The record-union., 1893-04-29

"es WIN 81 ilulTlllOuS ana attractive
plant as this general tavorite, an herb
like hemlock, so repulsive from its poi
ohous qualltles, and with so black a his
torIc record. II for no other reason than
us pelng made an instrument of death
lor one of the noblest OF philosophers.
socrates, by the sentence of his unjust
and misguided accusers.
Inc mowers OF both these species are of
delicate pink or rose-color. Each has
hne cleft calyx, fine petals, fine stam-
ems, ana produces five-barbed seeds like
Tue SEEDS OF spear-grass. The tendency
10 TWIST, especially when exposed to the
neat OF the hand or sun, seems to be a
means which nature has provided to ena-
pie the seed to force its sharp points into
loose soil and plant itself. After a wet
"ln1er Mere grows very rank on soil of
any strength. 1t sends out branches one
10 Two feet long and forms very dense
nerDage which makes the best of wild
nay: Its stems are full of mucilage, and
RELISH
These two are the only species of filere
we nave been able to find in this neigh
porhood. Possibly we also have va
rlety OF L. ctcltd,1uDs, called hippnlat-
9Ms, because its leaves are very finely
ulVlued. Loudon says the latter variety
is native of Numidia, in Africa, though
we nave gathered it in the British islands.
we may also have in some portions of
California the species known as +. ro-
Itd1tuni, SO called because it is native of
Italy. Some species may have been in
troduced into California by the early
Jusult missionaries. Future research
Will show whether we have other species.
Ihe flere is one of our earliest plants to
hover, and one of the latest to remain
green.
Let us try to make clean this bond of
union nlantG yx-h
wise seem far removed from each other.
we Will not say at variance with each
other, for i'll the world of flowers almost
universal harmony prevails. To have
this tie understood we must call atten-
tlon to the stamens of flowers which are
the male members of the vegetable king
dom.
Look at the stamen of any flower and
you VIII lind il consists OF three parts,
VIZ: A single thread or stem called the
nlament; at the end of this is knob of
various shapes, called the anther, and on
thls anther fine dust, or pollen, the
IructlIylng powder of plant life.
NOW IN all this class of plants Just emu
merated, and the members of its families
are counted by thousands, the filaments
OF the stamens are more or less closely
united at their bases in one BODY and
tney enclrcle in various ways the pistils,
which are the female members in the
world OF flowers.
All these plants Linnaus combined in
MS sixteenth class and called it Mona
deLph1d, from the Greek word meaning
one brotherhood. In this brotherhood
Is one OF the most noted trees in the
world, the baobab, or monkey-bread tree
OF Africa. Its leaves and flowers are
quite similar to those of some kinds of
paSslon-h
We have seen on the banks of the
SRnlO1I -
Wnlch many naturalists believe TO be the
Oldest trees In the world, certainly as old
as our giant redwood, perhaps older,
they say. According TO the best means
OF calculating known to botanists. the
age OF one Is estimated to be over 5000
years!
Yet they do not attain great hight.
About sixty feet is their maximum.
Their breadth is immense, in proportion n
TO their hight. The estimated diameter
OF the largest is twenty-five feet. Some
trunks are not more than twelve or tif-
teen feet high, with circumference of
sixty or seventy feet. Their branches.
IKE huge trees, are forty or fifty feet
long, with their smaller branches touch-
ing the ground. Some of their roots, ex-
posed by the washing OF the river banks.
are more than one hundred feet long.
Their fruit is gourd-shaped, from nine to
twelve inches long and four inches in
diameter, OF pleasant acid taste. Hence.
common name for this tree is Sour
gourd." This tree fills, in the household
economy of the Africans of Senegal.
almost as important place as the rein
deer does for the Laplander and Esuui-
mauX.
While the fruit furnishes a refreshing
and nourishing article of diet when ripe
they also make of this gourd various yes-
sells for domestic use. From its bark
they make thread and ropes and cloth.
From the latter these 6usky sayapes
clothe themselves and families, and yery
economically, too, on account OF the small
amount of material needed to meet tho
size of their patterns. When food is
scarce they eat the small leaves. With
the large ones they cover their houses.
With the ashes of the leaves they make a
very fair soap. Both leaves and bark are
used incidentally.
Such is this great Linnean brother
hood of plants to which our humble and
beautiful tilere belongs. This principle
| OF oneness, discovered by Linnieus. can
then unite by common tie plants so re-
mote in place and seemingly so unlike
| in nature, as to include in the vast family
our simple pasture plant and the old
monkey-bread of Africa.-John c. Moore
in National City Record.