300 
LINDLE1' S VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 
family to which it belongs, the author of The 
Vegetable Kingdom says, — 
" The first office which all organized beings 
have to perform is that of feeding ; for it is 
thus only that their existence is maintained. 
The second is that of propagating, by means 
of which their species is perpetuated. These 
being functions of the highest importance, it 
is reasonable to conclude that the organs pro- 
vided for their proper execution must be of 
the highest importance also, and hence that 
they are beyond all others valuable for the 
purposes of classification. And, again, because 
the power of feeding must come before that of 
propagating, it might be conjectured before- 
hand that the organs destined for the former 
operation would afford the first elements of a 
Natural method. But since the action of feed- 
ing is very simple in the Vegetable Kingdom, 
because of the similar modes of life observable 
among plants, while, on the contrary, the act 
of propagation is highly diversified, on account 
of the very varied nature or structure of the 
parts by which it is accomplished ; so might 
we conjecture that the organs of nutrition 
would afford but few distinctions available for 
purposes of classification, while those of fructi- 
fication would furnish many. And such is the 
fact. Hence it is that the great classes of 
plants are principally distinguished by their 
organs of growth, and that in the numerous 
minor groups such peculiarities are compara- 
tively disregarded, their chief distinctions be- 
ing derived from their parts of reproduction. 
These principles are more fully expressed in 
the following axioms : — 
" 1 . Peculiarities of structure which are con- 
nected with the manner in which a plant is 
developed are physiological ; those which are 
connected with the manner in which parts are 
arranged are structural. Physiological cha- 
racters are of two kinds, viz., those which are 
connected with the mode of growth (the organs 
of vegetation), and those which regulate repro- 
duction (the organs of fructification). Phy- 
siological characters are of greater importance 
in regulating the natural classification of plants 
than structural. 
" 2. All modifications of either are respec- 
tively important, in proportion to their con- 
nection with the phenomena of life. 
" 3. If we allow ourselves to be steadily 
guided by these considerations, we shall find 
that the internal or anatomical structure of 
the axis, and of the foliage, is of more impor- 
tance than any other character ; because these 
are the circumstances which essentially regu- 
late the functions of growth, and the very 
existence of an individual. 
" 4. That next in order is the internal 
structure of the seed, by which the species 
must be multiplied. Thus the presence of an 
embryo, or its absence, the first indicating a 
true seed, the latter a spore, are most essential 
circumstances to consider. And so also the 
existence of albumen in abundance round the 
embryo, or its absence, must be regarded as a 
physiological character of the highest value : 
because, in the former case, the embryo de- 
mands a special external provision for its 
early nutriment, as in oviparous animals ; 
while, in the latter case, the embryo is capa- 
ble of developing by means of the powers 
resident in itself, and unassisted, as in vivi- 
parous animals. 
" 5. Next to this must be taken the struc- 
ture of the organs of fructification, by whose 
united action the seed is engendered ; for 
without some certain, uniform, and invariable 
action on their part, the race of a plant must 
become extinct. Thus we find that the struc- 
ture of the anthers, placenta;, and ovules, are 
more uniform than that of the parts surround- 
ing them, while their numbers are variable; and 
the condition of the filament, which appears of 
so little importance in a physiological point of 
view, is also inconstant. So also the texture 
and surface and form of the pericarp, which 
acts as a mere covering to the seeds, are not to be 
regarded in these inquiries, and, in fact differ 
from genus to genus ; as, for instance, between 
Pyrus and Stranvaasia, or Eubus and Spirrea, 
in the truly natural Rosaceous Order. 
" 6. On the other hand, the floral envelopes 
seem to be unconnected with functions of a 
high order, and to be designed rather for the 
decoration of plants, or for the purpose of 
giving variety to the aspect of the vegetable 
world ; and, consequently, their number, form, 
and condition, presence or absence, regularity 
or irregularity, are of low and doubtful value, 
except for specific distinction. There seems, 
indeed, reason to expect that every Natural 
Order will, sooner or later, be found to contain 
within itself all the variations above alluded to. 
Even in the cases of regularity and irregularity 
we already know this to be so ; witness Vero- 
nica and Scoparia in Figworts, and Hyoscy- 
amus in Nightshades, Delphinium in Crowfoots, 
and Pelargonium in Cranesbills. 
" 7. The consolidation of the parts of fruc- 
tification is a circumstance but little attended 
to in a general point of view, except in respect 
to the corolla ; but as it seems to indicate 
either the greatest change that the parts can 
undergo, or, where it occurs between important 
and usually unimportant organs, that in such 
cases the latter become essential to the former, 
it probably deserves to be regarded with great 
attention. For instance, the presence or ab- 
sence of the corolla is often a point of little 
moment, and is, we know, a very fluctuating 
circumstance. This is especially true of those 
Natural Orders in which the stamens and 
