2 An IntroduEiion to 



A denomination is fo much more perfed, 

 as it contains fewer arbitrary things, and has 

 lefs relation to foreign. This is a kind of de- 

 finition, which muft be rendered as exadt as 

 poffible, ufing the vifible attributes and qua- 

 lities of the plant itfelf, making an abftradtion 

 of the affinity it has to other plants of the fame 

 genus, or of different genera. 



The modern Botanifts have an advantage 

 over the antients in following this rule ; they 

 name the plants from the parts which they 

 contain ; whereas the others have generally 

 given them by their outward appearance, or 

 fuppofed virtues ; ^he moderns in each of theii: 

 phrafes, have regard to the eflential parts of 

 the plant they exprefs : that in a word is the 

 mod particular charafter, which can be known 

 by the firft infpedion, avoiding the long de- 

 nominations and terms which are fuperfluous, 

 and only burden the memory to no purpofe, 

 they have bani(l:ied the names of the countries 

 where the plants grow, their virtues, and pro- 

 perties, &c, from the titles. 



When there is but one known fpecies of a 

 genus, it is not neceffary to add a fpecific de^ 

 nomination to its generical name, becaufe there 

 is no other fpecies to didinguifli it from. And 

 it were to be wifhed, that each plant had but 



one 



