2 56 
cific differences take their rise from any cir- 
cumstance, wherein plants of the same genus 
disagree; provided such circumstance is con- 
stant, and not liable to alteration by culture 
or other accidents. Hence L nnaeus asserts 
the species to be as numerous as there were 
different forms of vegetables produced at the 
creation ; and considers all casual differences 
as varieties of the same species. 
Hybrid, or mule plants, must be rank- 
ed among varieties, whether occasioned by 
accident, by the pollen of one plant falling 
upon the pistilla of another, or reared by art ; 
of which Linnaeus gives many curious in- 
stances. 
Varieties may generally be reduced under 
their species, by comparing the variable 
marks of the variety with the natural plant ; 
but there are some which are attended with 
difficulty, and require judgment and expe- 
rience; particularly in some species of helle- 
borus, gentiana, fumaria,valeriana, scorpiurus, 
and medicago. In these two last there is a 
remarkable diversity in the fruit of the indi- 
viduals. In the medicago, or snail trefoil, in 
particular, the forms of the real snails, which 
nature has imitated in these plants, are 
scarcely more diversified than the fruit of this 
mimic species : so that the botanist who is 
studious of varieties, would find no end to his 
labour, were he to attempt to pursue nature 
through the various shapes she has wantonly 
adopted. The whole order of the fungi too, 
as Mr. Lee observes, is still a chaos ; bota- 
nists not being yet able in these to decide 
what is a species, and what a variety. 
Sect. V. — Of the natural classes or orders. 
Notwithstanding the evident superiority of 
the sexual system, Linnaeus and most oilier 
modern botanists are of opinion, that there 
is a natural method, or nature’s system, 
which we should diligently endeavour to find 
*>ut. On these principles, Linnaeus divides 
vegetables into 58 natural classes or orders, 
viz. 
1. Palmae. These arc perennial, and mostly 
trees of shrubs : such as the phoenix, or date 
palm, the cocos or cocoa-nut tree, &c. They 
are astringent. 
2. Piperit*, peppers, are mostly herbace- 
ous and perennial: such as the pothos, the 
stalks of which creep along rocks and trees, 
into which they strike root at certain dis- 
tances; the arums, &c. 
3. Calamariw, reeds. 
4. Gramina, grasses. 
5. Tripetaioide* have no very striking cha- 
racters, but are nearly allied to the grasses. 
Such are the butomus, or water gladiole, &c. 
6. Ensat*, sword-like plants ; as the saf- 
fron, iris, &c. 
7. Orchide*. The orchis kind. 
8. Scitamine* are beautiful exotics, all na- 
tives of very warm countries. Some of them 
furnish exquisite fruits: the amomum or gin- 
ger, and the musa or plantain, are included in 
this order. The roots are hot and resinous. 
9- Spathace* are nearly allied in habit and 
structure to the liliaceous plants, from which 
they are chiefly distinguished by the spatha, 
out of which their flowers are protruded: 
such are the allium, the amaryllis, &c. 
10. Coronari* are herbaceous, perennial, 
and from one inch to 15 feet high. The roots 
are either bulbous, fibrous, or composed of 
BOTANY,. 
j small fleshy knots, jointed at top. The hya- 
cinths and lilies belong to this tribe. 
1 1 . Sarmentos*, from sarmentum, a long 
shoot, have climbing stems and branches, 
that, like the vine, attach themselves to 
other bodies for support: such are srnilax, 
j trillium, & c. 
12. Holerace*, from holus a pot-herb, con- 
tains trees, shrubs, perennial and annual 
; herbs, chiefly for domestic use : such as the 
: beet, rhubarb, kc. 
13. Succulent*. This order consists of flat, 
I fleshy, and juicy plants, most of them ever- 
greens. They are astringent, refreshing, and 
very wholesome. 
14. Gruinales, cranelike, consist of gera- 
\ nium, and a few other genera which Linnseus 
' considers as allied to it in their habit and ex- 
ternal structure. 
15. Inundat* are aquatic plants, low, her- 
baceous, and mostly perennial. The elatine, 
hippuris, the pond-weed, &c. are of this class. 
These plants are astringent. 
16. Calyciflor* have the stamina inserted 
into the calyx, and are all of the shrub or tree 
| kind: such is the elaeagnus or wild olive, &c. 
17. Calycanthem* have the corolla and 
' stamina inserted in the calyx. Such are the 
; epilobium, lythrum, willow' herbs, kc. These 
, plants are astringent. 
18. Bicornes, plants whose anther* have 
1 the appearance of two horns. Of these are 
the heaths, vacciniums, &c. These are also 
astringent. 
19. Hesperide* are of the shrub and tree 
kind, and mostly evergreen. Such as the 
myrtle, clove tree, &c. 
20. Rot ace* consist of plants with one 
wheel-shaped petal without a tube; as the 
phlox, the cistus, hypericum, &c. 
2 1 . Preci*, from precius early, consist of 
primrose, an early flowering plant, and some 
others which agree with it in habit and struc- 
ture. 
22. Caryophylle*, those which resemble 
the pink and carnation, including those plahts, 
kc. 
23. Trihilatse consist of plants with three 
seeds, which are marked with an external 
cicatrix, where they are fastened within to 
the fruit. The aepr, asculus, &c. belong to 
this class. 
24. Corydales have irregular flowers, 
somewhat resembling a helmet. Such are the 
impatiens or balsam, fumaria, &c. 
25. Putamine*, shelled, consist of a few ge- 
nera of plants allied in habit, whose fruit is 
covered with a hard woody shell, l ire caper 
shrub and some other exotics are included in 
this class. 
26. Multisilicniae consist of plants which 
have more seed-vessels than one. Such are 
the columbines, delphinums, &c. They are 
caustic and purgative. 
27. Rhaeadece, consist of poppy, and a few 
genera which resemble it in habit and struc- 
ture. Upon being cut, they emit plentifully 
a juice which is white in poppy, and yellow 
in the others. These plants are narcotic. 
28. Lurid* are an order of plants whose 
pale appearance indicates their baleful and 
noxious qualities. The atropa, datura; &c. 
29. Campanace* have bell-shaped flowers, 
including the convolvulus, &c. The plants 
are medicinal, and abound with a white 
milky juice. 
30. Contort*, plants which have a single 
petal twisted towards one side. The apoey- 
num, asclepias, and even the periwinkle, arc 
included in this class. The plants being cut, 
emit a juice, either of a milky or greenish 
white, which is deenled poisonous. 
31. Veprecul*, from vepres a briar, con- 
sist of plants resembling tire daphne, &c. but 
which do not constitute a true natural class. 
32. Papilionace*, plants that have papilio- 
naceous flowers, such as the common and 
sweet pea, &c. These plants are emollient. 
33. Lomentace*, from lomentum, a colour 
used by painters, furnish beautiful tinctures, 
and some of them are much used in dyeing. 
The sophora, abrus, and supina, are found in 
this class. These plants are mucilaginous. 
34. Cucu ibitace*, from cucurbita, a gourd, 
plants which resemble the gourd in external 
iigure, habit, virtues, and sensible qualities. 
Among these are the cucumber and melon. 
These plants are purgative. 
35. Senticos*, from sentis, a briar, consist 
of the rose, bramble, and other plants which 
resemble them in external structure. The 
fruits are cooling. 
36. Pomace*, consist of plants which have 
a pulpy esculent fruit, of the apple, berry, or 
cherry kind. 
37. Columnifer*, from columna a pillar, 
and fero to bear, plants whose stamina and 
pistil have the appearance of a pillar in the 
centre of the flower. Among these are the 
althea, camellia, tea tree, kc. The plants are 
mucilaginous and lubricating. 
38. Tricocc* (from rgsu, three, and xqkxos, 
a grain), plants with a single three-cornered 
capsule, having three cells, each containing a 
single seed. Among which are box, phyl- 
lanthus, &c. 
39. Siliquos*, plants which have a pod for 
their seed-vessel. Among these are the cab- 
bage, mustard, &c. '1 he piants are diuretic 
and antiscorbutic. 
40. Personate (from persona, a mask), 
plants whose flowers are furnished with an 
irregular, gaping, or grinning petal, in figure 
somewhat resembling the snout of an animal: 
Such are the snapdragon, justicia, &c. The 
internal use of many of them is extremely 
pernicious; applied externally, they are ano- 
dyne, and powerful resolvents. 
41. Asperiloli*, rough-leafed' plants; as bo- 
rage, bugloss, &c. They are diuretic and cor- 
dial. 
42. Verticillat* consist of herbaceous ve- 
getables, having four naked seeds, and the 
•flowers placed in whorls round the stalk-; 
hyssop, lavender, dead nettle, &c. The 
leaves are c ordial and cephalic. 
43. Dumos*, from dumus a bush, are all 
of the shrub and tree kind, thick and bushy, 
rising from 6 to 25, 30, and e ven 40 feet high; 
elder, buckthorn, &c. The berries are pur- 
gative. 
44. Sepiari* (from sepes a hedge), from- 
their size, elegance, and other circumstances, 
are very proper for hedges. Ash, privet, lilac, 
ike. 
45. Umbellate, plants whose flowers grow 
in umbels, with live petals that are often un- 
equal, and two naked seeds joined at top and 
separated below. Parsley, wthusa, caraway, 
fennel, &c. furnish specimens of this tribe. 
1 he plants of this order, which grow in dry 
places, are sudorific, stomachic, and wanning. 
46. Hederace*, from hecitra, ivy ; con- 
sist of both herbaceous and shrubby plants. 
