THE 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
CLASS XXI. 
Plants which have lahiated flowers., with four feeds follcming each, attd placed 
naked in the cup ; and ivhofe leaves fland in pairs upon the fialks. 
THIS is a clafs as obvioudy diftinguiflied by Nature, and as perfeftly feparated from all others, 
as any the whole feries of plants affords ; and the generality of authors have paid fo 
much regard to thcfe her obvious charafters, as to keep them together. They make the 
verticillate plants of Mr. Ray and others. 
They could not but be kept together by all who formed their fyftems on the great and plain 
marks imprefled on plants ; becaufe thpy fo perfedly, and in fo many charafters, refemble one an- 
other, that they are plainly a fingle family ; to which no plant can be added, and from which none can 
be feparated without violence to the moft effential diftinflions : but the modern methods pay very 
little regard to Nature. 
Linnffius feparates hctony and -jcrvain by twelve claffcs : not becaufe one has, and the other 
has not labiatcd flowers, leaves in pairs, and four naked feeds ; for in thefe mofl; eflential charafters 
they agree : but becaufe ietonj has four threads in the flower, two of which are longer, and two 
fhortcr, it is placed among the didpiamif. ; and becaufe ver'oam has only two, it Hands among the 
dimdria, feparated from the refl: of the labiated naked-feeded kind, and joined v/k\\ fpeedweli and «h- 
chanters mghtjhade. 
This may (land as an inftance of the impropriety of modern fyftems. The reader will pardon me 
the unwilling talk of producing more on this occafion, fince he will difcern them in the charafters of 
the genera. 
SERIES .1. 
Natives of Britain. 
Thofe of which one or more fpecies are naturally wild in this country. 
Q E N U S I. 
MOTHER OF THYME. 
SERPTLLUM. 
THE flower is of the labiated kind, formed of a fingle petal, and gaping at the mouth. The 
upper lip is obtufe and fmall : the lower lip is longer, and divided i,Tto three fcgmcnts ; the 
middle one of which is larger than the others. The cup is divided into two lips ; and the feeds are 
naked, fmall, and round. 
Linn^us places this among the didynamia gymnofpermia ; the threads in the flower being two longer 
and two fliorter, and the feeds having no covering. He includes in the fame genus fcveral plants not 
properly belonging to it ; and, infl:ead of firpyllum, calls it thymu!. This is a matter of indiSf;rence^ 
for either name will do for both thyme and motber cf thyme : but as we have mofl: of the ferfyttums, I 
have taken that. 
N° XXXV. 
D I V I- 
