ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PLANTS. 
PART II. 
NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. 
First grand Division, VASCULAKES 
First Class, Dicotyledones 
Subdivision I. Bichlamyde 
Subclass 1. Thalamiflorse 
Subclass 2. Calyciflor.-E 
Subclass 3, Corolliflor£B 
Subdivision II. Monochlamydecs 
Second Class, Monocotyledones 
Second grand Division, CELLULARES 
{vas, a vessel ; plants with woody fibre 
and cellular tissue). 
{dis, two, and cotyledon ; cotyledons two). 
{diS; two, and chlamys, a coat or covering ; 
calyx anu corolla distinct). 
{thalamus, a bed or receptacle, and flos, a 
flower; stamens under the pistiUum). 
{calyx andjlos J stamens on the calyx). 
{corolla, and Jlos ; stamens on the corolla). 
(monos, one, and chlamys, a coat or covering; 
calyx and corolla not distinct). 
{?nonos, one, and cotyledon; cotyledon one). 
First Class, Foliages 
Second Class, ApHYLLiE 
{cellula, a little cell ; plants with cellular 
tissue only). 
(foliaceus, leafy ; habit). 
{a, priv., and phyllon, a leaf ; leafless). 
X^HE difficulties connected with the adoption of the natural system of plants are these, that the characters 
of many of the orders are at present imperfectly known, and that they depend upon a consideration of many 
points of structure which are not to be determined without much labor and a considerable degree of practical 
skill in the use of the microscope and the dissecting knife. But the facilities which the habit of viewing all 
natural bodies with reference to the relations they bear to other bodies, and not as insulated individuals 
merely possessing certain peculiarities by which they may be referred to some station in an artificial system, 
ultimately gives to the investigations of the naturalist, are so great, that difficulties of the nature just alluded 
to ought not to be suffered to influence the botanist in determining which line of study he will follow, 
whether that pointed out by Linnseus, or that traced by the hand of nature. By the artificial system of 
Linnaeus, indeed, no great difficulty exists in determining the number of stamens or styles possessed by a given 
plant, or the nature of their combination, and from the knowledge so obtained, in referring them to their 
class and order in the Linnaean system. But when this step has been gained, what more has been acquired 
than the bare knowledge that the plant in question possesses a certain number of stamens and styles ? No 
possible notion can be formed of the relation it bears to other plants of the same nature, of the qualities 
it probably possesses, or of the structure of those parts not under examination, the fruit for example; and, 
finally, if it were wished to convey an idea of the plant to a stranger, no means would be in the possession of 
the Linnzean botanist of doing so, except by stating that the plant belonged to Pentandria Monogynia for 
example, which is stating nothing. But what would be the condition of the student of the natural affinities 
of plants in a similar case ? It is true he would be obliged to consult more characters than the two uninfluen- 
tial ones of Linnaeus — it would be necessary to ascertain if his subject was Vascular or Cellular; if Vascular, 
whether it was Monocotyledonous or Dicotyledonous ; if Dicotyledonous, whether the leaves were opposite or 
