SYNOPSIS 



OF THE 



NATURAL ORDERS OF BRITISH PLANTS. 



This Synopals has lieen prepared for the purpose of facjlitatiog 

 the discovery of the Ordbb to which ah imknown British plant 

 belongs. It is on the plaii of the Analytical Keys used by the 

 (French School of "botanists, but sHghtly modiifled so as to be 

 rather less, likely to mislead. The student mast always com- 

 mence with the pair of chiaracters numbered 1 In the left-hand 

 margin; , having, i4ete^P™ed with which of these his plant 

 agrees, proceei s^ii;iilarly with the group of characters referred 

 to by the number, on- the right-hand side of the page, and so on. 

 Fob instance, having gathered a Hawthorn, he finds it.to agree 

 with the second character of mimber 1, ^ihsjirtt of number 3, 

 the second of numbers 4, and 31, and ihe_;?rsi of number 32. It 

 therefore belongs to Order xxvi. IlosACBiE andSuborder'PoME^. 

 Then turning to the body of the Manual (p.' 98), he will ex- 

 amine the specimen by the characters given for that Order and 

 its S.uborider. Finding it to agree with them, a perusal of the 

 geneidc definitions placed under PbMB.ffi: will show that it is a 

 Cratmgiis. After a little experience in the. examination of 

 plantSj the eye becomes so familiar with the principal Orders as 

 to lender this process unnecessa>ry,i except in doubtful cases. It 

 must always be cautiously employedj as a very slight error 

 (which can hardly be avoided by the utmost care) will totally 

 mislead. Often more convenience will, be found in the use of 

 the Linnean Synopsis, where the HawthomhAoTigs to Class xii. 

 loosAirofeiA, from having 20 or more stamens inserted on the 

 calyx; and as the whole group belongs to' the Natural Order 

 Rosace.^;, thiat is'agitiii referred to for the generic character. 



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