200 THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
few nor powerless. In Germany, for instance, more than one Book 
of Character has for its foundation the system of Linnewus, and 
many school-gardens are arranged after his classification. 
The system of Linnwus rests upon the consideration of ‘the 
organs of fecundation—organs almost overlooked until then, but 
whose physiological functions have since been ably demonstrated. 
He introduced at the same time a salutary and much-wanted 
reform into botanical language and nomenclature, defining most 
rigorously the terms uséd to express the various modifications 
and characteristics of the organs, and reducing the name of each 
plant to two words, the first, substantive, designating the genera, 
the second, adjective, designating a species of the genera. Before 
Linnzeus, in fact, it was necessary to follow the name of the genera 
through a whole phrase in order to characterise the species. As 
the number of species increased, the lengthened phrases were lost 
to view. It was like the confusion which would arise in society if, 
in place of using the family name and surname, we were to sup- 
press the baptismal name, and substitute for it an enumeration of 
many qualities distinctive of the individual ; as if, for example, in 
place of saying Pierre Durand or Louis Durand, we said Durand | 
the great sportsman, or any other phraseology applicable to the 
qualities of the individual. The Linnzan or binary nomenclature, 
then, is one of the great titles to that glory which has been awarded 
to its immortal author. In the outline of the Linnean system it 
has been found possible to describe all plants discovered since his 
time—an irrefragable proof of the great merits of this artificial 
classification of species. 
At first Linnzeus divided all known vegetables into two great 
ae groups: those in which the stamens and pistils are visible, which 
he called Phanerogames ; and those in which these organs are 
hidden, which he called Cryptogames. These last form only # 
single class, namely, the twenty-fourth of his system. 
Among the plants whose assemblage constituted the twenty- 
three classes, one portion have hermaphrodite flowers ; the others 
_ are unisexua a 
Plants with true sexual flowers have the male and female orgamS 
brought together on the same plant. They have a united habi- ; 
tation; they are monaceous, as the name of the class to which ie 
