36 ORDERS OF THE LINN^AN SYSTEM. 



Wallflower ; also, similarly divided into two cells by a 

 partition, in which last character the pod or silique es- 

 sentially differs from the legume, or fruit of the Pea 

 and Bean, which has only one cell, with two valves, 

 but no partition, and only a single row of seeds. 



In the classes Monadelphia and Diadelphia, 

 the number of stamens constitute the ordinal divis- 

 ions, as Monadelphia Pentandria, &c. of which the 

 Passion-flower is an example. 



In the class Syngensia, or compound flowers, a 

 somewhat complex method is employed to character- 

 ize the orders. The comparative perfection of the 

 florets is taken into account, for in this class there ex- 

 ists all degrees of aberration, from the perfect floscules 

 of the Thistle, containing both stamens and styles, 

 to the rays, or neutral florets, in the border of the Sun- 

 flower, which are reduced to mere petals, with the ru- 

 diments of seed. 



It is with this view that the first order of Syngene- 

 sia takes the appellation of Polygamia ./Equalis, po- 

 lygamia indicates the compound nature of the flower 

 in all the orders but Monogamia (or one marriage) ; 

 but as this last order is universally abolished, the term 

 Polygamia ought also to cease. The order JEqualis, 

 or of equal flowers, indicates that in such compound 

 flowers, as the Thistle and Burdock, every floscule is 

 equally provided with styles and stamens. This order 

 is also subdivided into floscidosa and ligulata. The flos- 

 culous flowers, as those of the Thistle and Artichoke, 

 consist of an aggregate of small tubular flowers, with 

 a regular five-cleft border, but are still distinct from all 

 other simple flowers in the singular character of the 

 class, the united, anthers. In the second division of 

 the order ^E^ualis, called ligulata, as you may see 

 at once in the Dandelion, all the flowers are still per- 

 fect, but the corolla, from centre to circumference, 



