OF PLANTS. 255 



scribing the genera of plants, and determining their char- 

 acters. This constitutes one of the most essential branch- 

 es of botany ; for it is certain, that the better the struc- 

 ture of plants is known, the more easily new plants are 

 discovered, because we are enabled to ascertain their 

 characters, and, consequently, to class them with greate^ 

 precision ; and thus the art is gradually brought to some 

 degree of perfection. 



Emily. But since the nomenclature is founded upon 

 genera, if you change the genera you must change also the 

 names of plants, which is very perplexing for beginners. 



Mrs. B. That is true ; but it would be a source of still 

 greater perplexity to allow a plant to remain in a genus, in 

 which, through ignorance, it had been erroneously placed, 

 and of which it had not the characters, for you would never 

 be able to recognise it. Let us suppose, for instance, that 

 the pear-tree had been placed in a genus, the distinguishing 

 character of which, is to have six petals : as it has only 

 five, you would never think of searching for it in a genus 

 of six petals. Would you, then, disapprove of its being 

 transferred to the genus whose character is to have five 

 petals ? 



Emily. No ; certainly ; but such errors seem to me 

 to be impossible. 



Mrs. B. Not so much so as you imagine, owing to the 

 number ofthe organs frequently differing in the same plants, 

 like the petals of your syringa. Besides, foreign plants are 

 often described in a hurried manner by incompetent bota- 

 nists, and are sometimes brought to Europe in such an 

 imperfect state of preservation as to afford very bad speci- 

 mens. You see, therefore, that in this case, as well as in 

 many others, truth must be preferred to simple convenience. 



Caroline. But, my dear Mrs. B., you have not yet 

 said one word of the families of plants, which you had 

 promised to explain to us. 



Mrs. B. A little patience, my dear. I cannot tell 

 you every thing at once ; and I like to begin by the begin- 

 ning. I have explained to you hew all individual plants, 

 resembling each other, form a species ; and how, by fol- 



1388. How is it said that the classification of plants can be made with 

 the greater precision! 1389. What does Mrs. B. think would in- 

 crease the perplexity, which Emily has suggested! 1390. How is 

 this illustrated by the supposition of the pear tree! 1391. Ofthe 

 difficulty in classifying foreign plants what is said! 



