in the same way. , 
176 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 
the sixteenth century, the systems in use were very superfi- 
cial, and of little practical utility. About this time there were a 
two methods proposed, one by Gesner, and the other by Ce 4 
salpinus. Many modifications of these, and several new 
modes, were proposed by various botanists between that pe- 
riod and the end of the seventeenth century, when Tourne- 
fort advanced his celebrated system. This, however, did not 
long enjoy the public favour: the system of Linnzus, pro- 
mulgated in 1734, soon acquired a reputation far beyond that 
of any of its predecessors, and has continued ever since to 0¢- 
cupy a high place in the estimation of botanists. But this 
system, so long the exclusive idol of the botanist, has, in its 
turn, been compelled to divide its claims with another, first a 
developed by Jussieu in 1789, and subsequently improved by a 
De Candolle, Brown, Richard, and other eminent botanists 
of the present day. 
631. Gesner and Cxsalpinus were the first who pointed out 
the necessity of taking the leading characters in classification 
from the flower and the fruit. This was a great step gained. 
These are the most proper organs to be chosen for this pur- 
pose, as they are the most important parts of the plant, and 
the least subject to variation in structure and appearance 5 
and upon these all the subsequent systems have been founded. 
632. The method established by Tournefort was made to 
depend principally upon the presence or absence, form, 
mode of division, of the corolla; and a few of his classes are 
very natural, and are still retained, as the Labiate, Crucl- 
fere, Papilionacew, Umbellifere, and one or two more- 
first made a grand division of vegetables: into Herbs and 
Trees. Herbs were divided into the Petalous (fourteen 
Classes), and the Apetalous (three Classes). The Petalous 
are divided into those with simple (eleven Classes), and those 
with compound flowers (three Classes). The Simple Peta- 
_» -lous are divided according as they have monopetalous, poly- 
_ petalous, regular, or irregular, corollas ; and, finally, accord: 
ing to the form of the corolla. The trees are divided much 
