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BOTANY FOR CHILDREN. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. FLORAL DISSECTIONS. ILLUSTRATIVE OF TYPICAL GENERA OF THE BRITISH NATURAL ORDERS. For the Use of Schools and Students in Botany. Demy 4to, with Eight Plates, containing many hundred Illustrations, and Descriptive Letterpress, boards, 45. ‘NHYUC MHD IOOHDOS AOVTIIA SIH HLIM MOISNAH YOSSHAONM ALVIT HHL ‘NOSS4T TVOINVLOG AHL BOTANY FOR CHILDREN. AN ILLUSTRATED ELEMENTARY TEXT-BOOK FOR JUNIOR CLASSES AND YOUNG CHILDREN. BY THE REV. GEORGE HENSLOW, M.A., F.LS., F.G.8., F.C.P.S., Lecturer on Botany at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School, the Birkbeck Institute, &c., and Examiner in Natural Science for the College of Preceptors. LONDON: EDWARD STANFORD, 55, CHARING CROSS. 1880. PREFACE. (For the Teacher.) THE great advantage of Botany as an educational means is that, of all subjects of Natural History, it alone can be easily taught to very young children. But up tothe age of ten or twelve, and sometimes even beyond that, the azd and sympathy of a teacher are absolutely indis- pensable. Hence, while it is hoped that elder children may be willing to use this little book to a great extent by themselves, it is not intended that younger ones should do so without extraneous help. If, how- ever, the teacher will aid the child in dissecting and examining the details of structure, and conjointly let the pupil read the description of them, a permanent interest will be secured which will then, it is hoped, induce the learner to proceed subsequently to 4 more advanced study of plants. The dissection of flowers, the critical examination of their minute differences, the comparative study of kindred forms, together with the recording in a sys- tematic way of all the points of structure observed in any plant, and finally to draw* every peculiarity, will, * Before drawing from nature, the pupil will acquire facility if he be taught to copy a selection of the figures on the lithographed plates, ‘Floral Dissections,’ published by Mr. Stanford. v1 PREFACE. together, be found a most invaluable aid to the other branches of a child’s education. To do these things well is the only real way of making progress in the science; and they, in fact, constitute the most essential part of botanical study. To describe plants, a knowledge of some technical terms is requisite. These will be found fully ex- plained, as well as the right method of describing flowers, in the admirable little book by Professor Oliver, called ‘Lessons in Elementary Botany’ (Macmillan), which, indeed, this present volume is in- tended to precede: though any elaborate description of plants is not proposed for such young children as those for whom this book is intended. The teacher should encourage the pupil to examine and describe as many plants as possible indiscriminately, as they come to maturity in the course of the summer ; as well as study a selected series of them as types to represent as many families of plants. As the first object in learning Botany, to be put before the pupil, is that he should learn to be familiar with the principal Families or Orders of plants, it is with this view, viz. as types of families, that the plants have been selected for this book. They represent twenty-five families in all. Several other important ones have not, for want of space, been represented; such, for instance, as the Poppy Family, the Mallow Family, the Carrot Family. These and others, however, will be learnt subsequently, when the plants described by Professor Oliver come to be especially studied, as being the types which he has selected. The descriptions of flowers in this book are intended PREFACE. Vil to form Botanical Reading Lessons, specimens of the flowers being at the same time placed in the hands of the pupils, who are required to dissect and examine them carefully, and be swre they see and understand each separate point noticed in the text. The pupils must always write down under the several parts of the flowers, as dissected out, their descriptions, as given for the Lesser Celandine and Wallflower; but the Teacher is expected to explain in all other cases what they are required to write. It might be first written on the Black Board. As the pupils thus study types of Families, they will at the same time be learning the characteristic features of the leading genera as well. Lastly, but which is of somewhat less importance at first, they will learn the characters of important species. In this way a sound knowledge of plant structure will soon be obtained. While the pupil is thus acquiring a knowledge of structural botany or Morphology, he should also be made to understand, in a general way, the uses of all the dif- ferent parts to the plant itself, or Physiological botany. This is the plan followed in the following descriptions, special physiological features being described whenever special cases occurred which admitted of it. Such will be found to greatly enhance the interest of the study, to rescue it from a mere acquisition of details, and to elevate it to the position of a really intelligible pursuit. Finally, the various uses of different parts of plants to man may be added, as furnishing much additional interest. Some few are appended to each plant de- Vill PREFACE. scribed. The Teacher will find the ‘ Treasury of Botany’ (Longmans) of great use. The descriptions of the several plants will be found not only of unequal lengths, but to contain very different degrees in the amount of matter compressed into them. It is left entirely to the discretion of the teacher to determine how much it may be desirable for a child to read and study at any one time. Hence I have not thought it desirable to divide the work into “ Lessons.” A word as to the order in which the different typical plants herein described may be studied. They are arranged in accordance with our British Floras, but they do not blossom in the same consecutive order at all; hence a teacher must always incur a difficulty in not being able to procure just the plant wanted at any particular time. I have stated the months in which they flower. I would, therefore, recommend teachers to commence the study with the following plants :— Lesser Celandine, Wallflower, Violet, Primrose, White Lamium, Daffodil, Bluebell, Dandelion, Nut, Willow. It need hardly be observed that the pupils should be repeatedly questioned to see if they remember the meaning of the terms used in the previous reading lesson, as they will rapidly forget them, unless they are again and again illustrated and explained. The drawings, which are from nature, and the litho- graphed plates from them, are a joint production of my sister, Mrs. R. C. Barnard, and myself. The frontispiece has been executed by Mr. W. G. Smith, from a sketch from life, by my uncle, the late G. Jenyns, Esq., of Bottisham Hall, Cambs. It is an PREFACE. 1x admirable likeness of my father, who, as is well known, introduced Botany into his Village School of Hitcham, Suffolk, and was the first who, by means of the “ Floral Schedule,” rendered the science capable of being taught to children not only with great simplicity, but also on a thoroughly scientific basis. If country clergymen would but follow his example, they would be doing a great good, and with more pleasure than trouble to themselves. Perhaps the present work may be found useful in enabling them to commence; while an account of the late Professor’s methods will be found in the ‘ Leisure Hour’ for 1862 (p. 676). I shall be most happy to give all the information or aid in my power to anyone who may feel disposed to communicate with me on the subject. G. H. 6, TITOHFIELD TERRACE, Recent’s Pars, N.W. CONTENTS. INDEX THE PLANT AND ITS PARTS Tue Bvurrescur, ok CrowFoor THe ComMoN WALLFLOWER THE Sweet VIOLET THE Raccep Rosin THE GREATER STITCHWORT THE Meapow GERANIUM .. THE WooD-SORREL THe Meapow Pea Tae WILD STRAWBERRY THE DoG-ROsE THe WILD Bryony THE WOODRUFF THE DANDELION .. THe Daisy Tue Scorcu Heats THe Woopy NIGHTSHADE .. THE PRIMROSE THe Waite Lamium .. THE Bisrort THe HAZEL .. THE SaLLow WILLOW PAGE X11 PLATE I. L* . 6 I. 10 III. 16 IV. 21 V. 24 VI... 26 VI. .. .. «28 VIII. 30 IX. 37 x. 38 XI. 41 XIL 44 XIII. 45 XIV. 48 XV. . 50 XV... 52 XVI... .. «55 XVI. .. .. .. 60 XIX. 64 >. ©. rn: XXL... 6 70 xi CONTENTS. Tus Sooton Fir.. Tur Yeviow Iris Tue Srorrep Oronis.. Tus Common Darropm. THs BLUEBELL . Tue LiLy or THE VALLEY THe Srorrep Arum .. Tue Corron-Seper THe Common WHEAT .. . Tse PRIncripLes oF VARIATION THE PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION PLATE XXII. . AXIOL XXIV. XXV. XXVI. . SXVILI. . SXVITL. . AXIX, XXX, PAGE 72 77 81 84 87 88 90 93 96 100 102