40 



LINDLEY'S VEGETAnLK KrNGUOM. 



recognise it by its appearance wlien in blos- 

 som, appeared suflicient. Plants of the 

 most opposite natural traits, Avere assembled 

 in the same classes and orders. It Avas only 

 necessary that they should bear a resem- 

 blance in those important characteristics, the 

 stamens and pistils. 



It is not now necessary for us to inform 

 our readers here, in what consists the supe- 

 riority of the natural system. A system 

 which assembles together plants by their 

 natural affinities — their similarity in struc- 

 ture — their habit of growth — their resem- 

 blance in properties, uses, and qualities — 

 which, in short, is based on the closest and 

 the most numerous natural relations — cannot 

 but be more philosophical, as Avell as more 

 deeply instructive, than one depending up- 

 on a few arbitrary and insignificant charac- 

 ters. If we hold in our hands for the first 

 time, a plant which we have ascertained 

 to belong to the fifth class of Linnocus, we 

 learn its name, and the fact that it has five 

 stamens. Of its affinities and properties, 

 its relative structure, and its place in the 

 vegetable king,dom, we gather no additional 

 information. Let us suppose, on the other 

 hand, that we have before us a pea or a 

 bean plant ; this plant belongs to a very 

 large natural order, containing not less than 

 6,000 species, distributed in all parts of the 

 world ; yet there are certain strong natural 

 features which so distinctly mark the order, 

 that having once become familiar with one 

 member of it, we have a pretty distinct no- 

 tion of the whole group. They all have 

 either a impilionaceous (pea-blossom-shaped) 

 flower, or a leguminous fruit; the latter 

 consisting of a solitary pod, (carpel,) the 

 style of which proceeds from the apex of the 

 pod. While one large and well marked divi- 

 sion of this order [Pa-pilionacea) embraces 

 all the pulse plants distinguished for nu- 

 tritious or wholesome qualities, another, 



(CcBsalpiukce,) is noted for its purgative 

 properties ; and a third, {Mimosctt) contains 

 numerous plants characterized bytheastrin- 

 gency of their bark, and the quantity of 

 gum which they secrete. 



Jussieu and De Candolle had thoroughly 

 taught and established the natural system 

 on the Continent, before the English public 

 were willing, generally, to receive it. To 

 Dr. Lindley, indeed, belongs the credit of 

 demonstrating the great superiority of this 

 arrangement to English students. His In- 

 iroduction to the Natural System, was first 

 published in 1S30 ; since that time, he has 

 been diligently engaged in perfecting his 

 views of the natural method down to the pre- 

 sent date. 



The result of aii his researches and in- 

 vestigations, joined indeed to those of all 

 the leading botanists of the day, is contain- 

 ed in this great work — the Vegetable King- 

 dom. It is a thick octavo volume of 900 

 'pages, which, for perspicuity, conciseness, 

 clear scientific acumen, and profound 

 views, is not surpassed by any similar work 

 ever published. Lindley's mind, as compa- 

 red with that of many of the continental 

 botanists, is remarkable for that strong and 

 clear common sense view, as opposed to every 

 thing fancifully speculative or theoretical — 

 a trait which seems to us peculiarly English. 



In illustration of this, we quote the fol- 

 lowing remarks on the natural affinities of 

 plants, from the Introduction : 



The reason why the vulgar commit mistakes in 

 juitging of natural aliinily is, because they draw 

 their conclusions from unimportant circumsfances, 

 the chief of which are size, form, anil color. The 

 similituile of size gave rise to the olil notion that 

 all trees made a class by themselves; which is as 

 if, in a classification of animals, the horse, the lion, 

 and clei)hant, were placed in a different part of the 

 animal kingdom from the rat, the cat, and the goat. 

 Form is another of the false guides which lead to 

 error; if all round-leaved or square stemmed plants 

 are to be associated, so ought glass to be classed 

 with the diamond when it is cut to the same shape. 

 Color is less a source of mistake, and yet it is some- 



