168 Natural History, [Chap. III. 



divided the whole vegetable kingdom into twenty- 

 four classes; the distinguishing characters of which 

 he founded on the number, the place of insertion, 

 the projwrtion, the co7inection, and the disposition, of 

 the stamina. These classes he subdivided into one 

 hundred and twenty- eight orders. In the first thir- 

 teen classes, the orders are taken from the number 

 and circumstances of the pistilla. In the fourteenth 

 and fifteenth from the pericarpium ; and in all the 

 remaining classes from the number and circum- 

 stances of the stamina, excepting the twenty-fourth, 

 which, from the parts of fructification being invi- 

 sible, cannot be subjected to the grand principle of 

 arrangement on which the system proceeds. 



With respect to the fundamental doctrine of the 

 sexes of plants, on which this method of classifica- 

 tion rests, the honour of giving birth to it is said 

 not to be due to the great Swedish naturalist. The 

 ancients had some ideas of the doctrine, hut they 

 were vague and imperfect. We are informed by 

 Aristotle, that Empedocles particularly taught that 

 the sexes icere united in plants; and also that the 

 use of the farina fmcundans of the male palm, in 

 impregnating the female, was very well known in 

 his day. It appears, also, from several passages in 

 Pliny, that he, as well as other naturalists of that 

 time, extended the distinction of sexes, and the 

 use of tlie male dust, to plants in general. Accord- 

 ingly, it is certain that the ancient cultivators per- 

 ceived the necessity, and were in the constant ha- 

 bit, with respect to several species of vegetables, of 

 promoting the operation of the male flower on the 

 female, in order to the production of fruit ; still, 

 being inattentive to the structure of flowers, and 



