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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLV 



simple varieties. 



formerly were unknown, will discover new types of genera of plants 

 from the point of view of the physicians, though created many centuries 

 ago, as well as an immense number of species which will have arisen 

 from them. Which, in time to come, and according to the conjectures 

 made above, would tend to reduce Botany to a knowledge of the types 

 of the genera only, giving up the species, to evade the confusion to 

 which they might give rise in this science. 



Yet whatever might result from this, we must profit by the new dis- 



The species may have still other uses, though it is true that the 

 majority of plants, of which use is made in medicine, are ordinarily 

 those which are called type of the genus, because they are the first in 

 which certain virtues and distinctive characteristics have been recog- 

 nized, which constitute each genus of plants; but since because of lack 

 of genera, species frequently are substituted for them in Pharmacy, one 

 must not neglect a knowledge of the species, even though there are no 

 living organisms in Nature which increase more abundantly and who 

 make more diversities than do plants, as has been said, always if one 

 excepts Insects, which apparent Iy reach a greater number, but which are 

 not so well known to us as are plants. 



