II. SYSTEMATICAL BOTANY. 



616. SYSTEMATICAL BOTANY is the science of arranging plants 

 in such a manner that their names may be ascertained, their 

 affinities determined, their true place in a natural system 

 fixed, their sensible properties judged of, and their whole his- 

 tory elucidated with certainty and accuracy. 



617. Anything short of this is not a system, but an artificial 

 scheme. 



618. The latter is intended to enable a person to ascertain 

 the name of a plant, and goes no further. 



619. But as the name of a plant conveys no information 

 by itself, the power thus acquired by artificial schemes is of 

 but little real value, and cannot be considered as anything 

 beyond a very imperfect and elementary mode of investi- 

 gation. 



620. What knowledge is gained by the use of an artificial 

 scheme is a mere collection of isolated facts, without mutual 

 dependence, or any distinct bearing upon general views. 



621 . In a natural arrangement, on the other hand, the name 

 of a plant is the least object that is gained. Any investigation 

 upon its principles, when completed, is, of necessity, attended 

 with the discovery of the relationship a given plant bears to 

 others ; and as plants which are most closely akin in struc- 

 ture are also most similar in their sensible properties, it often 

 enables us to judge of the use of an unknown plant whose 

 place is determined in the system, by the ascertained uses of 

 those species in whose vicinity it takes its place by virtue of 

 its natural affinities. 



622. The only artificial schemes in general use are, 1, that 

 of Linnseus (623), called the SEXUAL System, in consequence 

 of its characters being dependent upon variations in the sta- 

 mens and pistil, or sexes, of plants ; and 2, the Analytical 

 method. 



