196 THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
had been plunged from the days of Theophrastus and Dioscorides. 
Separating genera and species according to their characteristics, 
hé described no less than 698 genera, and 6,146 species. He 
announced, at the same time, a system for the classification of 
plants, eminently attractive, especially if we connect it with the 
times in which it appeared. The French botanist directed the 
attention of observers, probably for the first time, to those parts 
of plants most likely to excite admiration, namely, the different — 
forms of the corolla. - 
In selecting the form of the Corolla as the basis of his classifi- 
cation, Tournefort has, perhaps, contributed more to the progress 
of botany than any other savant of any age. The task of instruc- 
tion was rendered a pleasure by thus taking, as a subject of scien- — 
tific inquiry, the most attractive part of the plant. He soon © 
made adepts of those who had hitherto only contemplated flowers — 
as the source of an agreeable sensation. 
Tournefort first established two grand divisions of the vegetable ; 
world, Herbaceous Plants and Trees. The flowers of herbaceous 
plants are furnished, or not, with a corolla; they are simple of 
compound ; the corolla is Monopetalous or Polypetalous; i 38 
regular or irregular. Such were some of the considerations 0 
which Tournefort founded his classification of herbaceous vege- a 
tables. 
As to trees, their flower is provided with a corolla, or it is not; 
that is to say, it is Apetalous or Petalous. The apetalous trees have 
the flowers disposed in catkins, or they have not; the petalous : 
trees have the corolla regular or irregular. 
Arranged and tabulated, according to the system of Tournefort, 
the vegetable world will stand as follows :— 
FLOWER-BEARING TREES. 
i ly so called. 
— a ret 
Monopetalons . . ... Monoreta.ovs. 
Petalous, gular. . Rosacem. 
) Polypetalous Peseweh . Paprionacex. 
Trees, then, form five classes. de 
In the. class of Apetalous plants are ranged the Box-tree ant” 
the Pistachio ; in the class of Amentacee are the Oak, the Woler | 
ttee, and the Willows. | 
