96 CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 



To one who has the science to learn, therefore, the natural 

 method of arrangement cannot be studied to advantage, as it 

 Is by far more difficult than the artificial one. But notwith- 

 standing this, philosophical, or professed Botanists, who 

 desire to gain a thorough knowledge of the vegetable king- 

 dom, have ever considered the natural affinities of plants as 

 the most interesting object of study, and indeed the ground 

 work of systematic Botany. 



Linnaan Arrangement. The artificial method, now uni- 

 versally adopted, was invented by the great Linnaeus, who 

 was born in Sweden in 1707. Linnaeus was undoubtedly 

 the most learned and profound of all naturalists. His system 

 of Botany has remained with little alteration until this day, 

 and his natural history, arrangement of animals, fishes, 

 insects, and shells, not only laid the foundation of our present 

 knowledge of these subjects, but have stood as guides to all 

 naturalists who have followed him. In some of these depart- 

 ments, it is true, that the extension of knowledge since his 

 death, has discovered errors, and there have not been want- 

 ing new systems, on all these subjects, founded on the 

 advancement of knowledge. But the most popular and 

 simple methods of arrangement are still those of Linnaeus. 



Classes. By the Linnaean system, the vegetable kingdom 

 is divided into 24 classes. These classes are distinguished 

 from each other by the number, situation, or proportion of the 

 stamens which their flowers contain, so that this arrangement 

 is founded entirely on the flowers of the plants. It is neces- 

 sary, therefore, in order to ascertain the place of any plant in 

 the arrangement, and consequently its name, that its flower 

 should in the first place be obtained. 



Orders. These classes are divided into orders, which are 

 founded either in the number of the styles, or pistils the flowers 

 contain ; on the situation of the fruit ; on the kind of pericarp ; 

 or on some other circumstance which will be explained, 

 when we come to illustrate this part of our subject. 



Genera. The orders are next separated into genera, the 

 names of which are generally arbitrary, that is, not depend- 



Which is said to be the most simple, the natural, or artificial method ? 

 By which method is the most complete knowledge of Botany to be ob- 

 tained ? What is said of Linnaeus and his method ? How is the vegeta- 

 ble kingdom divided, according to the Linnajan system ? On what part of 

 the plant is the Linmean arrangement founded ? How are the classes 

 divided, and on what parts of the flower is the second division fovnuled ? 

 What is the next division ? 



