CI. 11.] RUB1ACE/F,. 127 



Mr. Brown observes, Bot. of Terra Australis, 31, that 

 it is scarcely possible to distinguish the Rubiacece, as 

 now constituted, from the Apocinece, Ord. 47, by cha- 

 racters taken from the fructification alone. This is 

 but one confirmation amongst many, which the nu- 

 merous exceptions throughout the Jussieuan classifi- 

 cation afford, of the opinion of Linnaeus, that natural 

 orders are, as yet, not possibly to be defined by tech- 

 nical marks. Nevertheless, every attempt of the 

 kind is useful, as tending to dissipate some obscurity, 

 or to point out some truth ; nor does the fact just 

 mentioned at all invalidate the propriety, or neces- 

 sity, of recurring to the fructification, for every prin- 

 ciple of classical arrangement, as well as of generic 

 distinction, though our incomplete knowledge of 

 plants renders exceptions, to all our rules, inevitable. 



Sect. 1 . Fruit of 2 single-seeded grains. Stamens 

 mostly four. Leaves mostly whorled, and Stem her- 

 baceous. Sherardia,fig.l96,Asperula, Galium, Cru- 

 cianella, Valantia, Rubia, and Anthosperminn, the 

 last not well characterized by Linnaeus. 



Sect. 2. Fruit the same. Stamens 4, rarely 5 or 6. 

 Leaves generally opposite, connected by a fringed 

 sheath. Stem usually herbaceous. Houstonia, Knoxia, 

 Spermacoce, Diodia, Galopina Thunb. Richardia, 

 and Phyllis. 



Sect. 3. Pericarp simple, of 2 cells, with many 

 Seeds. Stamens 4. Leaves opposite. Stem herba- 

 ceous or shrubby. Hedyotis and Oldenlandia, two 



