LISNjtAN ARTIFICIAL SYSTEM. 171 



If the stamens and pistils are invariably separate, you must pur- 

 sue your purpose by an attempt to convince yourself, whether the 

 plant belongs to the class diceciaor moncecia. 



SIXTH DIVISION. 



16. If the parts of fructification arc not visible by the 

 naked eye, the plant belongs to the last division or class 

 cryptogamia. 



To ascertain the orders, you have only to examine the natural re- 

 semblance which the production in hand bears to the character 

 peculiar to each order. Thus, no one would, for a moment suspect 

 the puff-ball to be a sea-weed, or on the other hand, ferns to be 

 mushrooms. The distinctions are therefore too evident to require 

 any observations. 



RULES FOR ASCERTAINING THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF 

 PLANTS. 



17. The class and order being fixed upon, to which 

 a plant is suspected to belong, a general plan may be 

 laid down for a knowledge of the precise genus and 

 species. 



Having so far prosecuted your investigation, as to be certain of 

 the flass and order to which your plant belongs, refer to the said 

 class and order, in a good systematic arrangement or genera planta- 

 rum, and taking notice of the different genera by which the order is 

 constituted, carefully examine the principal characters of the flower 

 under examination, and mark which genus it most resembles. The 

 genus being fixed upon to which you think the plant belongs, read 

 over the species, and by comparing the flower in your hand with 

 what you read, there will be no difficulty in finding its name, 

 though you might never have seen or heard of the plant before. 



18. We will here likewise observe, that most plants 



