SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION. 413 



finite in number. After the description of a plant, its habitat, or the 

 country and locality in ■wMcli it grows, is given. If the plant has 

 been described by others, reference is given to the work in which the 

 description may be found. If it has received different names, the 

 synonyms must be carefully detailed, and ought to be arranged in 

 chronological order. Condensed analyses of orders, genera, and 

 species are often given in botanical works, and are very useful for 

 students. Bichotomous keys are also used, a series of characters being 

 given in the form of two contradictory propositions, so that the one 

 being granted, the other must be rejected. In this way the student 

 is led to the order, genus, or species. 



Systems. — Various attempts have been made at different times 

 to classify plants. One of the earliest methodical arrangements was 

 that of Csesalpinus, in 1583. It was entirely artificial ; and the same 

 thing may be affirmed of those of Gesner, Morison, Eivinus, and 

 Tournefort. The system propounded by Tournefort was for a long 

 time adopted by the French school, but was ultimately displaced by 

 that of Linnaeus, who must be looked upon as the great promulgator 

 of the artificial method. In 1682, Kay published a system which laid 

 the foundation of the natural method of classification. It was long 

 neglected, and did not receive the attention it deserved, until Jussieu 

 entered the field, and developed his views. Since that time the 

 natural method has been advanced by the labours of De OandoUe, 

 Brown, Endlicher, Lindley, and many others. 



LiNN^AN System.— Although the Linnsean system is not in 

 conformity with natural affinities, and does not tend to comprehensive 

 views of structure, still it is useful to the student as an index, j ,,Lin- 

 neeus himself did not consider it as occupying a higher position, and 

 he stated distinctly that a natural method was the great object of 

 scientific inquiry. When not elevated to a rank which its author 

 never meant it to occupy, this system may, with all its imperfections, 

 be employed as a useful artificial key, and as such may be combined 

 with the natural system. In many works of the present day, as in 

 Babington's Manual of British Botany, the Linnaean system is used 

 as an index to the genera. In the Linnsean or sexual system, twenty- 

 three classes are founded on the number, position, relative lengths, 

 and connection of the stamens; whUe the orders in these classes 

 depend on the number of the styles, the nature of the fruit, the 

 number of stamens in the classes where this character is not used for 

 distinguishing them, and the perfection of the flowers. The twenty- 

 fourth class includes plants having inconspicuous flowers, and in it 

 the orders are formed according to natural affinities. Under these 

 classes and orders aH the known genera aud species were arranged. 

 It is in the higher divisions that the system is artificial, for, as re- 

 gards genera, the Linnsean rules are followed even in the natural 

 systems of the present day. 



