( 73 ) 
Pentagynia, five piftils. But there are fome 
plants placed in this clafs which generally 
form a {tumbling-block to the young botanift; 
an inftance of this is found in fome of the 
fpecies of the family of Lychnis. By a ftri<5l 
obfervance of Linneus's rules the lychnis 
dioica, pr two houfe, Ihould not be placed in 
the tenth clafs, as the charafteriftic mark of 
the clafs Decandria requires the prefence of 
both ftamens and piftils in the fame flower: 
however, he has himfelf placed it there, be- 
ing found to agree with the reft of it's family 
in every particular but that of it's ftamens 
3.nd piftils being on the fame plant ; rather 
than feparate it from them, he has taken 
this circumftance fqr it's fpecific character. 
This, and a few more inftances of the fame 
kind, may certainly be confidered as defedts 
of the fyftem; but the inconvenience that 
might arife from fuch a violation of the ge- 
neral rule, by which the clalTes are character- 
ized ? is obviated, as much as can be, by being 
noted whenever fuch contradiction occurs. 
The ly'thrum (willow-herb) belongs to clafi 
podecandria, twelve males, and is liable to 
vary in it's number of ftamens, which mows 
||ie neceffity of examining many flowers of 
the 
