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course of things. But botanists have to remember that many 

 of them are still riddles. 



De CandoUe classes descriptions under the two general heads 

 of develoj^ed and ahridgecL A develojied descrij^tion is a 

 detailed account of the whole conformation, without rejrard 

 to differentiae. The type of an abridged description is the 

 diagnosis, such as the specific phrase, or as Linnseus called it, 

 the nomen spcQificum ; what we now universally term the 

 specific name being his nomen triviale. In the course of 

 phytography both these have become rare or of special use 

 as regards species, and a hybrid between the two has been 

 engendered which is more serviceable than either. The long 

 and independent descriptions of the olden time are now seldom 

 written. Except for special cases, the development of the 

 natural system in its subordination of groups in ever increas- 

 ing numbers and definiteness, has rendered them superfluous. 

 What was once stated in the developed description of a species 

 in one formula, and a vast deal more, is now parceled out 

 among the ordinal, tribal, generic, sub-generic, or sectional, 

 sub-sectional, and other characters, each of which deals pri- 

 marily, if not wholly, with differentice. The characters of each 

 grade, being diagnostic, may be comparatively short; but 

 taken together they become almost exhaustive. But to avoid 

 going again over the same ground, subsidiary matters not 

 diagnostical, yet needful or useful, are not rarely intercalated 

 among the more essential points, instead of being collected in 

 a separate paragraph. Consequently the specific diagnosis 

 may be prolonged and get to partake of the nature of a 

 developed description. The remedy for over-length is to 

 multiply divisions and sub-divisions between the genus and 

 the species. To do this well, to arrange the species group 

 within group most definably as well as most naturally, tasks 

 the powers and the patience of a systematic botanist, and tests 

 his aptitude for discerning affinities, and solving practical 

 difficulties. 



Developed descriptions are in place in such general works as 

 De CandoUe's " Systema " (which was soon overweighted and 

 crushed by them), and above all in monographs of orders or 



