The vegetable SYSTEM. 
3 
viewed with a common reading glafs. Here the abfolutely feparate edges 
of the Chives are fhewn, a and the thin membrane by which keeps 
them together at the bottom. 
Fig. 5. ihews the Chives, with their threads, feparated from the bo- 
dy of the Floret, where their points c, gape more, as being at liberty 
from the preflure of the Floret, and their bafes are kept together by 
the membrane b. 
Fig. 6. fhews the Chives and ftyle taken together out of the body of 
the Floret, a is the pale bafe of the ftyle, which runs thro’ the whole 
Floret. 
At fig. 7 . are reprefented two veiws of the body of the Chives cut 
open thro’ the bafe ; and fpread flat, to fhew their natural loofe and 
free flate, and the couife of the membrane which holds them together 
at the bottom. ^ is a view of the infide, and b of the outfide, on which 
part the membrane is placed. 
Fig. 8 . reprefents one filament alone, with a portion of the mem- 
brane behind it. 
The Character of the clafs being thus underftood, we may proceed 
to its fubdivifions. 
O F 
The Subdivisions of this CLASS. 
T he Clafs of AfTociates comprehends the Thistles, Blue- 
bottles and Knapweeds; and all that are ufually called 
pitatey or headed Plants. 
These amount to a very confiderable number; and the knowledge 
of them has been accounted difficult, becaufe they have been arranged 
under a very fliort detail of Genera : this makes the fpecies extremely 
numerous under each genus; and in iht Centaureay in particular, ac- 
cording to the mofl; received method they are no lefs than Jijty. 
Nature has not allowed indeed to the Afibciates thofe plain and 
obvious marks of diftindlion which we find among the Radiatedy tu- 
bulatedy and ligulated kinds ; in which fome have the Cup entircy fomc 
Jimplcy others double', and only a certain number tiled-, for in thefe Plants, 
all have the Cup til’d : But there are other marks, perhaps as evi- 
dent when pointed out ; certainly as diftindt as thofe; whereby the num- 
