98 SWARZ ON THE GENERA OF ORCHIBEjE, 



reproached for having too much multiplied the ge- 

 nera, since Halle r and Crantz justly diminished 

 the number of those established by Linn^us ; but 

 as I have examined four times more species than 

 these botanists were acquainted with, I hope to 

 meet the approbation of those who know how ne- 

 cessary, in an artificial system, it often is, for the 

 sake of facilitating the determination of plants and 

 preventing confusion, to separate species which 

 ■seem to be naturally allied, provided that good 

 distinguishing characters can be found. This 

 necessity will be still more evident, when we 

 consider how many remain undiscovered. The 

 authors of the new Flora Peruviana et Chilensis call 

 the region of the Cordilleras the country of 

 Orchideae ; and state, that more than a thousand 

 distinct species of them may there be found within 

 a very small tract of country. 



Previous to my proposing the changes I have 

 made with respect to the generic characters of the 

 Orchideas, I think it necessary to say something of 

 the manner in which the fructification of these 



