what order the in, because it is the flax plant. cotton plant is next to that of We often wear cotton and linen together; indeed, they are sometimes woven together in the same piece of cloth. The stuff for the white window-blinds is made of linen and cotton mixed; it is called Union. P. Only you must remember that the material for linen is made from the stalk of the flax plant, while cotton is produced from the seeds. The capsule of the plant is rather large, because the seeds are imbedded in fine down or hair. You see that one of these capsules (or pod as we call it) is bursting. (See cut.) L. You told us, papa, something about the linen manufacture; do tell us how this down is made into cotton cloth. P. Very well; the cotton is picked directly the capsule bursts. If allowed to be exposed the sun gives it a yellow tinge. When picked, the greatest difficulty is to separate the seeds and downy fibres, because these fibres grow from the seed. W. How is it done, papa? P. In India, and other parts, the seeds are picked out by hand, but in America this is done much more quickly by machine. I will read you the account given of these downy hairs. Kutun (or Cotton) is one of the names given by the Arabs to a filamentous matter produced by the surface of the seeds of Gossypium. It consists of vegetable hairs, of considerable length, springing from the surface of 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 nuteness. On the surface of seeds they are uncommon, but are found in plants of the "Malvacea," and in several other species. In this description, it is added that requires the sea air for its healthy growth; the further it is removed from the sea, the more inferior it becomes in quality. The common sort of cotton in America is called green-seed cotton. 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 such tissue (which is the same as that of the leaf), they have thinness and transparency. The hairs of cotton when put in water and magnified, look like flat narrow ribands. They break much more easily than the fibres of the flax plant, which are a woody tissue. Thus, cotton cloth is well known to be inferior to linen in strength, for the leafy tissue is the weakest, while the woody tissue is the strongest part of the plant.* 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 (6 woven air." the height of 15 or 20 feet. In the Mauritius, China, &c., there is a species which is not high enough to be called treeherbaceous cotton. It is, therecotton, but it is higher than the fore, called the shrub-cotton. It has the curious botanical name of Gossypium religiosum. One kind of this shrub-cotton is always of a light yellowish brown colour, and from this is made a yellowish brown cloth called Nankeen. 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. I must add that there are You see then we may almost several kinds of cotton. Some say of one single tribe of the produce a long and delicate order (the Gossypium) that it fibre, which is very white; is of all plants the most useful other kinds produce a short, to man; it is the principal tribe coarse, and bad-coloured fibre. on which he depends for clothIn America the finest kind is ing. Perhaps the only tribe the black-seed cotton. It is which is more important is the properly called "Sea-island grass tribe, on which we depend cotton," because it was first for food; this supplies us with discovered on an island. It all the kinds of corn, rice, &e. Penny Cyclopædia. We will finish our account of this order next week. THE JUSSIEUAN SYSTEM. THALAMIFLORALS. Order 12. THE MALLOWS tinued.-(Malvacea). THE BOMBAX. (Bombacea). -con P. You have not heard of half the uses of Order 12. You may remember that the marshmallow 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 Malvaceæ 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 in the tropics and warm temperate countries. As you get into the colder temperate countries Horizontal Section of Capsule for you. Now look at the inside. What do you observe? 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. one Ion. We will notice the stamens. The filaments are like those of order 11. They unite at the base and form 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 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. (5.) Sepals, same number as petals, side consisting of three bracts, apoften having an involucrum outpearing like a second calyx. (6.) 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. (Varieties.) The order contains the Mallow, Lavatera, Hollyhock, Hibiscus, Cotton Plant and others. (Uses.) Hairs of seed for manufacture of cotton cloth; fibres of stem 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 order, but they have lately years old, and was 73 feet been separated from them. I will mention one or two gigantic trunk was nearly 100 particulars of these trees. feet. One of the roots of this tree was laid bare, and it measured 100 feet in length. Each of the great branches was equal high. The circumference of its The Bombax, or Silk-cotton Tree, is so called from bombyx, one of the Greek names for cotton. The seed-pods are to a monstrous tree. filled with fine silky hairs. It It is a useful tree in that is impossible, however, to spin climate, for it furnishes articles these fine fibres into threads. of food and clothing; it also Having no tooth or roughness supplies a medicinal food, which at the edges they will not hold diminishes the perspiration together so as to form thread. caused by the great heat, &c. 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 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. |