THE 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
CLASS XIX. 
Plants whofe fruit is a berry ; confifling of a fkin or rind, furrounding a 
fojt pulpy or juicy matter, within which are the feeds. 
N Either the flower, nor any other part of thefe herbs, needs to be named for eftablilhing a 
claffical charafter ■, this peculiarity of the fruit being the mod obvious, certain, and n.vamble 
mark that could be chofen. It happily keeps together the whole number oi theie plants, fe- 
parating them from all others : this is the defign and fole end of claffical d.vifions ; and it has the ad- 
vantage of being (Irort, plain, and fimple; which is the bcft cu-camftancc d,.t can^ attend them. If 
.he charafters of all clafTes were as natural as this, there would be l.ttle difficulty m forming a good 
and perfea fyflem of botany, or in the attainment of the fcience. 
Mr Ray, and with him the generality of writers, led by nature and by reafon, have thus confti- 
tuted the berry-beanng plants as a diftinet and feparate clafs. But it ,s not fo in the method of Lm- _ 
nrrus ; for they are arranged in the mod different and mod remote claflts and fcattered over all h« 
work. Any one would fay, from the (lighted obfervation, and nature wouU confirm it from the deepeft 
fearch, that nightfcade and bryony, and lilly of the valley and Solomon s feal, and the reft of thefe 
were allied to one another ; and the ftudent would hope he fhould find them together. It ,s fit he 
ftould fo find them, and he will here : but in that author he mud feek each in its feparate place. 
Linns:us edabliOied a fydem in which the charafters of claflis were to be taken from the number 
and arrangement of the threads in the flower : therefore, where Nature, as in the prefent inftance, fixes 
the charafler in the fruit, he rcjefts the diftinaion. r i, j c j 
Accordingly nightfiiade ftands among his fentandria monogyma, becaufe the threads are five, and 
the dvle cSole •, and it is there mixed with henbane, and campanula, becaufe their threads are 
in the fame number ; and bryony is thrown among the momcia fyngim/ja, fixteen clafies ofF, becaufe 
there arc male and female flowers in a peculiar manner on the fame plant. 
The dwarf honeyfuckle is placed among the tetrandria, becaufe its threads are only four, and it is 
there mixed with plantain. The lilly of the valley and afparagus are ranged under the hexandria, be- 
caufe of their fix threads, and mixed among the bulbous plants. The vaccinium, becaufe its flower has 
eight threads, is joined with rue; the willow-herb is placed under the aClandrm, and the mofchatellina 
in the fame clafs, keeps company with bidort and arfmart. , ^ , ^ ^ 
Thefe are Englifli plants, and familiar ones : we need carry the fearch no farther. The purpofe of 
method and fydem is to introduce regularity into a fcience; but the refult of fuch combinations can 
be only confufion. Nature fports and wantons in thefe leflVr parts; and therefore, though fit to be 
xenriei in delcription, they are mod improper for the conftruftionof claffical charafters. No inftance 
can ftiew this more ftrongly than the reparation of the bacciferous plants. 
N° XXXII. 
SERIES 
