57 



GENERA, See. 



It has been shewn that the primary Linnean 

 division of Vegetables, into Classes, depends mainly 

 upon the number of the Stamens; and the secondary 

 division, into Orders, chiefly upon the number of 

 the Pistils ; certain other conformations being also 

 subservient to the arrangement. 



The next division, namely, that of the Orders 

 into Genera, depends also upon the fructification, 

 all parts of which, in their various forms, are con- 

 sidered. 



For example : a plant in which teji stamens 

 appear, belongs obviously to the class Decandria, 

 fig. 10, pi. 17 : but that class consists of five 

 orders. If, therefore, the plant have three pistils, 

 it is by that character referred to the order Trigynia, 

 fig. 3, pi. 20 : but that order contains several 

 genera, characterised (in those of which native 

 examples are afforded us) chiefly by the number 

 and form of the petals, and the form of their seed 

 vessels. If, therefore, the plant in question be 

 furnished with a capsule of one cell, opening with 

 six valves, containing many seeds, and with five 

 deeply divided expanded petals, fig. 3, pi. 20, that 

 plant is Stellaria, or Stitchwort. These characters 



