360 OP GENERA AND 



for a limited time, if at all, perpetuated in 

 the offspring. 



A Genus comprehends one or more spe- 

 cies, so essentially different in formation, na- 

 ture, and often many adventitious qualities, 

 from other plants, as to constitute a distinct 

 family or kind, no less permanent, and founded 

 in the immutable laws of the creation, than 

 the different species of such a genus. Thus 

 in the animal kingdom, a horse, ass and zebra 

 form three species of a very distinct genus, 

 marked, not only by its general habit or 

 aspect, its uses and qualities, but also by es- 

 sential characters in its teeth, hoofs, and in- 

 ternal constitution. The lion, tiger, leopard, 

 panther, lynx, cat, &c, also compose another 

 sufficiently obvious and natural genus, and 

 the numerous herd of monkeys, apes and ba- 

 boons a third. The elephant is, as far as we 

 know, a solitary species of a most distinct 

 and striking genus. 



So among vegetables, the various species of 

 rose compose a beautiful genus, known to 

 every one who ever looked at a plant, merely 

 by a certain combination of ideas, but essen-^ 

 tially distinguished, as we shall hereafter find 5 



