2 
Introduction. 
arrange and classify the objects of nature, it ought to 
be recollected, that it is for the purpose of assisting 
the limited powers of man in his investigations ; and 
the more numerous any class of objects becomes, the 
more necessary it is to adopt method and arrangement 
in acquiring the knowledge of their distinctive proper- 
ties. 
The characters of the classes in the Linnaean system 
‘are taken from certain parts within the flower. In the 
common primrose, or single polyanthus, the yellow 
part in the one, and the red in the other, is called the 
corolla ; and the green part, which includes the corol- 
la, is called the cup, or calyx , from its shape. Sepa- 
rate the corolla from the calyx, and open the tube of 
the corolla with a pointed knife, and several threads or 
filaments attached to its inner surface, and supporting 
roundish bodies of a yellowish colour, will appear ; 
these are called stamina, or stamens . Some of the 
classes are determined by the number of stamens ; in 
this flower the number is five, denoting that it belongs 
to the fifth class. The flower of the crocus, examined 
in the same way, presents three stamens, shewing that 
it is arranged in the third class. Six stamens appear 
within the flower of the tulip, from which it takes its 
place in the sixth class ; to which also belong the 
white and orange lily, the snow-drop, and hyacinth. 
The stamens in some of the flowers now mentioned, 
derive their origin from the inner surface of the flower, 
and when the flower is drawn out of the cup, they 
come along with it ; but when the six petals of the 
tulip are broken off, the stamens remain behind ; and 
when these stamens are carefully removed, another 
fart rising from the middle of the seed-vessel appears. 
