214 NATURAL HISTORY. 



c The stamens united to the pistil. 



CLASS 20. GvjfAjfDRiA has six stamens, forming a single body with 

 the pistil Arum, Calla. 



b Separate races. 



CLASS 21. MOXCECIA Male and female flowers on the same stem In- 

 dian Corn, Pink. 



" 22. DIOECA male and female flowers on two different individual 

 plants Wood, Hemp. 



" 23. POLYGASIJA sometimes male, and at others, female or her- 

 maphrodite flowers, on one, two, or three individual plants. 

 To these belong the Maple, Ash, and Fig. 



These orders are regulated according to the number 

 and relative adhesions of their stamens. 



B Unprovided with nowers 3 or else the bloom is so 

 small as not to be discernible. 



CLASS 24. CRYPTOGAMIA Fern, Moss, Lichens, Mushrooms. 



This arrangement into classes by Linnseus* has the 

 one great advantage, namely, that every plant by it may 

 be recognized in its proper place. Nevertheless, there 

 are some disadvantages ; for instance, the accidental sep- 

 aration of the stamens or anthers from each other may 

 cause some confusion in certain genera. This method, 

 although simple and elegant, is avowedly artificial, and 

 therefore we present to our readers the natural distribu- 

 tion of the families of plants by De Candolle, still re- 

 taining the classification of Linnoeus. In order to avoid 



* " The sexual system of Linnaeus lays no claim to the merit of 

 being a natural arrangement Its sole aim is to assist in determining 

 any described plant by analytical examination, and nothing can be 

 more simple than the first eleven, as the stamens need only to be 

 counted in order to distinguish them. CYCLO. AM. 



