31 8 CHAPTER 24. 
iiera as fpeciesi and if they gave the fame 
common appellation to two, or more plants, 
they were led to it by fome rude, external 
refemblance ; fuch as, fize, form of the root, 
agreement in the colour of the flower; and, 
in the defcription of the fpecies, were fre- 
quently fatisfied with comparing it to an- 
other plant well known to themfelves, and 
therefore left undefcribed in their writings* 
This mode of arrangement, though in a 
fomewhat improved ftate, is exemplified 
above, in the order obferved by Dodon^ us ^ 
and is feen in our old Englijh herbalifls> 
Gerard and Parkinson. 
Lob EL, in his Adverjaria^ ^S7^> feems to 
have been the firft, who attempted to dif- 
tribute plants into large families, or clafles, 
from the general confent of habit, or exter- 
nal form, and mode of growing. This he 
has done in an imperfed: fynoptical way; 
and feveral of his families contain natural 
ordersj, or claffes, nearly entire; but fre- 
quently interrupted by great anomalies. His 
arrangement was not fufficiently attended 
to at the time : it was then excellent, and 
was gradually improved, until we fee it in 
its. 
