32 hitrodudory View of' the Natural System of Plants. 



seeds would be of the same nature as those of coffee ; and, 

 finally, its geographical position would be tolerably certain to 

 him. • 



The really important obstacle which exists in the way of 

 acquiring this kind of knowledge is undoubtedly the want of 

 any introduction to the study of it, accompanied by the distri- 

 bution and characters of the natural orders into which plants 

 are divided. It is to be hoped that English readers at least 

 will not long have to regret this deficiency in their elementary 

 works. In this place it must suffice to point out the charac- 

 ters upon which the great divisions depend, under which the 

 orders themselves are arranged ; and it is to be hoped that 

 even this small aid will be found to smooth the way, and to 

 remove some of the obstacles that at present are supposed to 

 exist at the very threshold of the temple. 



Plants, considered with reference to their general structure, 

 are separated into two grand divisions, called Cellula^res 

 and Vascula^res. 



The Cellulares answer to the Linnean Cryptogamia, and 

 are also called Acotyledonous ; the Vasculares answer to the 

 rest of the Linnean system, which is sometimes called Phane- 

 rogamia and Cotyledonous. 



Cellula^res, Cryptogamous, or Acotyledonous plants, 

 are all, therefore, different terms, denoting the same combina- 

 tion of vegetables. The first term is here adopted in prefer- 

 ence to the others, as expressing the most obvious character 

 upon which the division depends, namely, the cellular, not 

 vascular, structure of the plants composing it. Cellular plants 



9 

 h 



«,• Longitudinal section of a stem. 

 6,_Transverse section of a stem. 

 c,"Stem of a moss, with leaves and th^a, or 

 seed-case, 

 rf, Leaf of a moss, magnified. 



e. Leafy th41Ius of a lichen, with shields. 

 /, Crustaceousthallusofa lichen, with shields. 



f, Fungi of the highest dignity. 

 i, i^ungi of the lowest rank. 

 A-, Conferva magnified. 



