RAY'S TABLES OF PLANTS 29 



is a summary of Ray's first attempt at a system of classification. 

 He begins by distinguishing Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees. Pro- 

 ceeding to the detailed classification of Herbs, he divides them 

 into Imperfect " which either do want or seem to want some of 

 the more essential parts of Plants, viz. either Root, Stalk, or 

 Seed," the Cryptogamia of Linnaeus ; and Perfect " having all 

 the essential parts belonging to a Plant." The Perfect Herbs 

 are arranged in three main groups according to (i) their leaves, 

 (2) their flowers, (3) their seed-vessel, each group being sub- 

 divided in various ways. 

 HERBS CONSIDERED ACCORDING TO THEIR LEAVES: 



With long Leaves : Frumentaceous, "such whose seed is used by men for 

 food, either Bread, Pudding, Broth, or Drink" (Cereals): or Non- 

 Frumentaceous (other Grasses, Sedges, Reeds). 

 Gramineous Herbs of Bulbous Roots (Bulbous Monocotyledons). 

 Herbs of Affinity to Bulbous Roots (other Monocotyledons). 

 Herbs of Round Leaves (e.g. Petasites, Viola, Pinguicula, Drosera). 

 Herbs of Nervous Leaves (e.g. Veratrum, Plantago, Gentiana, Poly- 



gonum). 



Succulent Herbs (Sedum, Saxifraga}. 



" Herbs considered according to the Superficies of their Leaves, or their 

 Manner of Growing " : 



more rough (e.g. Borago, Anchusa, Echium) : 

 less rough (e.g. Pulmonaria, Symphytum, Heliotropium] : 

 stellate leaves (e.g. Asparagus, Galium). 



HERBS CONSIDERED ACCORDING TO THEIR FLOWERS: "having no seed- 

 vessel besides the Cup which covers the flower" : 



Herbs of Stamineous Flowers, "whose flower doth consist of threddy 

 Filaments or Stamina, having no leaves besides the Perianthium : or 

 those herbaceous leaves encompassing these stamina, which do not 

 wither or fall away before the seed is ripe " ; and not of grassy leaves, 

 may be distributed into such whose seeds are 

 Triangular (Polygonaceae) ; 



Round: "distinguishable by sex, of male and female; because from 

 the same seed some plants are produced which bear flowers 

 and no seeds, and others which bear seeds and no flowers" 

 (e.g. Cannabis, Humulus, Mercurialis) : not distinguishable by 

 sex (e.g. Chenopodiaceae, Urticaceas, Resedaceae). 



Herbs having a Compound Flower not Pappous > 



\ (Compositae). 



Pappous Herbs ) 



Umbelliferous Herbs (Umbelliferae, with Valeriand). 

 Verticillate Fruticose Herbs ; 



Verticillate Not Fruticose Herbs \ ( Labiatae )- 



