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PREFACE. 



occupied with the study of those connexions, has often 

 neglected the relations of organs, which ought to have 

 been the basis of its labours. Several German naturalists, 

 at the head of whom must be mentioned, in former times, 

 the botanist Jungius, and, among the moderns, the 

 illustrious poet Goethe, have called attention to the 

 symmetry of the composition of plants. 



Several French ones, following the example of Jus- 

 sieu and Adanson, have searched into the simple intuitive 

 knowledge of beings to establish natural groups or 

 families of plants. 



It seems that the former have given all their attention 

 to compare together the parts of the same being ; and 

 the latter, to compare the analogous ones of different 

 beings. 



As for me, I am persuaded that these two branches 

 of the science are inseparable ; and my Theorie Elimen- 

 taire had for its object to connect them, by making each 

 of them serve for the perfecting of the other. Suice 

 then I have expressed the hope of showing their con- 

 nexion in a more intimate manner, by publishing the 

 elements of each of them. The Organography is the 

 development of that which relates to the symmetry of 

 partial organs ; and the Frodromus is intended to indi- 

 cate the summary of the actual state of our knowledge of 

 the affinities of the whole which constitute the natural 

 families. 



The state of families being subordinate to the con- 

 tinual discovery of new plants, and to the more attentive 

 observation of those which are the least known, is neces- 

 sarily provisional in several points. The general ideas 

 of organography are also subordinate to the same 

 courses, and will, without doubt, be gradually ame- 

 liorated. But we may know, in these two studies, if 

 we follow a good or bad course, when we see if the 



