NATURAL CLASSES. / / 



But I am fully aware that any methodical 

 division of the Habit of Plants is liable at pres- 

 ent to many objections. Some Botanists may 

 perhaps deem foliage more important than 

 stems or roots. Inflorescence is no doubt more 

 important than either ; but belongs to floral 

 Classification, or may afford the generic groups 

 in fossil botany. The study of Roots is just be- 

 ginning, they had long been overlooked, and 

 have not yet found a Gaertner ; but it is now ad- 

 mitted that many presumed roots are real stems. 



Some of my views and suggestions on the 

 subject are nearly new ; my Classes of Sar- 

 comes, Rhizomians and Nemites are quite so, 

 with many of my Orders. My Malaxyles and 

 Piaromians deserve attention and to be better 

 studied. The soft texture of many trees, and 

 the expansive floriferous leaves ofRuscus, Vhyl- 

 lanthus &lq,. appear to connect with the Cac- 

 toides, and to indicate another great organic 

 Series of Vegetation, different from the 3 ad- 

 mitted ; to be called perhaps SARCOGENES, 

 wherein vessels and fibres are drownded in a 

 Heshy tissue. These are susceptible of becom- 

 ing lignose by induration or dessication, as it 

 happens in Opuntia and thus to form trees. 



The joints and knots of stems indicate also a 

 peculiar organization or process of evolution ; 

 all the opposite leaves appear to indicate it even 

 when not conspicuous. Many leaves and flow- 

 ers are evidently articulated to their support, 

 as are all the buds of our northern trees. It is 

 so in the Coniferes, Polygenes, Caryophyles, 

 Ombelliferes, Leguminoses, Sedoides, for stems 

 or leaves, and all the florets of composite flowers. 

 While all the spiral leaves, or drying on the 

 stem, appear to be mere continuous appendages 



