HISTORY OF BOTANY. 
229 
About this time, the practice of naming newly-discovered plants 
after distinguished botanists became common. History now,pre- 
sents us with many who were distinguished by their efforts in the 
cause of science, but a notice of each individual would carry us 
beyond our limits. 
Botanists now began to study the stamens and pistils of plants; 
and it was suggested that the science would remain imperfect as long 
as species and genera were undefined. Orders and classes also 
were recommended, and natural resemblances and affinities studied. 
A work was written upon the umbelliferous plants ;* this was the 
first attempt at describing in one mass any single group of plants 
by characters peculiar to the whole. This was followed by several 
attempts to form a natural method of classification; among the most 
approved of these methods was that of Ray, who published a work 
called “ A General History of Plantsin this he divided all Plants 
into 33 classes, 27 of which were composed of herbs , the rest of 
trees. 
The first botanist who thought of classing plants without any ref¬ 
erence to their being either herbs or trees, was a German, of the 
name of Rivannus, who proposed to consider, as the foundation of 
classification, the absence or presence of flowers ; the manner in which 
they were situated , or their inflorescence ; the number of petals ; the 
regular or irregular form of the corolla ; the adherence or non-adhe¬ 
rence of the calyx to the germ ; the nature of the pericarp ; the number 
of seeds , and of cotyledons. 
A botanist of the name of Magnol, at this time, was honoured by 
having his name given to the splendid Magnolia, an American plant, 
which then began to be known in Europe. 
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort was born in 1656. While very young, 
he discovered an enthusiastic fondness for botanical pursuits: he 
had been destined by his friends for a profession; but his genius 
seemed so strongly bent upon the study of nature, that he was at 
length permitted to indulge without restraint in his favourite pursuits. 
He ranged over the Alps and Pyrenees, and many provinces of 
France, collecting the flowery treasures offered by those fertile re¬ 
gions ; often in peril from banditti, and exposing his life to hazards 
in climbing terrific precipices, or amidst the glaciers of the moun¬ 
tains. 
The method of Tournefort, which was founded upon the form of 
the corolla, although imperfect, greatly assisted the progress of 
that botanist who stands unrivalled in this department of Natural 
History. You do not need to be told that we here refer to Linneeus. 
You will observe that the attempts of botanists, until this time, 
had been chiefly directed towards the attainment of some proper 
method for the arrangement of plants; the attention of some inves¬ 
tigating minds was now turned towards their Anatomy and Physiol¬ 
ogy. Since the days of the first Greek naturalists, these depart¬ 
ments of botanical science had lain neglected ; but the confused 
opinions of the ancients now served to suggest experiments, which 
resulted in new observations and solid discoveries. 
The invention of the microscope threw light upon the mysteries of 
* The author of this was Robert Morrison, a Scotchman. These monographs, or 
descriptions of single families, are now of great value ; no botanist can thoroughly in¬ 
vestigate the whole vegetable kingdom; but by close attention to one department, 
important discoveries may be made. 
Various improvements in Botany—Ray—Rivinius—Magnol—Tournefort—Attention 
of botanists turned towards anatomy and physiology—Microscope. 
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