THE 
BRITISH HERBAL, 
CLASS xiir. 
Plants ■with the flower coirtpofed of numerous petals, and the feeds contained 
in a SINGLE CAPSULE. 
THIS is a clafs, which, Hke the former, comprehends but a few plants; but they are fo 
perfeftly and obvicuny fcparated by Nature from all others, that whofoever follows her 
fteps mufl: thus arrange them diftinftly. 
As we have hitherto alfo purfued her traces through the feveral difpofitions of plants, which, 
agreeing in the mark of a fingle feed-veffel, have from one to fix petals in each flower, here is the 
place where the ftudent will expeft to find thofe genera which, with the firfl: grand charafieriftick 
of a fingle capfule, have more than fix petals. 
So plain; fo eafy, and fo familiar, is the fcience of botany, when not encumbered with intricate 
words, and ufelefs diftinftions. 
We have, in this, as in the former clafs, but two genera, any fpecies of which 'are natives of 
Britain. Yet thefc two Linnjeus has fcparated by feveral claffes, puting the hyfopitys among his 
decandria, and the nymphxa among the polyaniria, though both agree in thefe obvious particulars- 
His method is unhappy that thus reduces him to feparate plants the moll palpably alUedi and join 
them to the moll unhke. 
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SERIES I. 
BritishGenera. 
Thole of which one or more fpecies are natives of this country. 
GENUS I. 
H r p 0 p 1 1 r s. 
THE flower is compofcd of numerous petals, which are ferrated at their ends t the feed-vcflel is 
oval, and marked with five ridges ; and the feeds are numerous and light : there is no cup. 
Some have called the outer petals of the flower by that name ; but they err ; thefe properly con- 
flitute a part of the flower, and contain in their bafes, which are hollowed for that purpofe, itj 
honeyed juice. 
Linna:us places this among the decandria mmogynia ; the threads in the' flower being ten, and the 
ftyie from the rudiment of the fruit fingle. 
This author takes away its received name hypopifys^ and calls it mmotropa. 
The reader will perceive, in the dcfcription of the firfl: plant of this genus, a reafon for not afcer- 
taining the number of petals in the plants of this, as in thofe of the preceding clafs : nature does not 
obferve that particular here fo ftrifily ; when the petals in flowers are in a large number they are ge- 
nerally uncertain. In this fpecies of hypopitys the flower which terminates the ftalk ufually has ten pe- 
tals, and the others, when there are more, have only eight. 
N» 22. Lll DIVI- 
