THE CLASS MONANDRIA. 



CHAPTER X. 



ON THE CLASS MONANDRIA. 



We come now to the determination of individual 

 plants, which from classes and orders, descend to 

 genera or kinds, and individuals or species ; species 

 are likewise subject to variations more or less con- 

 stant, as we see in our fruit trees ; for instance, in the 

 Apple, of which, all the kinds we cultivate are mere 

 varieties of one original species, called by botanists 

 Pyrus Malus, the latter word indicating the name of 

 the species, the former, or Pyrus, the genus or kind, 

 and which also includes other species, as the Pyrus 

 communis, or Pear, the Pyrus coronaria, or sweet- 

 scented Crab of America, &c. This common generic 

 character is applied to all such groups of plants, as, 

 agreeing generally among themselves, present a simi- 

 larity, not only in the class and order, or stamens and 

 styles, but in the more intimate connexion of resem- 

 blance in the flower, and its succeeding fruit ; so that 

 while classes and orders are often merely artificial 

 assemblages of plants, a genus always rests satisfied 

 with bringing together such subordinate groups only 

 as are clearly natural ; or, while they agree in the 

 structure of flower and fruit, only differ, specifically, 

 in the minor consideration of the forms of leaves, 

 petals, appendages, or slight modifications of parts. 

 It cannot be denied, that, however anxious the syste- 

 matic botanist may be to draw nice distinctions among 

 kindred genera and species, yet, when he proves so 

 fortunate as to become acquainted with a perfect 

 group of natural or resembling genera, and approxi- 

 mating species, he cannot often help but observe 

 such an interlinking, and gradual passage of one modi- 



