981 



Let us take two British plants referred to this order, and glance at 

 their points of similarity. The two species may be Ranunculus Fica- 

 ria, and Actaea spicata. In the former, the leaves are simple, the stem 

 single-flowered, the sepals three, the petals nine or ten, and nectarife- 

 rous at the base, the carpella distinct and ultimately forming single- 

 seeded caryopsides. In Actaea the leaves are compound, the stem is 

 many-flowered, the sepals and petals four in number, the latter with- 

 out nectarium, the carpels single, and the fruit a many-seeded berry. 



These two plants are exactly opposite in the character of their 

 leaves, inflorescence, calyx and corolla, and fruit, yet this is a " natu- 

 ral" group ! — Its members have such a general and at once apparent 

 resemblance, that they may be immediately recognized ; they do not 

 agree in one character only, in a multitude of points are they alike ; 

 there is no assemblage of "disjointed things" here, all is the harmony 

 of Nature, the system of Creation !!! We are far from that point, I 

 fear, and botanists will soon perceive what an ignis fatiius they are 

 pursuing, and seeing the fallacy of the specious theories and bold pre- 

 tensions of the natural school, return to the simple and philosophical 

 method of acquiring knowledge in the easiest manner, and without 

 troubling their heads about hunting out " affinities " which have no 

 existence, and " transitions " and " oscillatory groups " which have 

 yet to be formed. Let it be borne in mind that by these remarks 1 do 

 not mean to say that the " natural " system is or ought to be thrown 

 aside ; let it be studied in its proper place, and it will be productive 

 of much and lasting benefit. It can scarcely be otherwise, since it 

 bears the impress of the great minds of a Jussieu, a Brown, a Decan- 

 dolle, and a Lindley ; but let it not be foisted forward where it can 

 only disgust and perplex. What would be thought of a teacher of 

 Algebra, who should put the binomial theorem into the hands of his 

 pupil, while he was yet ignorant of the signs ? Yet this is exactly 

 what is recommended by those botanists who wish the natural to su- 

 persede the artificial system ; they would teach the student compli- 

 cated theories before he has any knowledge of the plants from a com- 

 parison of which these theories are formed : and because certain tribes 

 of plants occur in which truenoXxaxaX resemblances exist, they hastily 

 assume that such is universally the case : and overlooking the legiti- 

 mate ends of classification, spend needlessly much time and reason- 

 ing in attempting to prove the " thing which is not." Let the artifi- 

 cial and the natural systems proceed pari passu ; they will never be 

 found to come into contact, but to work in sisterly harmony, each 

 confined to its proper sphere, towards the great end of an increased 



