32 PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION'. 



tions, it becomes in many instances artificial, 

 breaking natural affinities, or producing unnatural 

 ones; defects inevitable in all such undertakings, 

 from our imperfect acquaintance with the Vege- 

 table productions of the whole globe. 



82. In the Systematic arrangement of Plants, whe- 

 ther artificial or natural, some botanists consider 

 one part of the fructification (49), others another 

 part, more important than the rest. 



83. As far as Artificial Classification (78) is con- 

 cerned, this is little more than a matter of opinion ; 

 but the Linnsean System, as being founded on 

 the number, situation, and proportion, of the Sta- 

 mens and Pistils (58, 59,) organs which must 

 exist in some shape or other, has been found the 

 most commodious, and has put aside every other. 



84. Such a mode of arrangement answers the pur- 

 pose of a dictionary, to find out plants by their 

 characters, as words by their orthography. 



85. There is scarcely a principle which can be as- 

 sumed as universal, or without exception, in Natu- 

 ral Classification (77). Number, in the parts or 

 divisions of each organ, proves often fallacious; 

 Insertion, or the mode of connexion of the several 

 organs, and their comparative situation, with re- 

 gard to each other, is found far less exceptionable; 

 Structure, or the different forms of the same organ, 

 in different instances, is of very great moment. 



86. Linnaeus and Jussieu concur in considering as of 

 primary importance the Structure (85) of the Em- 



