16 



tempts to adapt them to theories, with which descriptive botany has 

 not to do. 



The principle should be, then, that the essential differences of the 

 organs and their connections, explained from the successive evolu- 

 tion of the whole plant and their mutual resilience, be combined 

 into one. So, with every new degree of metamorphosis, new mem- 

 bers of the system will appear. The grades of metamorphosis are 

 essential in proportion as they are primary (as respects existence), 

 since thus they have effect upon the whole fabric of the plant. This 

 being understood, the gradation of the characters seems easy and 

 to flow from the principle. First in rank are those of germina- 

 tion ; second, of vegetation ; third, of the flower ; fourth, and last, 

 of the fruit, which is the last metamorphosis. In the former of these 

 degrees, there are but few typical differences; in the latter, many ; 

 hence, those are more suitable to distinguish higher sections, these 

 to characterize lower divisions. I do not see what other natural 

 gradation of characters there can be than this, following the evolu- 

 tion of nature itself. 



The principle of Germination is the seed. In the nature of this, 

 a two-fold difference, of all the most universal, is observed, that 

 of Semina and Sporse. There is no other difference certainly 

 which has such a resilience upon every succeeding degree of evo- 

 lution. Seeds contain within their integuments cotyledons, whence 

 plants germinating from seeds are called COTYLEDONE.E. From 

 naked Spores germinating into elongated threads are produced 

 NEMEJE. These two sections may be called the hemispheres of the 

 vegetable world. (The Cotyledonea? never produce a simple thread 

 in germination ; and the NemesB never form cotyledons ; but we 

 find sometimes the cotyledons obliterated in the former, and the 

 threads in the latter, in which case both seem deficient, and we thus 

 have Acotyledonese and Anemeee.) 



In Vegetation, beside the differences of germination, emerge 

 new, which recur likewise in the succeeding degrees. These fur- 

 nish another means of division. The Cotyledonea? in germination 

 produce either one or two cotyledons, which differences are most 

 manifest in the plant, which has hence either an endogenous or an 

 exogenous stem ; either simply nerved, or venose-reticulate leaves ; 

 and hence again they are divided into Endogenese, or Monocotyle- 

 cfone<, and Exogeneae, or Dicotyledonca. In the Nemeffi, germina- 

 tion and vegetation are not separated ; they produce their fruit, 

 either after a new metamorphosis is completed, or immediately by 

 simple metamorphosis, and hence are HeteronemefB (Filices, Musci), 

 or HomonemetB (Algffi, Fungi.) These four, Monocotyledonea3, 

 Dicotyledoneffi, HeteronemeaB, and Homonemese, are the four prov- 

 inces of the vegetable kingdom. 



In the Flower, we have the third degree of metamorphosis. In 

 this, while many essential differences appear, there is none which 

 surpasses the preceding, derived from germination and vegetation. 

 But that these differences from the flower are superior in rank to 

 those taken from the fruit, not only does theory clearly indicate, but 

 experience demonstrates it. (What affinity is there among Rosa- 

 cea3 of authors, with what diversity of fruit. What difference be- 



