98 NATURAL SYSTEM. 



is completely described and distinguished in a few words. Large 

 genera are separated into families consisting of species having a 

 general agreement in some peculiarities among themselves. The 

 names only of a part of the classes and orders are mentioned in 

 describing plants, they being understood by the number of stamens 

 and pistils; for example, the class Monandria, has 1 stamen, and the 

 order Monogynia, 1 pistil, etc. 



The genus Viola, (violet,) thus comes under class 5, Pentandria, and 

 order 1, Monogynia. Its divisions under this class and order are, 

 flower poly pet alous, inferior, seeds in a capsule ; and its generic de- 

 scription expressing the essential characters of the genus, is, sepals 5, 

 petals 5, irregular, connate behind, anthers adheringby a membrane at the 

 end, or distinct, capsules 3 valved, 1 seeded. The class signifies the num- 

 ber of stamens from pente, 5, and aner, a stamen, (pentandria,) and the 

 order also signifies one pistil. The division likewise shows that the 

 flower being polypetalous" means that it is composed of many petals, 

 and " inferior" means that the corolla is situated below the germ. 

 Seeds in a capsule," signifies that the seeds are within a pericarp 

 which becomes dry and opens by valves. The corolla is irregular" 

 because the petals are of unequal size, and one of them ends in an 

 appendage behind. Connate" means joined ; i. e. the petals are ap- 

 parently connected. Sepals are the leaves of the calyx, and petals 

 are the divisions of the corolla. This genus (Viola) includes a great 

 number of species, all agreeing in these essential characters ; but they 

 differ from one another by the forms of their leaves, or other circum- 

 stances, as the sweet-violet, from its pleasant odor, or toothed-violet, 

 from its leaves being dentated or toothed on their margin. 



The specific description applies only to those parts of a plant which 

 simply distinguish one individual of the same genus from another and 

 is defined botanically in a few words, as with the viola pedata, " stem- 

 less, leaves pedate, 7 parted." Thus the pistils, stamens, calyx, 

 corolla, fruit, flower, signifying the place of the plant in the system, 

 have nothing to do with the specific description. 



The natural method of classification by Jussieu, and others depends 

 1st, on the structure of the seed with respect to cotyledons : thus a plant 

 with no cotyledon is d-cotyledonous ; with 1 cotyledon it is Mono-cotyl- 

 edonous, and with 2, Di-cotyledonous. 



2d. The insertion of the stamens. These are above the germ and 

 epi-gynous, under it and hypo-gynous, or around it and peri-gynous. 



3d. The presence or absence of t\\e corolla. Thus, when wanting 

 the corolla, plants are a-petalous. The corolla being of one piece, or 

 without petals, it is mono-petalous, and when the corolla has many 

 petals it is poly-petalous. 



4th. j3 union or separation of anthers, i. e. anthers distinct) or 

 combined. 



