352 METHODS OP C^SALPINUS, 



pendent of each other, without any mutual 

 communication, both conceived the idea of a 

 regular classification of plants, by means of 

 the parts of fructification alone, to which the 

 very existence of Botany as a science is 

 owing- The first of these has left us scat- 

 tered hints only, in various letters, commu- 

 nicated to the world after his premature death 

 in 1565 ; the latter published a system, 

 founded on the fruit, except the primary di- 

 vision into trees and herbs, in a quarto vo- 

 lume printed at Florence in 1583. This 

 work Linnaeus studied with great care, as ap- 

 pears from the many notes and marked pas- 

 sages in his own copy now before me. Hence 

 he adopted his ideas of the supposed origin 

 of the calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistils, 

 from the outer bark, inner bark, wood and 

 pith, which are now r proved to be erroneous. 

 In his own Classes Plant arum he has drawn 

 out a regular plan of the System of Cresalpinus, 

 the chief principles of which are the following : 



1. Whether the embryo be at the summit or 

 base of the seed. 



2. Whether the germen be superior or in- 

 ferior. 



