V 
botany. 
by their laws, nor does any practical bota- 
nist waste his thoughts or judgment in com- 
paring their different merits. 
Two systems at the present day divide 
the botanical world between them, the arti- 
ficial one of Linnaeus, and the natural one 
of Jussieu. Yet it can be only those w'ho 
are very unphilosophical or ignorant of the 
subject, or who have some sinister pur- 
pose to serve, yvlio bring these systems into 
competition as rivals. They are in fact 
allies and mutual supports, and it is the opi- 
nion of an experienced botanist (Dr. Smith) 
of the present day, that in the actual state 
of the science perhaps neither of these sys- 
tems can stand alone. Plants are so nu- 
merous, and those of their parts upon 
which all systems depend so liable to va- 
riations and irregularities, that neither the 
Linnaran system, nor any other artificial 
one, however simple and comprehensive its 
principles, can conform to them all with 
sufficient precision to be in any degree in- 
fallible. On the other hand, every natural 
system is necessarily so incomplete, for 
want of an uniformly perfect knowledge in 
its contriver of all the plants in the world, 
and of their riiutual dependencies on each 
other, as well as of the best possible manner 
of defining and characterizing the classes 
and orders in which human contrivance is 
obliged to dispose them, that to use such a 
system for the investigation of plants, is 
like learning to read by the Chinese cha- 
racter. But if we use these two methods 
in conjunction, they eminently assist each 
other. If a new plant cannot be made out 
but by artificial marks, its affinity may be 
guessed at in the natural system. We shall 
now proceed to give an outline of both 
systems, that the student may understand 
their principles, and comprehend their se- 
veral advantages. 
The Linnsean system is founded on the 
number, situation, and proportion of the es- 
sential organs of impregnation termed sta- 
mens and pistils, whose uses and str ucture 
we have sufficiently explained. The classes, 
which are 24, principally owe their distinc- 
tions to the stamens ; the orders, or subdi- 
visions of the classes, are generally marked 
by the number of the pistils, or by some 
other circumstances equally intelligible. The 
names of both are of Greek derivation, and 
allude to the functions of the respective or- 
gans. The first eleven classes are distin- 
guished solely by the number of the sta- 
mens. 
I. Monandria. Stamen 1. From pm; one, 
and ay>n> a man. A small class, consisting of 
only 2 orders. 
1. Monogynia. Stylet. From fxovii one, 
and yi/va a woman. Instances of this are 
Canna, Alpinia, Lopezia, Hippuris. 
2. Digynia. Styles 2. Si; two, and jam, 
Corispermum, Blitum. 
II. Diandria. Stamens 2. 
1. Monogynia. Jasminum, Salvia, Ve- 
ronica. 
2. Digynia. Anthoxanthum only, a kind 
of grass. 
3. Trigynia. Piper only, or pepper. 
III. Triandria. Stamens 3. 
1. Monogynia. Valeriana, Iris, Cyperus, 
Scirpus. 
2. Digynia. Contains almost all the na- 
tural order of true grasses. 
3. Trigynia. Holosteum, Montia, Poly- 
carpon, 
IV. Tetrandria. Stamens 4. 
1. Monogynia. Protea, Scabiosa, Plan- 
tago, Galium. 
2. Digynia. Buffonia. 
3. Tetragynia. Potamogeton, Ruppia., 
V. Pentandria. Stamens 5. One of the 
largest classes. 
1. Monagynia. Borago, Echium, Pri- 
mula, and some genera removed hither 
from the 19th class, to be mentioned here- 
after, as Viola, Jasione, &c. 
2. Digynia. Chenopodium, Ulmus, Gen- 
tiana. Then follow the whole natural or- 
der of Umbelliferse, of which Daucus, An- 
gelica, Cicuta, and Apium, are examples. 
3. Trigynia. Viburnum, Sambucus. 
4. Tetragynia. Parnassia. 
5. Pentagynia. Statice and Linum. 
6. Polygynia. Myosurus only. 
VI. Hexandria. Stamens 6. 
1. Monogynia. Lilium, and others of 
its natural order, thence called Liliaceous : 
a tribe considered by Linnaeus as the no- 
bles of the vegetable kingdom ; an idea 
supposed to allude not merely to their beauty 
and splendour, but also the text, “ Consi- 
der the lilies of the field how they grow, 
they toil not, neither do they spin.” 
2. Digynia. Oryza and Gahnia, grasses 
with 6 stamens. 
3. Trigynia. Rumfix, Colchicuro, Scheuch- 
zeria, the latter lately discovered to be a 
British genus, by the Rev. Mr. Dalton, of 
Yorkshire. 
4. Tetragynia. Petiveria only. 
5. Hexagynia. Wendiandia and Dama- 
sonium of Schreber. 
6. Polygynia. Alisma only. 
Q q 2 
1 
ill 
