288 
HISTORY OF BOTANY. 
made three voyages, and gave drawings and descriptions of more 
American species than any other traveller had done. 
We now find the names of many who were distinguished by 
their efforts in the cause of science, but a notice of each indi- 
vidual would carry us beyond our limits, and prevent that clear 
conception of the state of the science, which the statements of 
a few conspicuous facts may produce. 
Botanists now began to pay some attention to the stamens 
and pistils of plants ; it was suggested that the science would 
remain imperfect as long as species and genera were undefined ; 
orders and classes also were recommended. Natural resem- 
blances and affinities were studied. A work was written upon 
the umbelliferous plants ; it was the first attempt at describing 
in one mass, any single group of plants by characters peculiar 
to the whole. This was followed by several attempts to form a 
natural method of classification ; among the most approved of 
these methods was that of Ray, who published a work called 
“ A General History of Plants j” in this he divided all plants 
into 33 classes, 27 of which M ere composed of herbs, the rest 
of trees. 
The first botanist who thought of classing plants Mithout any 
reference to their being either herbs or trees, Mas a German, of 
the name of Rivinius, who proposed to consider as the founda- 
tion, of classification, the absence or presence of flowers; the 
wanner in which they were situated , or their inflorescence ; the 
number of petals ; and the regular or irregular form of the 
corolla. 
A botanist of the name of Magnol, at this time M as honored 
by having his name given to the splendid Magnolia, an Ameri- 
can plant, which then began to be known in Europe. 
The method published by Tournefort, of France, which has 
been explained in another department of our subject, M as pub- 
lished about the year 1700. While very young, the author of 
this method discovered an enthusiastic fondness for botanical 
pursuits ; he had been destined, by his friends, for a profession ; 
but his genius seemed so strongly bent upon the study of nature, 
that he M r as at length permitted to indulge Mithout restraint in 
his favourite pursuits, lie ranged over the Alps and Pyrenees, 
and many provinces of France, collecting the floMcry treasures 
offered by those fertile regions ; often in peril from banditti, and 
exposing his life to hazards in climbing terrific precipices, or 
amidst the glaciers of the mountains. 
The method of Tournefort, M'liich M as founded upon the form 
of the corolla, although imperfect, greatly assisted the progress 
Many now distinguished for efforts in the cause of science — Several im- 
provements in Botanical science — Rivinius — Magnol — Tournefort. 
