Sisyrinchium appears to us to belong to Monadelphia Tri- 
andria, and it is so stationed by some Linn&an Botanists ; 
yet others of great authority place it in Triandria Mono- 
gynia. We will not pretend to decide between these con- 
flicting opinions; but we really wonder that gentlemen 
should be still found, with this and hundreds of similar cases 
staring them in the face, to talk gravely of the peculiar 
precision and certainty of the sexual system. No one pre- 
tends to claim this character of peculiar certainty and precision 
for the natural system; but to ascribe it exclusively to the 
Linnean is notoriously absurd ; as if the very clever artificial 
contrivance of the illustrious Swede, the utility of which is, 
however, most extravagantly overrated, were exempt from 
the imperfections inherent in all human affairs. But what 
amuses us the most is, that while Linnean Botanists are 
thus anxiously endeavouring to maintain the ground, which 
they cannot avoid perceiving is rapidly slipping from beneath 
them, they are slily adopting that very system they depre- 
cate, and adopting it by a sort of patch-work process, which 
has the peculiar advantage of being particularly useless. 
(See Sprengel’s Syst. Veg. passim in the arrangement of 
genera.) With us, so completely will prejudice blind men’s 
perceptions, one of the most intelligent and amiable men 
that the age has seen, has announced himself a defender of 
the Linnean faith, in a splendid work, bearing for its name 
the somewhat singular title of Monandrian Plants of the 
Order Scitaminee! which is written from beginning to end 
upon the principles of the Natural System. 
In no other country than Great Britain would remarks 
of this nature be necessary, if we except a few of the 
southern kingdoms of Europe, in which science does not 
particularly flourish. We trust they will soon be super- 
fluous among ourselves. 
Ah ! pereant, si quos janua clausa juvat. 
Stem a foot or a foot and a half high. Leaves very 
narrow, glaucous, subulate at the apex. Spatha consist- 
ing of bractee membranous at the margin, of which the 
lowermost is sharper than the others. Flowers several, 
very fragrant, nodding, on long stalks, funnel-shaped, dirty 
white, with brownish-purple veins. Stamens 3; the fila- 
ments united in a long tube the length of the flower. 
Stigmas 3, filiform, the length of the stamens. Ovarium 
3-celled, many-seeded. J. L. 
