515 



blishing a system upon the fruit, called the Verticillata 

 of Ray Gymnotetrasperma , plants with four naked seeds, 

 but he could not by this means distinguish them from the 

 Asperifolia, which have the same character. The gene- 

 rality of Asperifolia, in fact, differ from the Gymnotetra- 

 sperma, in their corolla, which in the former is regular, in 

 the latter irregular, though likewise monopetalous. But 

 Eckium, though it belongs to the Asperifolia, has still an 

 irregular corolla. The Asperifolia have alternate leaves, 

 the Gymnotetrasperma opposite ones. These classes 

 might therefore be distinguished from each other, accord- 

 ing to Hermann's method, were not Echium an obstacle. 

 Linnseus, however, that he might avoid all confusion be- 

 tween the orders in question, has borrowed a character 

 from the stamens, and has referred to his class Didynamia 

 such plants as have two stamens longer, and two shorter. 

 He has moreover divided that class into two orders, the 

 first of which comprehends Hermann's Gymnotetrasperma, 

 whose stamens easily distinguish them from the Asperi- 

 folia;. But the consideration of the stamens has further 

 obliged the author of the sexual system to refer certain 

 genera, of the natural order under our present considera- 

 tion, to his class Diandria. These are Verbena, Lycopus, 

 Amethystea, Ziziphora, Cunila, Monarda, Rosmarinus, 

 Salvia, and Collinsonia ; of which Verbena and Collin* 

 sonia perhaps ought rather to be placed in the other order 

 of the Didynamia, called Angiospermia." This is cor- 

 rect with regard to Verbena only. 



" The calyx of the Verticillata is of one leaf, inferior. 

 Corolla of one petal, irregular, in most instances gaping, 

 with two lips, the uppermost of which was called by Ri- 

 vinus the galea, or helmet, the lowermost the barba, or 

 beard. Stamens four, except in the several genera just 

 mentioned, where they are only two, inflexed, ascending 

 under the upper lip. Germens four, from between which 

 the style arises, as in the Asperifolia, which is wavy, so- 



VOL. II. 2 N 



