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LECTURE VI. 
Specific DiftintlionS) and Double Flowers* . ' 
The part which yet remains to be confi- 
dered of the Linnean lyftem is the Ipecific 
diftinctions, or thofe characters by which 
every individual is diftinguiflied from others of 
the.fame genus. In this part of botany we are 
even' more obliged to Linneus for the order, 
that he has introduced, than in any other. 
He was the firft who began to form effential 
fpecific characters. Before his time there 
were no fpecific diftinctions worthy of no- 
tice ; from which deficiency arofe great con- 
fufion. Now the knowledge of the fpecies 
confifts in fome effential mark or character, 
by which it alone may be diftinguiflied from 
all other fpecies of the fame genus. Thefe 
diftinguifhing characters are noted by Lin- 
neus after every individual of a genus ; and 
this is called the fpecific defcription. To each 
fpecies he has given a name appropriated to 
itfelf, which he has termed the Trivial Name. 
Q 5 _ Sometimes 
