12 The Natural System. 



so arranged as, in a collected form, to supply the place of an 

 American Introduction to the Natural System, until such an 

 Introduction shall be produced, (a consummation devoutly to 

 be wished), by some one of our eminent botanists. 



It is supposed that the student who intends to follow us in 

 these articles, has already an acquaintance with the Linnaean 

 System, and a knowledge of the parts of plants, sufficient for 

 the purpose of understanding at least some of the terms used. 

 For instance, when we come to speak of stamens and pistils, 

 of carpels and dissepiments, of bracts and ovaries, we shall 

 take it for granted that our reader knows the part or organ 

 indicated by these names. Should he be deficient in such 

 knowledge, he will find in the articles on Vegetable Physiol- 

 ogy, which will be the monthly companions of these, much 

 important information, and for whatever more may be neces- 

 sary, he can consult almost any elementary treatise. Con- 

 sidering, then, that he is properly prepared to follow us, we 

 begin by some general remarks on Classification. 



The science of Botany may be correctly divided into two 

 distinct departments. One of these may be termed Physiolo- 

 gical Botany, and has for its object the investigation of the 

 internal structure and method of the growth and reproduction 

 of plants. The other, which is closely connected with, and in 

 a great measure depends upon the first, concerns the arrange- 

 ment of plants into groups or divisions, and is termed Classifi- 

 cation. The utility of such an arrangement must be obvious, 

 when we think of the utter impossibility of studying and 

 remembering by themselves the peculiarities of every one of 

 the one hundred thousand species which the globe is estimated 

 to contain. For instance, suppose the grain which we call 

 Wheat was lately discovered, and generally unknown ; by 

 what method could one, who knew nothing of Classification, 

 designate it so that it might be distinguished from all others ? 

 Without some systematic arrangement, and some definite 

 terms to denote its distinctive characters, this would be mani- 

 festly difficult and uncertain. It is on these distinctive marks, 

 or invariable peculiarities, that, in all branches of natural 

 science, systematic arrangements are founded, and accordingly 

 we find, that in the earliest periods of botanical research, some 





