CHAP. cm. S^LlCA^CE2E. SA^IX. 1487 



kinds which most resemble each other, not only may the species having a tlose 

 natural affinity be recognised at a glance, but even the tyro will be greatly 

 assisted in tracing and identifying his specimens. If, however, the usual 

 arrangement of the species be adopted, in which the sections are charac- 

 terised by having the ovaries naked or pubescent ; the leaves glabrous or 

 downy, serrated or entire [as in Smith's English Flora, and the SaL Wob.] ; 

 then species widely separated by nature and habit must necessarily be 

 gi'ouped together, not to mention that these characters are in themselves 

 liable to great changes. Fries (in Syllog. Nov. PI. Soc. Hot. Nat.; Ratisb. 

 edita, t. 2. p. 36.) first distributed the Swedish species of this genus into natural 

 groups, according to characters taken from various parts of the plant. In 

 like manner, I have attempted a similar distribution of the European species ; 

 but, first, I shall offer a few words with respect to the characters according to 

 which I have divided the genus into sections and species. 



" A character taken from the catkins appearing earlier than, at the same 

 time with, or later than, the leaves is of great importance ; but one taken 

 from the situation and insertion of the catkins is still more so. The situation 

 may be in three different modes. 1. In this a catkin is produced at the tip of 

 a branchlet, with a few others below it, and they are all sessile ; the leaves 

 proceeding from buds at the base of the catkins. I only know of one instance 

 of this, S. lanata. 2. A bud on the tip of the last year's branchlet puts forth 

 a catkin, and the peduncle on which it is situated increases in size, and bears 

 leaves, in the axils of which are the buds of the following year. This peduncle 

 is, therefore, persistent, and continues the branch. This is the case in S. 

 reticulata, .S*. herbacea, S, polaris, S. retusa, and S. UVa-ursi. 3. A terminal 

 bud, and generally more protruded beneath it, produce leaf-bearing shoots, 

 and the flower buds are situated beneath these. All the other species which 

 are known to me, except those enumerated above, belong to this division ; 

 and they may be subdivided as follows: — 1. Those in which the catkin is 

 sessile, on a very short peduncle, or as it were incipient, and bears at its base 

 weak scale-like leaves ; being thus lateral, sessile, and bracteated at the base. 

 2. Those in which the peduncle grows into a branchlet, and bears floral leaves 

 not verj' distant from the catkin, which afterwards become true leaves, but 

 without buds in their axils : from this branchlet is formed the lateral catkin, 

 which is peduncled with a leafy peduncle. All the species which protrude 

 their catkins before their leaves belong to the first of these subdivisions ; and 

 all those which do not protrude their catkins till after their leaves, with many 

 of those which protrude their catkins at the same time as their leaves, to the 

 second. This character seldom changes ; and only a few species (for example, 

 S. limosa) bear on one plant, or, as a variety, on two plants, catkins which 

 have short peduncles, and are surrounded at their base with very minute 

 scale-like leaves ; and also those that are peduncled, and have true leaves on 

 their peduncles. Even in these varying forms Nature shows her inexhaustible 

 fertility, and her wonderful skill and power of adaptation in creation : despi- 

 sing the too great carefulness of learned men, who hasten to build prisons for 

 their own systems, she delights in disturbing their magic circles, and, playfully 

 breaking loose from the chains in which they have attempted to bind her, she 

 far exceeds Proteus himself in versatility. 



" The importance of the characters which the pedicel of the capsule offers 

 has been pointed out by Wahlenberg. Its length relatively to the gland, 

 which is never wanting, is a very constant character, varying only in a few 

 species ; but, to be rightly observed, it ought to be seen just at the time when 

 the ovary attains the size of a capsule, which happens a Uttle after flowering ; 

 or, in dried specimens, if accuracy is wanted, part of the female catkin must be 

 softened in boiling water, and afterwards dried in blotting-paper, before ex- 

 amination. In dried specimens, the pedicel is so brittle, that in the analysis 

 it is seldom preserved entire ; or, from being joined to a gland not less fi-agile, 

 it is frequently injured. Besides, it must be remarked, that some catkins 

 have been found in which the inferior flowers were very remotely situated. 



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