TO DR. R. WIGHT. 



xxiii 



vegetative and sexual organs, And the more natural and larger 

 the groups, the more numerous must be the points of passage. 



Jussieu used to form his genera into families by consulting draw- 

 ings on cards, which he used to shuffle, and then separate and associ- 

 ate according to their degree of resemblance, the best mode I think 

 of studying system is to set aside altogether the works of others, 

 and to form into associations all the families you think allied ; you 

 may do this at different periods as your experience extends, without 

 previously referring to your former arrangement. You have had 

 horridly difficult orders lately to deal with. Umbelliferae I never 

 think of, although they form a large part of the flora of this sin- 

 gular country, nor have I the slightest idea on what character 

 their divisions should be founded, DCs is arbitrary, consequently 

 artificial ; and as for vittae, people must have been daft, who ever 

 employed them. Then Rubiacese, Loranthaceae, and Myrtacese. 

 Utrum horum mavis accipa." Botanists publish too much from dried 

 specimens. A dried Loranthus is generally a sealed book. Every 

 thing down to the ovula tends to prove the value of Browns' remarks, 

 that Loranthaceas are akin to Proteaceae ; Myrtaceae are very diffi- 

 cult. I have two species of a genus with stercoraceous-smelling 

 flowers, pentadelphous stamina, adelphis petalis oppositis ; ovario 

 triloculare, seminibus alatis ! Arbusculae, which I refered to this order, 

 what can they be ? They have attracted no notice, although sent 

 home in my Mergue collections. From the smell I thought them 

 Fsetideae, the trilocular ovary is much against their being Myrtaceous. 

 In fact Botany is a most difficult science, and we know little of the 

 rudiments even now. On the metamorphosis of organs, on the sta- 

 mina, or rather pollen, and the ovula we know a good deal ; on 

 other points next to nothing. And yet until we know more of ge- 

 neral structure, our systems can't improve ; they say petals are 

 nothing but an inner series of the calyx, I believe them to be of a 

 very distinct nature, 



You call your Gamboge paper a racy one, it is indeed excellent. 



Your remark on s excitement under the novelty of inventing 



new names, is as good a thing as I ever met with. Whatever he may 

 profess, he will never forgive you that remark. What do you mean by 

 the unseemly allusion conveyed by Hebradendron ? what is its de- 

 rivation? You won't get many, I think, to agree with you as to 



