Arrangements of Plants. 19 



fullest extent, the expediency and utility of studying the na- 

 tural arrangements of plants, but we are now required to adopt 

 this new system as a general arrangement and nomenclature, 

 in the stead of that of Linnaeus ; to discard his labours, as of 

 an inferior and a succedaneous kind; and to hail the moment 

 when the great event, which he is said to have himself consi- 

 dered as the destruction of his own system, has actually taken 

 place. 



It is true the triumph of the new system has not yet been 

 announced, even by its warmest promoters, in distinct and 

 unambiguous terms ; but the very arrangement of a Genera 

 Plantarum, like that of Jussieu, offers it to universal use ; and 

 the manner in which it is spoken of, both by him and his fol- 

 lowers, sufficiently demonstrates that this is its ultimate ob- 

 ject, to the total exclusion of that of Linnaeus. Li the very in- 

 troduction to his work, Jussieu has himself sufficiently dis- 

 closed his views, by the objections which he has brought against 

 the system of his illustrious predecessor; the tendency of which 

 is not merely to show that it is imperfect when considered as 

 a natural arrangement, but that even as an artificial one it is 

 not entitled to a preference. In arranging these objections 

 Jussieu has observed, " 1. That the distinctions of the Lin- 

 naean system are sometimes founded on the minuter organs 

 of vegetables, requiring the use of glasses and instruments. 

 2. That the method is arbitrary; the distinctions of his classes 

 being derived from some one part only; and that from a de- 

 ficiency of real characters he is compelled to adopt such as are 

 inconstant, which he uses frequently and promiscuously, to 

 the exclusion of those which are substantial. 3. That in deter- 

 mining by the number of stamina, not only genera nearly related 

 to eac-h other are frequently divided, but that even species are 

 separated*." To these he adds many other objections of minor 

 importance, and afterwards asserts, that " if a preference is to 

 be given to that method which is the most easy, and the most 

 agreeable to the order of nature, that of Tournefort is the most 

 perfect ; that the arrangement of the Linnaean system is some- 

 times perplexed, its designations difficult, and its connections 

 of plants not related still more frequent; that it is indebted 



* " S)'stema tcniiissiniis intertliini iiinititiir orgaiiis, ocnlo armato ct 

 acu divellente tunc difficiliiis observaiulis. 2. Pra'tcica ailiitrariiim, sysic- 

 niatifo errore, ilum imiltiplicatis classibus oiiincs eaniiii dcsignationcs ex 

 unica parte inolitur (lc|)roiiicrc ; tunc solidoruni caractcrnni pciiuria csscn- 

 tialibuh promiscuc addit iiiconstantcs, (|uos ctiain, iit[)ole nunierosiorcs fre- 

 quciitius usiirpat, priorihus i)lcnMiunie iicj^lcctis. 3. Stainimun uunicro sic 

 discre|)ant nou taiituin genera cognatissinia, sed et species congciiercs ab 

 iii\iceni deuiovcru ncsciif, &c. " — ./««/>«, litlrod. |). -10. 



1) 2 fbr 



