ON SYSTEMS AND CLASSIFICATIONS. . 13 



tillum abiit infructum." The fruit is also more accurately dis- 

 tinguished, as it is a capsule, berry, &c. 



We shall here pass by several of the less important systems that 

 are merely alterations of the foregoing. These alterations consist 

 sometimes of a single circumstance, of which the former authors had 

 taken no notice. Of this Pontedera may serve as an instance. He 

 took Tournefort's system, and combining it with that of Rivinus, only 

 separated the plants that bear buds from those that have none. 

 Another more worthy of consideration is that of Magnolius ; though 

 it too is of little use in practice. He forms his classes intirely ou 

 the calyx. Many similar systems may be found in Adanson, an 

 eminent naturalist, who has exhibited upwards of sixty systems, and 

 has shewn evidently that many more might be formed, if science 

 were to derive any benefit from the labour. 



The systems we have detailed are either built on the fruit or the 

 flower, and their parts : but none before Gleditsch had attempted 

 one on the situation of the stamens. His classes are the following : 



1. Thalamostemonis. 4. Stylostemonis. 



2. Petalostemonis. 5. Cryptostemonis. 



3. Calycoste nionis. 



The insertion of the stamens here forms the classes : in the first 

 class they stand on the receptacle; in the second on the corol; in 

 the third on the calyx ; in the fourth on the style ; and to the fifth 

 class belong plants whose flowers are inconspicuous, as the Filices, 

 Musci, Algae, and Fuugi. The orders are formed according to the 

 number of the anthers ; that is, whether they are one or more in a 

 single flower, viz. Monantherae, Diantherae, &c. But as there are 

 so few classes, it is obvious that the orders must have many subdi- 

 visions; and this is the only objection to this, otherwise, very ele- 

 gant system, which stands in the way of its further usefulness. 



The same system has been lately somewhat changed by Monch. 

 II is classes are, 



1. Thalamostemon. 



2. Petalostemon. 



3. Parapetalostemon, i. e. when the stamens stand upon leaves 



similar to petals, which are found in the corol. 



4. Calycostemon. 



5. Allagostemon, when the stamens stand alternately on the 



calvx and petals. 



6. Stylostemon, when they stand on the style. 



