ORDERS OF LINN.-EITS. 
The name of the 21st class is a compound of two Greek words,. 
chypto and gamia, signifying a concealed union. 
Natural Families. 5 21. Crypto-samia, i Stamens and Pistils invisible or too 
( small to be seen with the naked eye,, 
tv 
Fig. 11. ^ 
Lichens. Mushrooms. Ferns. Mosses. 
The number of classes as arranged by Linnaeus, was twenty-four. 
Two of them, Poly-adelphia, (many brotherhoods,) which was the 
eighteenth class; and Poly-gamia, (many unions,) the twenty-third 
class, are now, by many botanists,* rejected as unnecessary. The 
eleventh class, Dodecandria, which included plants whose flowers 
contain from twelve to twenty stamens, has been more recently 
omitted. The plants which were included in these three-classes have- 
been distributed among the other classes. 
The Orders of Linnaeus. 
The orders of the first twelve classes are founded upon the num¬ 
ber of Pistils, 
The orders are named by prefixing Greek numerals to the -word 
gynia, signifying pistil. 
ORDERS. 
Names; No. of pistils. 
f L 
Mono-gynia, 
1. 
2. 
Di-gynia, 
2. 
3 . 
Tri-GYNIA, 
3 . 
4. 
Tetra-gynia, 
4. 
Orders found in 
5. 
Penta-gynia, 
5. 
the first twelve « 
6. 
Hexa-gynia, 
6. 
this order seldom found. 
©lasses. 
7, 
Hefta-gynia, 
7, 
this still more unusual. 
8, 
Octo.-gynia, 
8. 
very rare. 
9 . 
Ennea-gynia, 
9 . 
very rare. 
4 
to. 
Deca-gynia, 
101 
,13. 
Poly-gynia, over 
fen pistils. 
The classes vary as to the number of orders which they contain.. 
The orders of the 13 th class, Didynamia, are but two. 
L Gymnospermia, From gymnos, signifying naked, and spermia. 
Steeds usually four, lying in signifying seed, implying that the seeds are not 
the calyx. covered by a seed vessel. 
2 . Angiospermia. From angio, signifying bag or sack, added to 
seeds numerous in a capsule, spermia, implying that the seed& are covered. 
* A few writers still retain the 24 classes of Linnaeus j—hut in the works of Eaton, 
Torrey, Beck, and Nuttall, only 21 are adopted. 
What does Cryptogamia signify ?—Classes omitted—Orders of the first twelve 
dasses, on what founded ?—How are the orders named ?—Orders of the class Didy- 
munia*. 
