CHAPTER X. 
CLASSIFICATION. 
143. Systems.—In classifying plants it is desirable to 
group them as far as possible in accordance with their 
natural relationships. There are many difficulties in 
making a natural system of classification, hence we find 
that some botanists prefer one system, some another. 
In Great Britain the system commonly used is that of 
Bentham and Hooker ; on the Continent that of Engler 
is preferred; the latter system is the one used in this 
book. 
144. Species, Genus and Natural Orders.—It will be 
noticed that each plant has two names, e.g. ‘‘ prunus 
persica” is the peach, and. “‘prunus cerasus” is the 
cherry; the first of these names denotes the genus, the 
second the species. A species is a group of plants 
which resemble each other so closely that it is difficult 
to tell them apart; e.g. peach is the species “ persica”. 
Species which resemble each other more or less close- 
ly and yet possess distinguishing characteristics are 
grouped together in one GENUS, e.g. peaches, plums, 
apricots and cherries all belong to the genus “‘ prunus”’. 
Genera are again grouped into NATURAL ORDERS, 
and these are grouped into divisions and classes. 
145. Flowering Plants are divided into two large 
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