GENERA. 247 



natural families among plants having generally as distinct 

 a port as families among animals have a distinct form. 

 We need only remember the Palms, the Coniferae, the 

 Umbelliferse, the Conipositse, the Leguminosse, the Lab- 

 iatae, etc., as satisfactory examples of this kind. 



SECTION V. 



GENERA. 



Linnaeus already knew very well that genera exist in 

 nature, though what he calls genera frequently constitute 

 groups to which we at present give other names, as we 

 consider many of them as families ; but it stands proved 

 by his writings that he had fully satisfied himself of the 

 real existence of such groups, for he says distinctly, in 

 \iisPhilosophiaBotanica, sect. 169, " Scias characterem 

 non constituere genus, sed genus characterem. Cha- 

 racterem fluere e genere, non genus e charactere. Cha- 

 racterem non esse, ut genus fiat, sed ut genus noscatur." 



It is surprising, that, notwithstanding such clear state- 

 ments, which might have kept naturalists awake respect- 

 ing the natural foundation of genera, such loose ideas 

 have become prevalent upon this subject, that at present 

 the number of investigators who exhibit much confidence 

 in the real existence of their own generic distinctions is 

 very limited. And as to what genera really are, the want of 

 precision of ideas appears still greater. Those who have 

 considered the subject at all seem to have come to the 

 conclusion that genera are nothing but groups including 

 a certain number of species agreeing in some more gene- 

 ral features than those which distinguish species ; thus 

 recognizing no difference between generic and specific 

 characters as such, as a single species may constitute a 



