PRELIMINARY TREATISE. 
9 
bicotyledonous plants is Epigynosae, that is to say, having the 
ovary under the stamens ; but this group of epigynous 
plants is not opposed by him to those which are not epigy- 
nous, but only includes such of the epigynous plants as he 
finds it convenient to place in it, while he puts two whole 
alliances of epigynous orders in the first subclass, though 
the being epigynous is the distinguishing characteristic of 
the second. 1 repeat that I am not finding fault with him, 
but with the chaos from which he was struggling to emerge, 
if it had been practicable. Let me be clearly understood. 
After having separated (as I shall propose to do) corolliform 
flowers, from those which are glumaceous or scaly, like 
grasses, it may perhaps be found advisable in one of those 
classes to place the division epigynous and its converse 
hypogynous before, and in the other after, the divisions 
hexandrous and triandrous, if such a disposition shall appear 
to group the vegetables better according to their general 
aspect and affinity ; but having once assumed the epigynous 
position of the stamens as the limiting feature of a class, 
we cannot place epigynous plants in the other classes which 
have been cut off by the absence of that feature ; for if the 
class epigynous is limited to those epigynous plants only which 
have not such and such other features, those other subordi- 
nate features are thereby exalted into a primary station and 
the separations are confounded ; the points assumed for 
distinction may possibly be correct, but they are not properly 
exhibited. This cannot be illustrated better than by examin- 
ing Dr. Lindley’s third subclass, viz. the monopetalous 
plants, which he thus divides into five groups ; the first, 
consists specially, of those whose ovary is composed of many 
carpels ; the third of but one perfect carpel ; the fifth of two 
carpels ; the second of plants with epigynous stamens, i. e. 
inserted above the ovary ; the fourth of those whose flower 
has a lip. Here are three features, the number of carpels or 
folded leaves in the structure of the ovary, the position of the 
stamens, and the lip of the flower, set in opposition, though 
not opposite, but consistent with each other. Consequently 
we find the whole fourth class composed of ovaries with two 
carpels, though that is the characteristic of the fifth ; the 
second partly of those with two, and partly of those with 
many carpels, which should belong separately to the first 
and fifth ; the first and third contain epigynous plants, 
which belong properly to the second ; and the fifth is 
