Castle's Systematic St/nopsis of Medical Botany. 609 



book, where the orders are gathered together into a system 

 of circles of affinity. The circles are not severally composed 

 of an unvarying number of orders, but the author has found 

 that in the associations which are most natural the number 

 five is most usual ; and hence is attained an approximation in 

 botany to the quinary circular arrangement of the celebrated 

 Mac Leay in other departments of nature. The distinguished 

 botanist, Fries, had previously shown that a series of circles, 

 more or less definite, will very well represent the relative 

 affinities of plants; and Dr. Lindley, in this his Nijcus Plant- 

 arum^ has made practical application of a corresponding idea. 

 The work must be forthwith examined by every one anxious 

 to attain proficiency in botany. 



Castle^ Thomas, F. L. S. (of Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 M.R.C.S. &c.) : A Synopsis of Systematic Botany, as con- 

 nected with the Plants admitted into the Pharmacopoeias of 

 London, Edinburgh, and Dublin ; accompanied by a Plani- 

 sphere, showing at one view the class and order of the 

 medical genera, according to LinnsGus and Jussieu. 4to, 

 17 pages. London, 1833. 45. 6d. 



In the preface the author states that " the intention of this 

 synopsis is to represent, in a concise and plain form, the pre- 

 sent state of systematic botany, as connected with certain 

 medical plants, namely, those only which are acknowledged 

 by the Pharmacopoeias of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. 

 With a view to the above, I have drawn up an outline and 

 partial description of the three received systems : the Linnaean 

 artificial^ the Linnaean natural, and the natural system of 

 Jussieu. In the first is given an explanation of each class, 

 &c. ; the number of plants belonging to every order ; their 

 time of flowering pointed out by figured references to the 

 month ; their native soil ; their duration, as being annuals, 

 biennials, perennials, shrubs, or trees; and, lastly, in foot- 

 notes, the different names by which they are called in various 

 authors. As the characteristics are given in the third part, 

 I have only explained the general meaning of the Linnaean 

 natural orders." The planisphere is a most elaborate pro- 

 duction ; it is constructed on the principle of a geographical 

 clock : the central revolving sphere bears two circles ; the 

 inner one the Linnaean classes, the marginal one the orders ; 

 and around its orbit are three fixed concentric circles ; the 

 first containing illustrative genera, the next the names of 

 Linnaeus's natural orders, the outermost one the names of 

 those of Jussieu. 



Vol. IX. — No. 46. r r 



