INTRODUCTION, 13 



In the classes 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22, the stamens not 

 being wanted to tell the classes they are used as marks of the 

 orders, with the same name as the classes themselves ; thus, 

 here Monandria means the first order, but before it meant the 

 first class. In class 23 there are two orders ; in the first, perfect 

 flowers are found mixed with the others in the second, there 

 are no perfect flowers ; all of them containing stamens or poin- 

 tals, but not both. 



This may appear puzzling, and really is so to those who use 

 numbers and not names, and the student is strongly recom- 

 mended not to use numbers for the classes and orders, for these 

 mean nothing ; but the Greek names of them signify the same 

 in all situations, and moreover express some circumstance 

 relating to the plant. For example, if we speak of a plant of 

 the fourteenth class and first order we are not reminded of any 

 thing respecting it ; but if we speak of it as belonging to class 

 Didynamia and order Gymnospermia we learn that there are in 

 it two long and two short stamens, and that the seeds are not in 

 a capsule, for these terms signify as much. Again, 

 The 3rd order of class 3 is called TRIGYNIA, and has 3 styles. 

 ,, 4 ,, TETRAGYNIA, 4 ,, 



? , 12 ,, POLYGYNIA, many 



,, 13 ,, HEXAGYNIA, 6 ,, 



Thus saying that such or such a flower is of the third order, 

 means nothing, for it may have three, four, six, or many styles ; 

 but to say it belongs to order Trigynia or Tetragynia, &c., 

 shows at once partly the nature of it, for if it belong to Tri- 

 gynia, it must have three styles, and if to Tetragynia it must 

 have four styles, and so on for the others. After orders, plants 

 are still further separated into genera or families, according to 

 the different shape of the parts of the flower ; and afterwards 

 into species or sorts, from characters taken from the leaves, 

 roots, stems, or other parts. 



