xl TABLE OF THE CLASSES, ORDERS, ETC., 



types (as Leguminosce, Composita and ofher Ilonopetalce) 

 stand towards the middle of the series, and the Orders of a 

 lower type occupy the ends ; thus the complete-flowered 

 plants with much separated organs are those with which the 

 series begins, and the incomplete-flowered Orders (some of 

 which have no recognized affinity with higher ones) occupy 

 the end of the series. 



The extent to which this system is artificial is best illus- 

 trated by a few examples, thus : — 



10, Bixacea, passes into 58, Fassiflorecc, various genera ac- 

 tually uniting tlie two. 



16 and 17, Caryo-pliyllece, passes into 62, Ficoidece, 99, Fhyto- 

 laccecB, 101, AmaranthacecB, and 101, ParonycJiiece. 



22, Malvacece^ passes into 109, EuioJiorhiacea. 



34, Olacinea, passes into 65, Cornece, 66, LorantlinGece, and 108, 

 Sajitalacece ; and many other cases might be quoted of Orders 

 removed to three far distant groups by one or two characters 

 alone, and these very inconstant ones. If it is asked, why 

 then not bring all together ? The answer is, if we do, — 1, 

 we should lose all means of finding the locality of any genus, 

 without hunting through every group ; and 2, we must often 

 then intercalate between two Orders that are most closely re- 

 lated, another Order containing a vast number of plants not 

 so much related to either Order as these two Orders are to one 

 another. For instance, if we bring Eiq^liorhiacece in between 

 Malvacecd and Tiliacece, we break up the character of the class, 

 subclass, group, series, and cohort under which Malvace(S and 

 Tiliacecs are classed, and thrust between these a vast host of 

 Euphorbiaceous genera that are not so nearly related to Mal- 

 vacea as TiliacecB are. 



It must then be clearly understood, that the Natural Orders 

 established throughout the vegetable kingdom are in the main 

 perfectly natural groups, but that the so-called Natural sys- 

 tem of plants is by no means a natural one, in respect of the 

 l^equenc'e of the Dicotyledonous Orders, and that this is be- 

 cause they cannot be arranged naturally in a linear series. 

 To classify these Orders arbitrary characters have been sought 

 and used, which bring a larger proportion of them into proper 

 position and sequence, but remove others very far from their 

 proper places. — ^J. D. Hooker. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE CLASSES, COHOKTS, ETC. 



Class I. DICOTYLEDONES.— Stem, when perennial, with 

 pith concentric layers of wood and bark. Leaves usually with 

 branched and netted venation. Perianth usually of 4 or 5 



