'NS JN l;f/i 



SONS IN BOTANY, 



SECTION V88IFICATION OP 



VE(1 1 



(Via fire stamen*. C. Hvcandria six kUunott*. 7. 



-oven stamen*. 8. Ociandria, eight stamen*. 



ft nine stamen*. 10. Decandria ten stamen*. 

 11. Dodtcandria eleven to nineteen utamei. indrta 



twenty or more on the calyx. 13. J'olynndria twenty or more 

 on the receptacle. 14. DtJynamto four, two long, two khort. 

 15. Tetradynamia six, four long, two short. 16. Monad- 



ALL the general principles we have discussed and taken advan- 

 tage of hitherto have merely furnished us with tho means of 

 Im.lintf vegetable* into three sections; t n, there- 



fore i inssents itself, how we are to oontinuo tin- division, how stamen* joined by their filament** into one body. l7.lHad- 

 arrange the classification of tho hundred* of thousands of stamens joined into two bodies. 18. I'olyaddphia stamens 

 plants which exist ? Various method* have been at different ' joined into more than two bodies. 19. Byngenetia stametw 

 times proposed for accomplishing thia. Wo shall not mention joined by their anther* into a cylinder. 20. 6'ynandria tamen 

 ilu'in in tho order of their organisation, nor ahall we fully , adherent to pistil. 21. Mcmcecia flowers bearing pistils exola> 

 describe thorn, such not being tho object with which these paper and flowers bearing stamens exclusively, on the *t plant. 



aro written. We shall mention tho general priuciplua involved in . i!li. IJiu.cia flower* bearing piitil* exclusively, and flowers bear- 



effecting some of these classifica- 

 tions, and shall point out in what 

 respects certain classifications aro 

 better than others. 



Of all the different schemes of 

 classification which have ever been 

 proposed or carried into execution, 

 that of the celebrated Swede, Linne 

 or Linnaeus, undoubtedly attained to 

 the greatest popularity. Indeed, 

 o firm is tho hold which it took of 

 popular appreciation that no incon- 

 siderable number of those who even 

 now study Botany fancy they havo 

 nothing more to learn than tho 

 number of pistils and stamens 

 which are contained in different 

 flowers, totally unconscious of all 

 natural alliances. Suppose that 

 eome eccentric ethnologist should 

 Adopt the grotesque idea of classify- 

 ing human races according to tho 

 number of wives tho individuals of 

 each race were in the habit of mar- 

 Tying. Suppose that in reference 

 to this master-idea the ethnologist 

 hould arrive at the conclusion that 

 inasmuch as Mussulman Turks, and 

 Mussulman negroes, and Mussulman 

 Kalmncs, and Malays, all marry 

 A great many wives, that for this 

 .reason Turks, and negroes, and 

 Xalmucs, and Malays, must all 

 belong to tho same race of men. 

 Would not such a classification 

 awaken a smile at its grotesque 

 whimsicality ? and would it not be 

 considered an eminently false classi- 

 fication, not to say absurd ? 



Yet this is almost a parallel 

 arrangement to that of Linnams, 

 who effected his celebrated artificial 

 division of plants according to tho 

 number and position of the male 

 And female parts (stamens and 

 pistils) of flowers. 



Nevertheless, the artificial classi- 

 fication of Linnaeus has acquired a 



celebrity so great, and is so interwoven with popular botanical 

 ideas, that it cannot bo dismissed with tbo casual notice wo 

 havo already afforded it. Let us, therefore, proceed to examine 

 the general principles on which it is based. 



In the first place, Linnaeus divided plants into cryptogamio 

 and flowering, as we have done. The department of crypto- 

 pamio botany was, however, very imperfectly known to 

 Linnaeus ; it was to the classification of flowering plants that 

 his chief efforts were directed, and it is his modo of effecting 

 ihis that we have to examine. Linnaeus arranged all flowering 

 plants under twenty-three classes, founded on the number and 

 arrangement of the male parts (stamens) of the flower. 



The names of his twenty-four classes, including cryptogamio 

 plants as the twenty-fourth, aro as follows : 



1. Monandria one stamen. 2. Diandria two stamens. 3. 



THE IKIS, A3 EiAill'Li: OF ZU 



ing itamen* exclusively, on different 

 plant*. 23. Polygamia, flowers 

 bearing stamens exclusively, or 

 putils exclusively, or hermaphro- 

 dite, on the same or on different 

 plant*. 24. Cryptoyamia. 



In the annexed illustration, a 

 representation is given of the fleshy 

 rhizome, leaves, and flower 

 Jrii florentina, or White Iria, a 

 beautiful species of the family 

 Iridaceas, and a native of South, m 

 Europe. It flower* in May. Ac- 

 cording to tho division adopted 

 by T.inntrus, this plant belongs 

 to tho first order Jfottoyynia 

 (having ono pistil), of the third 

 class Triandriq (having three sta- 

 mens). 



From an inspection of this ar- 

 rangement, we observe that up to 

 the eleventh class the number of 

 stamens alone furnishes the dis- 

 tinctive sign, after which other 

 circumstances aro taken cogni- 

 pance of. These circumstances 

 are sufficiently indicated in the 

 list of classes given above; but 

 it is desirable to present the reader 

 with the derivation of tho name*. 

 It will be remembered that the 

 etamens aro the male organ* of 

 tho flower, and tho names given 

 to the first eleven classes are com- 

 pounded of the Greek word* for 

 the numerals, one, two, three, four, 

 five, six, seven, eig-ht, nine, ten, and 

 twelve, and the Greek noun ayr,p 

 (an'-eor) t genitive ay&pot (an'-drc/*), 

 a man. Icosandria is formed of 

 ihe same Greek conn, and ci*o<r 

 (ei'-Tco-si), the Greek for twenty ; 

 polyandria from the same Greek 

 noun, ayrjp, and the adjective 

 iro\t;j (pol-\ise), much or many. 

 The term didynamia means tvo- 

 powered, from the Greek tvo 

 (Ju'-o), two, and 8wo/m (do-no- 



rm's), power ; tho reason why tho tonn ia applied will be seen 

 by referring to the explanation given above, ilonadtlphia 

 means one brotherhood, from tho Greek noyot (mon'-o*), one, 

 and a5Ajj (a-dd'-phos), brother, because all the stamens 

 aro connected together. Syngenesia is another term signifying 

 u srowiny together, from the Greek <rvr (sune), together, and 

 yivopai (pi'-no-mi, tho g hard), I grow. GynanJn'a is derived 

 from tho Greek yvyj] (yu'-ne, g hard), woman, and arr) r \ genitive 

 avtipos, a man, because tho pistil* and stamens are attached. 

 Moncecia, signifies one-housed, from the Greek nofot, one, 

 and OIKOS (oi'-kos), house, for a reason which will be evident. 

 Pobi'jamia ia derived from the Greek oXi/j, many, 70^0* 

 (yam'-os), marriage ; tho meaning of which term will also be 

 evident by a simple inspection of the list of classes. In order 

 that tho student may become practically acquainted with the 



CLA.S.-, TKUXMIIA. 



Triandria three stamens. 4. Tetrandria four stamens. 5. res; c.tivo peculiarities of these classes, we hall now mention u 



VOL. I. 



20 



