Sect. II.] Botany. 165 



far beyond all his predecessors. About the same 

 time. Dr. Paul Hermann, professor of Botany at 

 Leyden, proposed a new system*. He augmented 

 the number of classes to twenty-five, founding their 

 characters chiefly on the circumstances of the seed. 

 He divided his classes into eighty-two sections or 

 orders, having for their basis the number of petals, 

 seeds, capsules , and cells; the figure of the seeds 

 mid petals J and the disposition of the Jlozvej^s. This 

 system appears to have gained but little popularity. 

 To the method of Hermann succeeded tliat of Dr. 

 Boerhaave, first published in 1710, and afterwards, 

 with great additions, in 1720. He made a sort of 

 combination of the systems of Ray, Tournefort, and 

 Henri ann, with additions and improvements from 

 his own great mind. He increased the number of 

 classes still further, to thirty-four, which were sub- 

 divided into one hundred and four sections or or- 

 ders; the characters of which were derived from 

 the habit or general appearance of the plants, com- 

 bined with all the parts of fructification. He was 

 the first who employed the stamina and style in 

 determining the genus. To this luminary of science 

 botany is much indebted. He introduced many 

 new genera into his system; and w^as universally 

 considered as one of the most successful inquirers 

 and instructive writers of his time on this subject. 



Next to the system of Boerhaave, the records ot' 

 botany present us with the method of Christian 



* Paul Hermann was a native of Saxony, and died in 1O95. 

 This learned man not only presented to the world botanical wri- 

 tings of great value, but also engravings of plants, which are ex- 

 ecuted with much delicacy, considering the period in which he 

 lived. 



