48 TALKS AFIELD. 



of the binomial nomenclature will be found 

 on page 159. 



The Linnaean System of Classification, 

 although now wholly superseded by the Nat- 

 ural System, was an exceedingly important 

 one, because it first brought strict order into 

 the arrangement of plants and because it 

 recognized the presence and importance of 

 the stamens and pistils. Under the discus- 

 sion on the Sexes of Plants^ this classifica- 

 tion will be mentioned again. The Linnaean 

 system is strictly artificial, a fact which its 

 author fully understood, but wdth the imper- 

 fect knowledge of the science at that time 

 he could not aim at a natural classification. 

 Under his system the knowledge of botany 

 increased rapidly, and before he died the 

 beoinnino-s of a natural classification were 

 made. The Linnaean or artificial system 

 divided the whole vegetable kingdom into 

 twenty-four classes, founded entirely upon 

 the number, situation, and connection of the 

 stamens. Using the Greek word cnidria^ 

 man, for stamen, the names of the first thir- 

 teen classes are made up as follows : Mo- 

 nandria, flowers with one stamen ; Dian- 

 dria, flowers wdth two stamens, and so on to 

 flowers with twelve stamens. Then follow 



