FORMATION OF SYSTEMS. 333 



opposite. When the flower has more than four 

 seeds, he makes no subdivision. 



So much for simple flowers with naked seeds. 

 In those where the seeds are surrounded by a 

 pericarp, or fruit, this fruit is large, soft, and fleshy, 

 and the plants are pomiferous ; or it is small and 

 juicy, and the fruit is a berry, as a Gooseberry. 



If the fruit is not juicy, but dry, it is multiple 

 or simple. If it be simple, we have the leguminose 

 plants. If it be multiple, the form of the flower is 

 to be attended to. The flower may be monope- 

 talous, or tetrapetalous, or pentapetalous, or with 

 still more divisions. The monopetalous may be 

 regular or irregular; so may the tetrapetalous. The 

 regular tetrapetalous flowers are, for example, the 

 Cruciferce, as Stock, and Cauliflower : the irregular, 

 are the papilionaceous plants, Peas, Beans, and 

 Vetches; and thus we again come to natural families. 

 The remaining plants are divided in the same way, 

 into those with imperfect, and those with perfect, 

 flowers. Those with imperfect flowers are the 

 Grasses, the Rushes (Junci), and the like; among 

 those with perfect flowers, are the Palmacece, and 

 the Liliacece. 



We see that the division of plants is complete 

 as a system; all flowers must belong to one or 

 other of the divisions. Fully to explain the cha- 

 racters and further subdivisions of these families, 

 would be to write a treatise on botany; but it is easily 

 seen that they exhaust the subject as far as they go. 



