Outlines of Creation

by Elisha Noyce

This important order yields us our most beautiful flower, the Rose, of which there are a great many varieties, among which the Dog-rose—that beautiful ornament to our hedges—deserves to hold a conspicuous place, also the Sweetbriar or Eglantine. The rose is used in Turkey and Persia for obtaining that most valuable and delicious perfume, "Otto of Roses." It is made by distilling a portion of water from several quantities of fresh roses, until it becomes saturated with the volatile oil. This water is then exposed to the open air, and, in the cool night time, drops of the otto collect on the top, from which it is carefully gathered, and the same water again distilled from a fresh quantity of roses. Besides the Rose tribe, this order contains some of our most valued fruits. The Apple, Pear, and Strawberry belong to it, also the Almond.

5. Lythraceæ (Lythrum salicaria) Purple Loose-strife.
Loose-Strife.	The Purple Loose-strife is indigenous to England, bearing a purpleflower, and is also found in Australia. There are several varieties ofthis plant; an Indian species, Lythrum Hunteri, bearing a red flower,has been used by the natives as a red dye.
6. Onagraceæ (Epilobium angustifolium) French Willow.
French Willow.	This order contains some very beautiful flowering plants, as theEvening-primrose (Enothera biennis), Fuchsia, &c. of which there area great many varieties; they abound plentifully in America, of whichcountry the Evening-primrose is said to be a native.
7. Myrtaceæ (Myrtus communis) Myrtle.
Myrtle.	The Myrtles are, for the most part, inhabitants of the warmerclimates. They are shrubs or trees, and sometimes of great size andbeauty; the flowers and leaves of many species are odorous. There areupwards of fifty species of Myrtle, and they are found in most of thewarmer parts of the Old and New Worlds.
8. Crassulaceæ (Sempervivum tectarum) House-leek. (Sedum Acre) Stone-crop.
House-leek.	The species of this order have, most of them, thick succulentleaves. The Sedums, Stone-crop, and House-leek, are among the mostcommon, growing in dry, earthy matter, on walls or housetops; they,nevertheless, are full of a milky juice. The juice of Houseleek mixedwith cream has been a long time a popular remedy for various externalcomplaints, but, like most popular remedies, does neither good norharm.
9. Grassulariaceæ (Ribes rubrum) Red Currant. (Ribes grassularia) Gooseberry.
Gooseberry.	The Gooseberry and Currant are members of this order. They are usefulplants for the kitchen-garden, and afford a grateful and wholesomefruit, although unripe gooseberries (eaten raw) are extremelyunwholesome, as the acid they contain is the "oxalic."
10. Saxifragaceæ (Robertsonia umbrosa) London Pride.
London Pride.	These are plants growing, for the most part, in mountainous regions,and in the crevices of rocks. The London Pride and Hydrangea are thebest known, the latter producing very large corymbs of flowers. Theyoccur in temperate climates in most parts of the world.
11. Apiaceæ, or } (Fœniculum officinale) Fennel. Umbelliferæ } (Conium maculatum) Hemlock. (Apium graveolens) Celery. (Petroselinum sativum) Parsley.
Fennel. Hemlock.	Contains many of our useful vegetables, as the Carrot (Daucus Carota),Parsnip (Pastinaca), &c. The Celery also, and many of our aromaticseeds, are produced by the Umbelliferæ, as Anise, Carraway, Dill,Coriander, and Fennel. Some members, however, are poisonous, asHemlock (Conium Maculatum), and Cow-bane or Water Hemlock (CicutaVirosa).

Orders of Corollifloræ.

1. Cucurbitaceæ (Cucurmis melo) The Melon. (Elaterium agreste) Spirting Cucumber.
Melon.	The Cucumber (Cucurmis Sativa), the Melon (Cucurmis Melo), bothesteemed as delicacies, are of this order. Also the numerous tribe ofGourds (Cucurbita), as the Pumpkin, Large Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Squash,&c., also the Vegetable Marrow. Gourd-shells form the most commonvessels for holding liquids, in many parts of Asia.
2. Cornaceæ (Cornus Sanguinea) Dogwood.
Dogwood.	These plants are chiefly shrubs or trees, growing in most temperateregions, and especially in America. The Cornelian Cherry (Cornusmuscula) produces a berry somewhat resembling a cherry. Some speciesare used in America as a tonic medicine.
3. Caprifoliaceæ (Sambucus nigra) Elder Tree. (Viburnum tinus) Laurustina. (Caprifolium perfoliatum) Honeysuckle.
Honeysuckle. Guelder Rose.	This order contains few plants of any importance. The Honeysuckle is avery favourite ornamental plant, and the fruit of the Elder producesthe Elderberry-wine so much used on Christmas Eve, with toasted bread,in many parts of the country.
4. Galiaceæ (Galium cruciatum) Cross Wort. (Rubia tinctorum) Madder.
Cross-wort.	The root of the Madder is one of our most important "dye-stuffs,"producing the most permanent reds and browns used in dyeing. It is anative of the south of Europe and of Asia. Animals fed upon madder arefound to have their bones tinged of a red colour.
5. Valerianaceæ (Valeriana officinalis) Valerian. (Cetranthus ruber) Red Valerian.
Valerian. Red Valerian.
Valerian is indigenous, growing by ditches, and bearing a pink flower;the root is used in medicine, and has a most disagreeable odour.Several species are cultivated as ornamental garden flowers; there areabout 125 species.
6. Dipsacaceæ (Dipsacus fullonum) Teasel.
Teasel.	The heads of the Teasel were formerly used, to an enormous extent,for carding cloth, and were cultivated largely in some parts for thatpurpose—wagon-loads of them were brought to the cloth-dressers—buttheir use is now, to some extent, superseded, the process called"teaselling" being frequently performed by machinery.
7. Asteraceæ (Tussilago Farfara) Coltsfoot. (Helianthus annuus) Sunflower. (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum) Ox-eye Daisy.
Coltsfoot. Ox-eye Daisy.	The members of this family have a star-like inflorescence, as theSunflower, China Aster, &c.; the centre part or eye, being composedof undeveloped florets, is frequently, by cultivation, almost lost,forming florets which are added to the ray.
8. Campanulaceæ (Campanula rotundifolia) Hare-bell. (Campanula media) Canterbury-bell.
Harebell.	Comprise the various "Bells," which form of inflorescence ischaracteristic of the Corollifloræ. There are about 500 species ofthis order, the flowers of which are for the most part of a blueor purple colour; the Hare-bell is also known as the "Bluebell ofScotland."
9. Ericaceæ (Calluna vulgaris) Heather. (Erica cinerea) Grey Heath.
Grey Heath.	The Heaths are, for the most part, social plants, growing in greatnumbers on waste ground, and giving great beauty to scenery. TheHeather gives a peculiar aspect to the hills of Scotland. Humboldtobserves, "It is curious that, out of more than 300 species of Erica,one only should be found throughout the whole American continent."
10. Gentianaceæ (Gentiana campestris) Field Gentian. (Menyanthes trifoliata) Buck Bean.
This order contains no member of great importance; the Gentian-root,much used as a tonic, is the product of the "Gentiana Lutea."
11. Primulaceæ (Anagallis arvensis) Pimpernel. (Primula veris) Cowslip. (Primula acaulis) Primrose.
Pimpernel. Primrose.	These well-known and beautiful flowers form ornaments to our meadows,hedgerows, and gardens; the Oxlip, Polyanthus, and Auricula belong tothis order, of which many varieties are produced by cultivation.
12. Convolvulaceæ (Calystegia sepium) Bindweed.
Bindweed.	The Bindweeds are gay and beautiful flowers, and besides beingused for ornamental purposes, many of this order have medicinalproperties of great importance. The Jalap root is from the ConvolvulusJalapæ, which comes from Xalapa, in Mexico, of which name Jalap is acorruption. Scammony, another medicine much used, is a resin procuredfrom a species of this order.
13. Boraginaceæ (Borago officinalis) Borage.
Borage.	The members of this order have most of them rough hairy leaves, theycontain a certain amount of nitrate of potash in their juices, andit is this which gives them the peculiar taste which has gained forthem the name of "Oyster plants;" the common Borage has been used as aremedy for coughs.
14. Liniaceæ, or } (Salvia officinalis) Sage. Labiates } (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme. (Mentha viridis) Spear Mint.
Sage.	The name Labiates has been given from the form of their infloresence,which is generally "Labiate" (having lips); they frequently possessaromatic properties, and are mostly of a strong smell. Although notcommonly used as food, yet most of them are employed to flavour it, asMint, Thyme, Sage, and many more.

15. Solanaceæ (Atropa belladonna) Deadly Nightshade.
(Solanum tuberosum) Potato.
(Capsicum annuum) Capsicum.
(Hyoscyamus niger) Henbane.
(Nicotiana Tabacum) Tobacco.

Tobacco.

A great many members of this order are poisonous, among which the Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) is the most virulent, there are also Henbane and Tobacco, both strong poisons; but, to compensate for this bad character, the order contains one of the most useful vegetables used in Europe—the Potato. This is the tuber of the "Solanum tuberosum." The following account of the introduction of the Potato into England is from the "Penny Cyclopædia":—

"Queen Elizabeth, in 1584, granted a patent 'for planting and discovering in new countries, not possessed by Christians,' and, under this sanction, some ships, principally equipped by Sir Walter Raleigh, sailed with him to America. Thomas Harriott (afterwards known as a mathematician) who accompanied the adventurous squadron, transmitted to England the description of a plant, called Openawk by the natives of that part of America, which the courtier-like gallantry of Raleigh had named 'Virginia.' Harriott described the Openawk as having the roots round, and 'hanging together as if fixed on ropes, and good for food either boiled or roasted.' Girarde in his Herbal a few years subsequently, distinguished the plant by a plate, and not only confirmed the assertion that it was an indigenous production of Virginia, whence he himself had obtained it, but supplied some curious details of its qualities, and of the various modes in which it might be dressed for the table. But the Potatoe had been known in Spain and Portugal at an earlier period, and it is from the latter country that we most directly derive the name by which we know it. This is easily shown; although the natives of South America called the plant by the name 'Openawk,' those of the South, more particularly the inhabitants of the mountains of Quito, called it 'Papas,' which the Spaniards corrupted into 'Battata,' this again their neighbours in Portugal softened into 'Ba-ta-ta' (da terra), to which 'potato' is a very close approximation."