Miscellanies. 171 
like the Genera Plantarum of Jussieu, with the plants of simplest or 
lowest organization, (Thallophyta, Endl. ;) a plan which is now the 
most common and perhaps the most philosophical; but which is at- 
tended with many practical inconveniences to the tyro. 
The first edition of the Genera Plantarum by Linnzus, was pub- 
lished at Leyden in the year 1737; the second and third were pub- 
lished at the same place, the one in 1742, the other in 1752; the 
fourth and fifth were published at Stockholm ; the latter (termed the 
sixth in our copy) in the year 1764, which is the last by Linnzus 
himself, is the edition generally cited, and was reprinted at Vienna in 
1767. This last Stockholm edition forms the excellent model of all 
the succeeding editions, as they are termed, edited by various authors. 
It comprises one thousand two hundred and thirty nine genera, which 
in an appendix are reduced as far as possible to their proper natural 
orders. The first edition after the death of Linnaeus is, we be- 
lieve, that of Reichard, published at Frankfort in 1778, about the 
same time with the edition of the Systema Plantarum by the same 
author. To this succeeded the edition by Schrcber, (published also 
at Frankfort, 1789—1791, in two volumes,) who is chiefly famous 
for having in this work changed all the unclassical names of Aublet 
and others for new ones made according to the Linnean canons. 
Succeeding authors in plucking these borrowed plumes have despoiled 
him of some rightful feathers; as in the case of the genus -Brasenia, 
for which most botanists have retained Michaux’s name, Hydro- 
peltis, which was published a dozen years later. The number of 
genera is here increased to one thousand seven hundred and sixty 
nine. About the same time (1791) an edition was published by Henke 
at Vienna, which is apparently carefully digested. 'The latest edition 
of the Genera Planiarum which bears the name of Linneus, and is 
arranged according to the artificial system, is that of Sprengel, pub- 
lished at Gottingen in 1830 and 1831, (2 vols. 8vo.) which is the 
latest complete work in which the known genera are characterized. 
He gives the date of the publication of each genus, and references to 
the principal figures. The whole number of genera described is four 
thousand one hundred and fifty nine. 
The Genera Plantarum secundum Ordines Naturales disposita of 
the immortal Jussieu, with which a new era in botany commenced, 
appeared in the year 1789. This work has never been reprinted in 
France, and but once out of it, and is now very scarce. Until the com- 
mencement of Dr. Endlicher’s work, a period of about half a century, 
it has remained the only Genera Plantarum according to the natural 
system. There is one living botanist upon whom the task of prepar- 
ing anew Genera of Plants would seem most appropriately to de- 
