RAY'S TABLES OF PLANTS 29 



is a summary of Ray's first attempt at a system of classification. 

 He begins by distinguishing Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees. Pro- 

 ceeding to the detailed classification of Herbs, he divides them 

 into Imperfect " which either do want or seem to want some of 

 the more essential parts of Plants, viz. either Root, Stalk, or 

 Seed," the Cryptogamia of Linnaeus ; and Perfect " having all 

 the essential parts belonging to a Plant." The Perfect Herbs 

 are arranged in three main groups according to (i) their leaves, 

 (2) their flowers, (3) their seed-vessel, each group being sub- 

 divided in various ways. 

 Herbs considered according to their Leaves: 



With long Leaves : Frumentaceous, "such whose seed is used by men for 

 food, either Bread, Pudding, Broth, or Drink" (Cereals): or Non- 

 Frumentaceous (other Grasses, Sedges, Reeds). 

 Gramineous Herbs of Bulbous Roots (Bulbous Monocotyledons). 

 Herbs of Affinity to Bulbous Roots (other Monocotyledons). 

 Herbs of Round Leaves {e.g. Petasites, Viola, Pinguicula, Droserd). 

 Herbs of Nervous Leaves {e.g. Veratrum, Plantago, Gentiana, Poly- 

 gonum). 

 Succulent Herbs {Sedum., Saxifraga). 



" Herbs considered according to the Superficies of their Leaves, or their 

 Manner of Growing " : 



more rough {e.g. Borago, Anchusa., Echiuni) : 

 less rough {e.g. Puhnonaria, Symphytum., Heliotropiujn) : 

 stellate leaves {e.g. Asparagus., Galium). 

 Herbs considered according to their Flowers: "having no seed- 

 vessel besides the Cup which covers the flower" : 

 Herbs of Stamineous Flowers, "whose flower doth consist of threddy 

 Filaments or Stamina, having no leaves besides the Perianthium : or 

 those herbaceous leaves encompassing these stamina, which do not 

 wither or fall away before the seed is ripe " ; and not of grassy leaves, 

 may be distributed into such whose seeds are 

 Triangular (Polygonaceae) ; 



Round: "distinguishable by sex, of male and female; because from 

 the same seed some plants are produced which bear flowers 

 and no seeds, and others which bear seeds and no flowers" 

 {e.g. Camiabis, Humulus, Mercurialis) : not distinguishable by 

 sex {e.g. Chenopodiaceae, Urticaceae, Resedaceae). 

 Herbs having a Compound Flower not Pappous 1 

 Pappous Herbs \ (Compositae). 



Umbelliferous Herbs (Umbelliferae, with Valeriana). 

 Verticillate Fruticose Herbs ) 



Verticillate Not Fruticose Herbs \ (Labiatae). 



