MAGNOL AND LINN^US. 355 



rican plants to Tournefort's classes, he found 

 them so untraceable, that, after attempting in 

 vain to correct or augment the system, he 

 should probably have given up the science 

 in despair, had not the works of Linnaeus 

 fallen in his way. 



Magnol, Professor at Montpellier, and even 

 Linnaeus himself, formed schemes of arranging 

 plants by the calyx, which nobody has folio wedo 



All preceding systems, and all controver- 

 sies respecting their superior merits, were 

 laid aside, as soon as the famous Linnaean 

 method of classification, founded on the Sta- 

 mens and Pistils, became known in the bo- 

 tanical world. Linnaeus, after proving these 

 organs to be the most essential of all to the 

 very being of a plant, first conceived the for- 

 tunate idea of rendering them subservient to 

 the purposes cf methodical arrangement, 

 taking into consideration their number, situ- 

 ation and proportion. How these principles 

 are applied, we shall presently explain ; but 

 some previous observations are necessary. 



Linnaeus first made a distinction between 

 a natural and an artificial method of bo* 

 tanical arrangement. His predecessors pro- 

 2 a 2 



