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XXXII. — Memoir on the Classification and Di- 
vision of Gnaphalium and Xeranthemum of 
JLinnjeus, 
By Mr David Don, 
Librarian to the Linnean Society, &c. &c. 
It must be admitted, that, notwithstanding the highly 
important labours of Brown, Cassini, Decandolle, and 
Xunth, much still remains to be done in the cla^s of l 
plants denominated Composite. In extensive genera, it 
very frequently happens, that numbers of species are in- 
cluded, having little affinity with those on which the genera 
were founded. This is eminently the case with Gnapha- 
lium and Xeranthemum, We are not to be surprised, if our 
great master, Linn^us, has fallen sometimes into this error, 
— if we consider the scanty materials he had to work on, 
often being obliged to have recourse to figures, and these 
not the most faithful ; but there is no reason why botanists 
should still continue these unnatural arrangements. The 
characters given by Linnaeus himself of Gnapltalium and 
Xeranthemum will be found to apply to a few only of the 
species which have been referred to these tv/o genera. 
