are very numerous, too, and are hypogynous like those of other Thalamiflorals. L. I will examine the petals. There are five; these in the bud are twisted in a curious manner. P. The sepals are rather singular. They, too, are five in number, like the petals. You may observe, however, that they form a complete whorl, and outside the calyx there are three bracts, which form an involucrum (see vol. iv., page 230). W. Yes; here it is. The involucrum is like another calyx. P. The leaves are worth noticing, because in the different plants they are more or less divided; they also have stipules. The stems also vary, but in most cases they are hairy. Lastly. Hitherto most of the orders have been herbaceous, but here we have herbs, shrubs, and trees. I said that the order is a most useful one; it is also most beautiful. The Bombax tree and others (which we will notice directly) have been separated from it; and before then it contained most of the grandest flowers in nature. Still, however, there remain the Hollyhock, the Hibiscus, Malope, and Lavatera, which, especially in the warmer climates, are magnificent flowers. Order 12. THE MALLOW PLANTS. (Parts.) This order may be distinguished by having (1.) Ovary with many carpels, which are monospermous. (2.) Styles, same number as carpels united into one column. (3.) Stamens, numerous, hypogynous, and monadelphous. (4.) Petals, generally 5, twisted when in the bud. (6.) (5.) Sepals, same number as petals, often having an involucrum outside consisting of three bracts, appearing like a second calyx. Leaves, alternate, divided, with stipules. (7.) Seeds, and stems, sometimes hairy. (8.) Being either herbaceous plants, trees, or shrubs. (Place.) Found in tropical and warm temperate countries. the Mallow, Lavatera, Hollyhock, (Varieties.) The order contains Hibiscus, Cotton Plant and others. facture of cotton cloth; fibres of (Uses.) Hairs of seed for manustem for cordage &c.; mucilage of sap from leaves or stalk as medicine and poultice; mucilage of seeds as a nutritious thickening for soup; petals of some species for dye. The flowers of this order are some of the most beautiful in nature. size; its wood too is light, and from its great trunk a canoe large enough to hold 150 men has been made. But even the great Bombax THE BOMBAX TREES. has its superior in size. There There are in the tropics some grows on the western coast of gigantic trees. They differ Africa a tree called Monkeyfrom the 12th order, principally bread, and in Egypt called the in their size; also in their calyx, Boabab. It has also been and in their stamens, which are called Arbre de mille ans (tree not monadelphous. In almost of a thousand years). It is said every other respect they exactly to be the largest tree in the resemble the Mallow plants, world. One tree that was meaand were included in the same sured was supposed to be 5,150 was 73 feet order, but they have lately years old, and been separated from them. high. The circumference of its I will mention one or two gigantic trunk was nearly 100 feet. One of the roots of this particulars of these trees. tree was laid bare, and it measured 100 feet in length. Each of the great branches was equal are The Bombax, or Silk-cotton Tree, is so called from bombyx, one of the Greek names for cotton. The seed-pods filled with fine silky hairs. It is impossible, however, to spin these fine fibres into threads. Having no tooth or roughness at the edges they will not hold together so as to form thread. W. Are the fibres of no use then? P. Yes; this silk is used to stuff cushions and beds; and a sort of felt has been made from it. The Bombax is of great to a monstrous tree. It is a useful tree in that climate, for it furnishes articles of food and clothing; it also supplies a medicinal food, which the perspiration diminishes caused by the great heat, &c. There are many more large trees in the order. One with prickly fruit is called the Durio (from the Malay word dury, a thorn), and would be well worth noticing if we had time. SYNTAX. CHAPTER V.-PUNCTUATION. 4. He is a strong, healthy boy. 5. My mother, brother, father, sister, and cousin are ill. 6. He is a strong and healthy boy. 7. Sir, you are mistaken. Let us examine these sentences. No. 1 is a simple sentence; and, generally, the parts of a simple sentence are not separated by stops. No. 2 is also one sentence, but it is too long to be uttered in one breath; it is therefore divided by a comma. No. 3 is not a simple sentence; between the words, John and saw me, the clause, who is my friend, is introduced; & comma is therefore placed before and after it. Whenever any phrase or accessory sentence is thus introduced, it is marked by a comma on each side. In No. 4 the comma is introduced between the words strong and healthy because they are both of the same part of speech, and relate to the boy. In No. 5, also, there are several nouns employed, forming the subject of the sentence, but they are not joined by a conjunction; they are therefore separated by commas. In No. 6, again, the two adjectives, strong and healthy, are joined by and; therefore a comma is not required. In No. 74 the word Sir is separated from the neighbour |