54 AN INTRODUCTION 



office together. The classic character will be ex- 

 plained in its place. 



CLASS XX. GYNANDRIA. The term is com- 

 pounded of two words, that signify zt-'ife and husband; 

 and alludes to the singular circumstance of this 

 class, in the flowers of which the stamina grow 

 upon the pistillum ; so that the male and female parts 

 are united, and do not stand separate, as in other 

 hermaph o j ite flowers. 



CLASS XXI. Mo \OKCI A. The word here com- 

 pounded with the numerical term, signifies a house 

 or habitation.- -To understand the application of this 

 title, \\e must know, that the plants of this ck<ss are 

 not hermaphrodite, but androgynous, i. e. the flowers 

 that have the stamina warning the pistiilum, and 

 those that have the pistiilum wanting the stamina. 

 Now 7 the term Monoecia, \\ hich sign i lies a single house 

 alludes to this circumstance ; that in this class the 

 male and female flowers are both found on the same 

 plant, whereas in the next they have distinct habita- 

 tions. 



CLASS XXII. DIQECIA. This term, which sig- 

 nifies two houses, is applied to this class (the plants 

 of which are male and female) to express the circum- 

 stance of the male flowers being on one plant, and 

 the female on another ; the contrary of which is the 

 case of the androgynous class Monoecia last ex- 

 plained. 



CLASS XXIII. POLYGAMIA. The term signifies 

 plurality of marriages. This class produces either 

 upon the same or different plants, hermaphrodite 

 flowers, and also flowers of one sex only, be it male 

 or female ; or flowers of each sex ; and the latter re- 

 ceiving impregnation from, or giving it to the heiv 

 maphroditcs, as their sex happens to be, the parts 

 essential to generation in the hermaphrodite flowers 

 do not confine themselves to the corresponding parts 

 within the same flower, but become pi promiscuous use: 

 which is the reason of giving this title to the class. 



