INTRODUCTION. 9 



generic descriptions of Linneus in his Genera 

 plantarum are totaly useless, since they were 

 made upon one or a few sp. alone, which are 

 not even mentioned . . . ! and almost never apply 

 to the whole Genus, when it has many species. 



As to the sexual system, once so much insisted 

 upon, I have lived to see it exploded, as such 

 unnatural and indelicate system deserved. The 

 beautiful natural method, the same pursued by 

 Linneus for animals, has taken its place, in spite 

 of sturdy opposition or delayed assent. But un- 

 fortunately often falling into reluctant hands 

 the substitute has not yet reached its due per- 

 fection like Zoology. If my suggestions in 1814 

 in Principles of Somiology, and in 1815 in Ana- 

 lysis of Nature had been attended to, it might 

 have been otherwise ; but the best Botanists per- 

 sist to this day in making classes, orders, fami- 

 lies or tribes without available and distinguish- 

 ing essential characters, common to all the refer- 

 ed Genera. 



While Sir James Smith the friend of Lin- 

 neus, and possessor of his Herbarium, corrected 

 so many of his glaring mistakes in Rees Cyclo- 

 pedia: he expressed his deep regret at the im- 

 pending fall of his beautiful botanical fabric: 

 which implied a wish to retain his erroneous'sys- 

 tem, Genera and Species. Such as the shame- 

 ful and patched up Genera Sophora, Geran- 

 ium^ Cactus^ Mimosa^ Lichen, Conferva, Ac- 

 rostichum, and 300 like them, that have been 

 split and reformed even by the Linneists. 



A number of less enlightened pupils or tena- 

 cious worshipers of the Linnean System, have 

 insisted on preserving all its inconsistencies and 

 blunders, had Genera and Species. Others like 

 Thunberg, Wildenow, Persoon, Smith, have 



8 



