1054 
NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. 
ever, be confidently believed, that there are no greater impediments in the road' to an acquaintance with the 
natural relations of plants than those that have been already removed ; and that although neither the science 
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 to a natural order a name derived from that of the genus which is 
understood to be the type of the order; as Ranunculaceae from Ranunculus, Rosaceje from R6sa, and so on. 
But several deviations from this principle had been admitted by Jussieu, in favor of certain groups of plants, 
long known by other popular names, derived from certain peculiarities ; such as Labiatae, because their co- 
rollas are labiate ; Compositse, because their flowers are what is commonly called compound ; Guttiferae, 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 Ranunculrtce^© is used ; but in speaking of the particular division, or suborder, 
of which Ranunculus forms a part, the term Yia.n\inc\x\ece 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- 
lacece is one of the most striking examples. In those orders, the titles of which, necessarily, from their gram- 
matical construction, end in ete, as Orchidese, 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 Th^oric 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 only work that can be consulted upon the subject with advantage, is the Flora Scotica 
of Professor Hooker, in which the characters of the natural orders of Scottish plants are concisely indicated 
by Mr. Lindley. We understand a 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 1829, previously to which, however, the division Botany, in the forthcoming Encyclopaedia of Na- 
tural History will have been published, in which much information may be expected upon this important 
subject. 
I. VASCULARES. 
Class I. DICOTYLEDONES. 
Subdivision I. DICHLaMYDE^. 
This subdivision comprehends all the Dicotyledonous plants, that have both a calyx and corolla, by which 
they are distinguished from Monochlamydeffi, in which the calyx only exists. It is in consequence of this 
high developement of the floral envelopes, that the greater part of flowering trees and shrubs are found in 
Dichlamydeae, it rarely happening that those with a single floral covering only have any brilliant coloring. 
Subclass I. THALAMIFLOR.E. 
Petah inserted into the receptacle. 
The insertion of the petals and stamens into the receptacle is the great character of this subclass, which, 
therefore, contains all the polyandrous plants of Linnceus, as the Calycifloras contain the icosandrous genera of 
the same botanist. 
Section 1. Carpella numerous, or stamens opposite the petals. 
Order I. RANUNCULACE^. 
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 
Anemone, the glittering Ranunculus, and the gaudy Pasony are found ; differing, indeed, in external appear- 
ance, but combined by all the essential characters of the 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 drying 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 Anem6nes 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 Cammarum, Delphinium Consolidais said to be an ingredient 
in those French cosmetics which are so destructive of the surface of the skin. The Helleborus, 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 Ranunculacete. The 
range of this order, in a geographical point of view, is very extensive. A great number has been discovered in 
Europe, but they are so abundant in all parts of the world that an order can scarcely be found more universally 
and equally dispersed. It is singular, that, with the exception of the climbing species of Clematis and of Xan- 
thorhiza, scarcely an instance occurs in Ranunculacese of a .shrubby stem. 
Clematis L. 
1229 Thalictrum W. 
1226 Anem6ne W. 
Tribe 1. Clematide^. 
Tribe 2. Anemones. 
1225 Hepatica W. en. 
1241 Hydrastis W. 
1228 Narav^lia Dec. 
1231 Knowltonia Sal. 
I'm Ad6nis L. 
707 Myosurus W. 
1239 Caltha W. 
1234 Trollius W. 
1286 Er&nthis Sal. 
Tribe 3. Ranuncule^^ 
708 Ceratocephalus P. S. 1233 Ranunculus W. 1232 Fic^iria P&rs. 
Tribe 4. 
1235 Isopyrum W. 
■mi Helleborus W. 
1239 C6ptis Sal. 
HELLEBOREiB. 
10.'53 Garidella W. 
1209 Nigella IV. 
1208 Aquil^gia W. 
1204 Delphinium W 
1205 Aconitum W 
