INTRODUCTION. 
7 
Iri the fecond place, if we could have got over this difficulty, and 
admitted fimple Umbells, yet the Tubulate Florets would not have 
made an Umbel!, for they have no Cups. 
The proper character implied by any term, mud be eftabli/hed juftly 
before we can fpeak with that precifion which is required by fcience of 
any relation to it, or correfpcndence with it. This being regarded, and 
the diftinCtive ftruCture of affembled Florets, and the Umbell known, 
we may not only fee the general truth that there is a relation between 
the Plants with AlTembled Florets, and the Umbelliferous ; but we 
/hall find alfo that there is a connecting link between them. 
An Umbelliferous or Umbrella’d Plant, has the Footftalks of many 
Flowers arifing from one point ; and again fubdivided in the fame man- 
ner ; the fecond like the firft divifion, rifing from one point again : 
there is an Involucrum at the bafe of each of thefe two divifions ; and 
every Flower is perfect, having its own cups. 
Now it is eafy to fee that Tubulate Florets, if raifed on Footftalks, 
would not make an Umbell; for, i. There would be no fubdivifion 
or fecond rifing of Footftalks from a point ; 2. There would be no fe- 
cond Involucrum, nor any thing in the place of it, although the ge- 
neral Cup might take the place of the firft ; and, 3. Thefe would be 
Florets ftill, not perfeCt Flowers, as the Umbrella’d Plant /hould have; 
for they would have no feparate Cups. 
But though this advance from the Aftembled Tubulate Flower to 
the Umbell, cannot be made without a threefold violation of that unal- 
tered and unchangeable law of nature, which admits no gap in her gra- 
dations; there is yet a method of connexion to be found. This Clafs 
of Aggregate Plants affords it. 
Let it be underftood that in the method of nature, the deftruCtion of 
Claffes will be effected always by intermediate Claffes, as that of Genera 
will be by intermediate Plants. The connection which deftroys two 
Cla/fes by uniting them, is to be made by a Clafs which is truly in- 
termediate ; that is, which has part of the characters of the one, and 
part 
