SCIENCE 0E BOTANY. 
379 
Explanat ion of the Orders. 
Class 1. MONANDRIA. 2. DIANDRIA. 3. TRIANDRIA. 
4. TETRANDRIA. 5. PENTANDRIA. 6. HEXANDRIA. 
7. HEPTANDRIA. 8. OCTANDRIA. 9. ENNEANDRIA. 
10. DECANDRIA. — These ten classes, which consist of herma- 
phrodite flowers, take their denominations from the number of 
Stamina, or male parts of the flower. The word here compounded 
with the numerical terms, signifies a husband ; so that the title 
Monandria expresses that the flowers of this class have but one 
husband, that is, one Stamen ; Diandria, two Stamina ; Triandria, 
three ; Tetrandria, four ; Pentandria, five ; Hexandria, six ; Hep- 
tandria, seven ; Octandria, eight ; Enneandria, nine ; and Decan- 
dria, ten. It must be observed, however, that the flowers being 
hermaphrodite, as above mentioned, is in all these classes a neces. 
sary condition ; for should the female part be wanting, the plant 
would belong to some other class, notwithstanding the number of 
Stamina may be such as would otherwise refer it to one of these : 
and this caution we give once for all, to avoid repetitions, that 
when w r e use the term hermaphrodite, wc mean that it is a con- 
dition not to be dispensed with. 
CLASS XI. DODECANDR1A. — This term in the Greek im- 
ports that the flowers have twelve husbands or Stamina. However, 
the class is not confined to this number, but includes all such 
hermaphrodite flowers as arc furnished with any number of Stamina 
from twelve to nineteen inclusive : no flowers have been yet found 
to have eleven Stamina, which is the reason no class has been 
allotted to that number. 
CLASS XII. ICOSANDRIA. — This term imports, that the 
flowers have twenty husbands or Stamina : but here again the 
title is to be understood with great latitude ; for though the plants 
that belong to this class are rarely found with less than twenty 
Stamina, yet they frequently have a greater number ; and they are 
therefore not to be known with certainty from those of the next 
class, without having recourse to their classic character: which, 
not being expressed in the title, we forbear the explanation of here, 
as we shall give it in the section allotted for this class. 
CLASS XIII. POLYANDRIA. — This term imports, that the 
flowers have many Stamina. 
CLASS XIV. DIDYNAMIA. — Tliis term signifies the power or 
superiority of two, and is applied to this class, because its flowers 
have four Stamina, of which there are two longer than the rest : 
this circumstance alone is sufficient to distinguish this class from 
the fourth, where the four Stamina are equal ; but the flowers of 
this class have also their particular character, besides what the 
title expresses, their Corollse being mostly ringent, as will be 
shewn in its place. 
CLASS XV. TETRAD YNAMIA. — This term expresses the 
power of superiority of four ; and accordingly there are in the 
