NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. 



495 



of botany, nor any other science, is to be taken by storm, yet that the fortress is sure to be reduced by silent 

 and patient approach. 



It only remains to explain briefly upon what principles the names of the orders, suborders, &c, are formed. 

 It is usual, in the school of Jussieu, to give a natural order a name derived from that of the genus which is 

 understood to be the type of the order; as Ranunculacea? from Ranunculus, Rosacea? from Rosa, and so on. 

 But several deviations from this principle had been admitted by Jussieu, in favour of certain groups of plants, 

 long known by other popular names, derived from certain peculiarities ; such as Labiate, because their 

 corollas are labiate ; Composite, because their flowers are what is commonly called compound ; Guttifera?, on 

 account of the resinous juice in which they abound, and some others. It would, perhaps, have been better, 

 if uniformity in nomenclature had not thus been sacrificed to a dread of innovation ; but it is now too late to 

 remedy the evil, if such it be; nor would the advantage of alteration be at this day equivalent to the inconve- 

 nience. For the purpose of making it at once apparent, whether, in speaking of a group of plants, reference 

 is had to an order or a suborder, it has of late years been thought convenient to terminate the name of the 

 natural order in acece, and of the suborder in ece. Thus, in speaking of the whole mass of which Ranunculus 

 is the representative, the word Ranunculacm? is used ; but in speaking of the particular division, or suborder, 

 of which Ranunculus forms a part, the term Ranunculi is employed. This manner of speaking is, however, 

 at present, very partial in its application, and is of little importance, except in a few cases, of which Ranuncu- 

 laceee is one of the most striking examples. In those orders, the titles of which, necessarily, from their gram- 

 matical construction, end in ece, as Orchidea?, it is obviously inapplicable, without a total change in a great 

 part of the nomenclature of natural orders, a measure which cannot be too much deprecated. 



It may, perhaps, be finally expected, that these remarks should be concluded by a recommendation of some 

 work, from which those who are anxious to become fully acquainted with the principles and distinguishing 

 characters of the Natural System of Botany, may derive the necessary information. Unfortunately, however, 

 such a work has at present no existence. M. Decandolle's Theorie E'lementaire de la Botanique explains the 

 principles upon which the orders of plants are constituted ; and M. de Jussieu's Genera Plantarum contains 

 their characters, as determined in 1789 : but the latter is now too obsolete to be very useful to the tyro. In 

 our own language, the best work to consult is the Synopsis of the British Flora by Mr. Lindley. We under- 

 stand a more extensive work upon the subject is in preparation by the latter gentleman, by which this great 

 desideratum in the science of Botany will be supplied. It may be expected to appear in the course of 1830, 

 previously to which, however, the reader may consult Richard's New Elements of Botany, which contains 

 translations of Jussieu's Natural Orders ; or he may refer to the Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles. 



In the list of genera under each order, in the following arrangement, the figures in the first column indicate 

 the place, in the former part of the work, of the genus to which they are prefixed ; those in the second 

 column of figures show the number of hardy ligneous species and varieties, and those in the third, that of 

 hardy herbaceous species and varieties, belonging to the genus which they follow. Where a genus includes 

 native British species, a star (*) is prefixed to the column to which such species belong. 



First Grand Division, VASCULARES. 



Genera 3040, Species 27729 : Hot-house Species 6261 ; Green-house Species 7648 ; Hardy Ligneous Species 2512 1 

 Hardy Herbaceous Species 11308. f 482| feet ; £ 233| feet; =*= 22§ feet. 



Class I. DICOTYLEDCVNEiE, or EXO'GENiE (exo, outside, geinomai, to grow). 



Genera 2407, Species 23027 ; Hot-house Species 4936 ; Green-house Species 6326 ; Hardy Lisneous 

 Species 2478 ; Hardy Herbaceous Species 9287. ± 482 feet ; £ 214 feet ; ^ 15 feet/ 



Subdivision I. DICHLAMY'DEiE. 



This subdivision comprehends all the Dicotyledonous plants, that have both a calyx and corolla, by which 

 they are distinguished from Monochlamydea?, in which the calyx only exists. It is in consequence of this 

 high developement of the floral envelopes, that the greater part of handsome flowering trees and shrubs are 

 found in Dichlamydea?, it rarely happening that those with a single floral covering have any brilliant coloring. 



Subclass 1. THALAMIFLCTRiE. Petals and Stamens inserted in the Receptacle. 

 Genera 517, Species inn ; Hot-house Species 922 ; Green-house Species 1211 ; Hardy Ligneous Species 328 

 Hardy Herbaceous Species 2313. $ 138 feet ; £ 96 feet ; =*== 8 feet. 



The insertion of the petals and stamens into the receptacle is the great character of this subclass, which, 

 therefore, contains all the polyandrous nlants of Linnseus, as the Calyciflora? contain the icosandrous genera of 

 the same botanist. 



Section I. Carpella numerous, or Stamens opposite the Petals. 



1. Order I. RANUNCULA*CEi£. 



Genera 29, Species 632 ; Hot-house Species 8 ; Green-house Species 19 ; Hardy Ligneous Species 43 ; 

 Hardy Herbaceous Species 562. £ 15 feet ; £ 56* feet ; =* 5| feet. 



The greater part of the plants of this order are objects of interest with gardeners, containing, as it does, many 

 of the most elegant or showy of the tribes of hardy plants. It is here that the graceful Clematis, the lowly 

 .-inembne, the glittering Ranunculus, and the gaudy Pjeony are found ; differing, indeed, in external appear- 

 ance, but combined by all the essential characters of their fructification. It is remarkable, however, that the acrid 

 and venomous properties of these plants are nearly as powerful as their beauty is great. They are all caustic, 

 and in many of them the deleterious principle is in dangerous abundance. M. Decandolle remarks that 

 its nature is extremely singular ; it is so volatile, that, in most cases, simple drving in the air or infusion in 

 water is sufficient to destroy it : it is neither acid nor alkaline; but its activity 'is increased by acids, honey, 

 sugar, wine, or alcohol ; and it is, in reality, destructible only by water. The crowfoots of our European pas- 

 tures, and the inembne trilobata and triternata of those of South America, are well known poisons of cattle. 

 Blistering plasters are made in Iceland of the leaves of Ranunculus acris. The foliage of some species of 

 Clematis is supposed to afford the means employed by beggars of producing artificial ulcers. Some of the 

 Aconites are diuretic, especially Napellus and Cammaram. Delphinium Consolida is said to be an ingredient 

 in those French cosmetics, which are so destructive of the surface of the skin. The 7/elk'borus, famous in 

 classical history for its drastic powers, and the Nigella, celebrated in ancient housewifery for its aromatic seeds, 

 which were used for pepper before that article was discovered, are both. comprehended 'in Ranunculacea?. The 

 range ot this order, in a geographical point of view, is very extensive. A great number have been discovered in 



