ii. PREFACE of the TRANSLATORS. 



Dr. YVithering has given a Flora Ariglica under 

 the title of Botanical Arrangements, and in this has 

 tranflated parts of the Genera and Species Plant arum 

 of Linneus; but has intirely omitted the fexual dis- 

 tinctions, which are erTential to' the philoSophy of the 

 fyltem ; and has introduced a number of englifh ge- 

 neric names, which either bear no analogy to thofe of 

 Linneus, or are derived from fuch as he has rejected, 

 or has applied to other genera; and has thus rendered 

 many parts of his work unintelligible to the latin Bo- 

 taniit ; equally difficult to the englifh fcholar ; and 

 loaded the fcience with an addition of new words. 



We propofe to give a literal and accurate tranflation 

 of theSYSTEMA VEGETABILIUM of LINNEUS, 

 which unfolds and.deScribes the whole of his ingenious 

 and elaborate fyilem of vegetation. The terms, which 

 he invented, or appropriated to thofe parts of veget- 

 ables, which he either firil difcovered, or on which 

 his fyitem.is erected, are retained in the tranflation 

 with englifh terminations. As new ideas require new 

 words to reprefent them, and mufc therefore be ex- 

 plained to the young Botanift, it is of no confequence 

 from what language they are derived. Thofe therefore 

 which are already in ufe, are prefered to fuch as 

 might be found in our own language, though fimilar 

 in their primitive Signification ; as fuch words would 

 be liable to prefent to the mind their vulgar meaning, 

 which is not Sufficiently precife for the purpofes of 

 Science. Thus Calyx is ufed by Linneus for the 

 green cup beneuh Some flowers, Sor the Sneath from 

 which others burfl longitudinally, for the leaves beneath 

 the umbels of others, for the hufks of graffes, the cat- 

 kins of willow, nettle, occ. the veil over the flowers 



of 



