CLASSIFICATION. 



colour Or size are not sufficient to constitute different 

 species. The Balsams of our gardens, for instance, are 

 of various colours, and the plants vary greatly in size, 

 yet they all belong to one species. These minor differ- 

 ences, which are mainly the result of care and cultivation, 

 give rise to varieties. These are of great interest to the 

 horticulturist, but the study of species is the great end and 

 aim of the botanist. 



365. Those Species which are considered to resemble 

 each other most nearly are grouped into Genera, and the 

 Genera, in like manner, into Orders ; but these particular 

 groupings are more or less artificial, and are subject to 

 continual alteration in consequence of our imperfect 

 knowledge. As year by year new facts are brought to 

 light, modifications in arrangement take place. In the 

 Classification of common plants which constitutes the 

 Second Part of this work, the Divisions spoken of above 

 are placed in the order named. In the Polypetalous 

 Division, those Orders are put first which embrace plants 

 with hypogynous stamens and apocarpous pistils, the 

 parts of the flowers being consequently separate; then 

 those with similarly inserted stamens, but syncarpous 

 pistils; then those with perigy nous stamens; and, generally, 

 we proceed from plants whose flowers have all their parts 

 separate to those exhibiting more or less cohesion and 

 adhesion, and finally to those having one or more parts of 

 the flower wanting. 



366. In looking up the name of a plant, it will be your 

 object to determine the Genus to which it belongs, and 

 also the Species. The name of every plant consists of two 

 parts : its Genus first, and then its Species. The name of 



