I 20 ] 



fo great a number of flowers have been examined 

 and compared, or fee the aptitude of that affem- 

 blage of terms, which were invented by Linnaeus, 

 to exprefs the different figure^ fttmtion^ and po- 

 fortiori^ that exift in fuch a variety of fubje6ts. If 

 this was a proper place to expatiate upon this fub- 

 jedt, by extending the idea to all that LiNNiEus 

 has done, refpe6ting every other part of plants, as 

 confidered in their fpecific diftin6lions, it muft ftill 

 farther exalt the merit of the author, and place him 

 above all praife. At the latter end of this work 

 was given the general plan of a fyftem invented 

 by LiNNyT:us, and founded upon the different 

 kinds ^ and arrangement^ of the calix or cup of the 

 flower, in plants : but this was omitted in the lat- 

 ter editions. Alfo a fragment of that primum et 

 nltimum in botany, the natural method. 



The firft edition of this book contained 935 

 genera: the fixth and lafl, at Stockholm^ in 1764, 

 hath extended the number to 1239, and the 

 Mantiffce flnce to 1336. It has been thought 

 by fome, that the firft idea of the femal me- 

 thod was received from the writings of Jungius^ 

 a learned profeiTor, firft at Helmjladt^ and after- 

 wards re5ior of the Gymnafium at Hamhurghy 

 where he died in 1657, and whofe works contain 

 an uncommon difplay of original obfervations on 

 the fubjed of plants ; and prove him to have been 

 a moft accurate obferver of nature. He has not 

 only difcriminated with peculiar nicety, the ftruc- 

 ture, and feveral parts of plants, but he hath alfo, 

 with equal judgment, ftiewn the impropriety of 

 many of the old generical and fpecifical diftinc- 



tions. 



