497 



orders, with the 15th ; Dicoti/ledones (with two or more 

 cotyledons), the 1 lth to the 54th order, inclusive, except 

 the 15th; and Acotyledones, order 55th to 58th, with a 

 hint that the last, or Fungi, ought perhaps to be altogether 

 excluded. This distribution of plants, by the number or 

 the absence of the cotyledons, or lobes of the seed, is the 

 great hinge of all the professedly natural modes of ar- 

 rangement that have been attempted. We shall for the 

 present not enter on the consideration of this principle, 

 as it will more properly be explained when we examine 

 the system of Jussieu. Linnaeus did not consider it as 

 absolute, for he told Giseke that he knowingly admitted 

 into his 11th order some plants that are monocotyledo- 

 nous, with others that are dicotyledonous. The reason 

 of this was the only secret he kept from his pupil, nor 

 could the latter ever dive into it, though he afterwards 

 endeavoured to learn it from the younger Linnaeus, who 

 knew nothing, neither did he, as Giseke says, much care, 

 about the matter. We hope to be able to throw some 

 light upon this mystery, when we come to the order in 

 question. 



The want of any avowed principle of distinction, pre- 

 cludes all criticism of these natural orders of Linnaeus, as 

 a regular system ; we can therefore only take a cursory 

 view of them as they follow each other, with such indica- 

 tions of their characters as Giseke has recorded, or as we 

 may ourselves be able to trace. A great part of the sub- 

 stance of the lectures, published by him, consists of re- 

 marks on the genera of each order, as to their mutual di- 

 stinctions ; with numerous botanical and even economical 

 matters, which do not all come within the compass of our 

 present consideration. What we have to lay before the 

 reader, is not, in any manner, forestalled, by what he will 

 find in the fourth volume of the Encyclopedia, above 

 cited, which is taken from a different source. 



Order I. Palms;. " An entirely natural and very di- 

 stinct order." This tribe of plants, stationed by nature 

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