ON SYSTEMS AND CLASSIFICATIONS. 7 



selected. No good system should have too many subdivisions, and, 

 if possible, should only consist of classes and orders. The orders 

 should likewise be founded only on one part. 



For a beginner it is very convenient to be acquainted with several 

 systems, especially if at the same time he knows tire defects of each, 

 that he may be able, by his own experience, to have recourse to 

 that which particularly suits him. We shall here give a view of the 

 principal systems, in the language in which they were originally 

 written ; and should any term occur which is not to be found in 

 general use, we shall briefly explain it. 



Caesalpiuus was the first botanist who invented a system. He 

 selected the fruit, and the situation of the corculum, as the distin- 

 guishing characters. His system has fifteen classes, viz. 



1. Arbores, corculo ex apice seminis. 



2. a basi seminis. 



3. Herbae, solitariis seminibus. 



4. baccis. 



5. __ capsulis. 



6. binis seminibus. 

 7. capsulis. 



8. . triplici principio, fibrosae. 



9' * bulbosje. 



10. quaternis seminibus. 



1 1. . pluribus seminibus. Anthemides. 



12. Cichoraceae s. Acanaceae. 



13. flore communi. 



]4. follicullis, 



15. flore fructuque carentes. 



This system is, for our times, when such a multitude of plants 

 have been discovered, no longer of use. Considered as the first 

 attempt at system it is entitled to great consideration. The fruit is 

 a very constant part, and this classification would be particularly 

 commendable, if plants and trees had not been separated. In the 

 two first classes trees are distinguished according to the situation of 

 the corculum ; the other classes are arranged according to the fruit 

 of the plants. The eighth and ninth classes have a trilocular cap- 

 sule, and are distinguished according to the situation of the corcu- 

 lum; the other classes are arranged according to the fruit of the 

 plants. The eighth and ninth classes have a trilocular capsule, and 



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