260 Vegetable Reproduction, etc. [June, 



duction of the vegetable world. The duplex system of organs essentially 

 necessary to the production of fruit and seed did not escape the keen 

 scrutiny of Ms genius, and he adopted them as the pillars of his philo- 

 sophical system. He accordingly denominated the stamen the male 

 organ, and the pistillum the female organ. He divided the whole 

 vegetable kingdom into two great provinces — the Cryptogamia, meaning 

 plants with hidden flowers, and the ph(Enagamia, evident-flowering 

 plants. Of the hidden-flowering plants, Linnaeus supposed that the 

 ovary, so-called, was so minute that it could not be distinguished by the 

 eye, though it existed notwithstanding. The class of evident-flowering 

 plants he divided into three subdivisions: the^rs^ consists of all plants 

 that contain stamens and pistillum in one and the same flower — these 

 he called hermaphrodite. To form the second class, he comprised all 

 plants whose stamens and pistils are contained in separate and distinct 

 flowers of the same individuals. These he called single-house plants — 

 moncecia. In the third class he included those plants whose stamens 

 and pistils are separated in difierent flowers on diff"erent individuals. 

 Of the various subdivisions of these three classes it is unnecessary to 

 speak here, as they have no relation to the subject in hand. 



With this sexual system of plants promulged by Linnaeus, a new 

 epoch for Botany was inaugurated ; and this doctrine, recommending 

 itself by simplicity and accuracy of distinction, met with a speedy and 

 hearty acceptance at the hands of every botanist, and soon became the 

 common standard around which all the previously disconnected parties 

 readily joined ; and from this union and conjunction, the energetic 

 efi"orts, that Botany has since put forth through a long period of time, 

 originated. It was not the fault of its great originator that this system 

 was indeed regarded by many of his followers as the corner-stone and 

 ultimatum of a science, whose true mission was far from being compre- 

 hended by themselves. Greater w^eight and importance were undoubt- 

 edly attributed to it than it actually deserved — greater, indeed, than 

 the great master himself had ever ascribed to it. In the minds of all 

 botanists, an unhesitating belief in the existence of a true matrimonial 

 relation between stamen and pistillum now obtained lodgment ; and 

 works on Botany abounded in authoritative enforcements of this funda- 

 mental doctrine. And, we may add, that the clearest demonstrations 

 ,of more modern science have not been able to abolish this deceptive idea 

 from among our older botanists and gardeners. 



The doctrine of a close analogy in the sexual characteristics of the 

 animal and vegetable kingdoms, has long been the favored "harp of a 

 thousand strings" upon which botanists, philosophers, poets, and of 



