368
the stamens and pistils by Linnæus. The system of Tournefort has been a good deal
employed in Prance, and may be considered as the artificial system of that country ;
but that of Linnæus has been generally employed hi this, and most other countries,
and it is justly esteemed by far the best artificial system winch has hitherto been
produced. The system of Linnæus had the great advantage of being brought fonvard at
a time when all systems of classification were iu a state of great confusion, and when the
introduction of a system so simple and clear as that of Linnæus was like bringing light
into darkness ; and it was embraced wntli a degree of eagerness wliich wc can now scai'cely
understand, but of which wc find abundant traccs iii the works of all the older botanists.
1011. The application o f tke Linnæan system in practice. Sir J . E. Smith observes,
is above all other systems, easy and intelligible. Even in pmsuing the study of the
natural affinities of plants, this botanist affirms “ that it wonld be as idle to lay aside
tho continual use of the Linnæan system, as it would be for philologists and logicians
to slio-lit tho convenience, and indeed necessity, of the alphabet, and to substitute the
Chinese chai-acters in its stead.” (Introduct to Bot.) “ The student of the Linnæan
artificial system,” he elsewhere observes, “ will soon perceive that it is to be understood
merely as a dictionary, to make out any plant that may fall in his way.” ( Gram, o f Bot.)
“ I f we examine,” says Dc Candolle, “ the ai-tificial systems which have been hitherto
derised we shall find the most celebrated of them, that which was proposed by Linnæus,
to possess a decided superiority over all others ; not only because it is consistently
derived from one simple principle, hut also because the author of it, by means of a new
nomenclature, has given to his terms the gi-eatcst distinctness of mcamng.” (Elements
o f th e Philos, o f Plants, hy De Candolle and Sprengel.)
1012. According to the Linnæan system, all plants are furnished with flowers, cither
conspicuous or inconspicuous. Tho plants with conspicuous flowers are arranged according
to the number and position of thefr stamens and pistils ; tliose with inconspicuous
flowers arc arranged according to the situation of the flowers on the plant, or according
to other circumstances in the plant itself. , n i •
1013. To discover the name o f a plant by the Linnæan system, theretore, all tliat is
necessary for a beginner is to possess a specimen of it in flower, and to be able to know
its different parts by the names given them hy botanists. To discover the class, order,
and genus of a plant, it is only necessaiy to be able to distinguish and name the diflcrent
parts of the flower. . ^ ^
1014. The parts o f the flower arc: the calyx or cup (fig. 235. a), which is that leaf, or
those leaves, by which the flower is usually enclosed when
235 in bud, and which, when the flower is expanded, appear 236
under it. The corolla (corona, a crown), wliich is the
coloured leaf, or leaves, of a flower (fig. 235. ¿)._ The
stamen (or first principle of any thing), which is the
thread-like process, or processes, immediately within the
leaves of the corolla (fig. 236). It consists of two parts;
the filament or thread (a), and the anther (b): this anther
contains what is called the pollen, or fructifying meal (c). ^
The pistil, which is found in the centre of the flower (fig. 237.),
and consists of three parts: the ovaiy or geimen, containing the
rudiments of the fmit or seed (a) ; the style (b) ; and the stigma
or summit (c), wliich crowns the style, and is destined to receive
the fnictifying poUen.
1015. 27ie stamens are the essential parts of a flower. Thecorolla 237
or the calyx, or both, may be wanting, and yet the flower will be termed
perfect, because the absence of those parts is no obstacle to reproduction.
Even tho style and the filament may be absent without preventing the
formation or ripening of the fniit; and there are many flowers which have
the anther sitting close to the corolla, &c., without a filament, and the
stigma to the gcrmen witliout a style; but the anther, the gcrmcn, and the
stigma arc essential. i • i •
1016. The seed is contained in the pcricaqi, or seed-vessel, winch is the
germcn when grown to maturity. The name of the seed-vessel varies ^ c o rd in g to its
form, substance, &c.; but the word pcricai-p (peri, about, karpon, a fiaiit) is applicable
to all its varieties. The receptacle is the base or medium wliich connects the other
parts of the fructification. The size, figure, form, texture, and condition of the surface
of seeds afford characters of considerable service in distinguishing nearly allied species
of plants; and characters extensively useful are derivable from thcir internal stracture,
particulai-ly from the quantity and texture of the albumen or solid part of the seed, and
the form and position of the embryo. _ , i
1017. The following Table will enable a beginner to discover the Linnæan class ana
order of any plant which he may find in fiowcr.
F i r s t G r a n u D i v i s i o n . — PUinis w ith consincuims Flotoers {P h a n e ro g am ia ).
I n tlio samo flower,
‘Male an d female organs distinct,
'‘Stamens n o t u n ite d e ither ahovo or below,
■ Generally of eq u al length,
CLASSES. Ord e r s .
( 1. MonAiulria (monoi, ono,
I, - - - J oner, a man). Examine
I -Blitum capitiieum.
■{
■{
T etrfin d ria (feiro, four,
a ner, a man). Cdrrius
sangulnoa.
5. Pen tfin d ria (penle, five,
aner, a m an ), iy s i n i i -
ch ia i ’lihfemerum.
Many, . . . . . . .
twenty, attaciied
to tlie calyx,
Many, generally u p-'
wards o f twenty,
n o t a ttached to the
calyx.
Of u n eq u al length.
Stamens united,
by th e filament?,
into one body.
7. Heptándria(7iciJta,8cvon,
a n e r, am an ). „i*sculua
Hippocástauuiu.
( 8. Octándria (okto, eight,
} nner, am a n ) . Fú chsio
( coccinoa.
¡ 9. En n eán d ria (enneo, nino, «
) oíier, a m an ). Aliéum c
) Rhapónticum. ‘
r io . Dec án d ria {deka, ten,
J aner, a m an ). Sax ífrag a
) umbrósa.
■11. Dodeeándria {dodeka,
twelvc, aner, a man). .
Sempervlvum tectóram.
13. Ico8ándria{efl:oít, twenty,
o n e r,am an ). Cratae'gus
Oxyaeántha.
13. Poly án d ria (p o 7 y s,m an y ,
oner, am a n ), tlém a tis
15. T etrad y n àm ia (Utrn,
four, di/tiamis ; supeii-
o rity o í four stamens). (
Aâplianus sativas.
r l7 Diadclphia (dis, twieo,
i adelpbos, a brother).
( Onònls arvónsis.
/18.Polyad61phia(poly,«,many,
J odclp/ios, bro th er), i /y -
1 póricnm q u ad rán g alum .
(19. Syngcnósia (syn, together,
I genesis, o rigin). C’icliô-
- f rium Z'ntybus.
Male o rg an s (stamens) at--j go. Gy n án d rla (gjpie, a wo-
taehcd to, an d stan d in g ^ ¿nan, aner, .a man),
upon, th e female (p isu l), ) O'phrys apifera.
d iffcrent flowers, (monos, one, ,
p lan t, - - ) oiil-os, house). Cucú rb ita
( Pópo.
n th e same or dureront plants (25. P o ly g im ia (polf/i, m any,
alo n g w ith hc rmap liro d ite S ma rriag e). Gleflowers,
' - - V d ítseliío trla cán ti
3. Monogÿnia, Dig ÿ n ia , T rig ÿ n
6. Monogÿnia, D içÿ n ia, T rig ÿ n ia , Tetra-
g ÿ n ia , Pen tag y iiia (penfc, five, gyne, a
woman), P o lyg ÿn ia (polys, many, gyne).
^ 4. Monogÿnia, D igÿ-nia,Trigÿuia,Polygÿnia.
4. M o n og ÿn ia ,Dig ÿ n ia ,Trig ÿ n ia,Tetrag ÿ n ia .
5. Monogÿnia, Dig ÿ n ia , T rig ÿ n ia , Pcnta-
g y n ia , Decagÿuia (deka, ton, gyne).
2. Gymnospermia (gymnos, nakod, sperma,
seed), Angiospcrmia (aggeion, a vessel,
sperma, seed).
ia, a silici
le).
(silitpia, a silique]
Poly g àmia ccquàlis (eq u a l), Polygàmia
supèrflua (superfluous), Po lygàmia
fru s trà n e a (fru stra . In vain), Poly g àmia
necessària (necessary), Poly g àmia se-
g rcg à ta (separated).
" 3. Monándria, D ián d ria , H exàndria.
3 8. Monándria, Dián d ria , T rián d ria , Te-
Á trá n d rla , P e n tá n d ria , Hex áu d ría, Polyán
d rla , Monadélphia.
. 14. Monándria, D ián dria , T rián d ria , To-
[- tr á n d r ia , P e n tá n d ria , Hex án d ria,
S| O ctándria, E n n eán d ria, Decándria,
Dodecandria, Icosándria, Polyándria,
Monadélphia, Gynándria.
fe 2. Monoc'cia, Dioe'cia.
S e c o n d G r a n d D i v i s i o n .—P / a n í s w ith inconspicuous F lowe rs (C n jp to g àm ia ).
loproductive organa scarcely visible,
so th a t they havo not been dis- •
14. Cry p to g àmia (ki-yptos, > ?
concealed, gamos, ma r-
JÎ U
9. Pilic es (filkc, fern), PquisetaceiE (cquus,
S r t a J S S i ; ( f c
L . F. Mai-sigli), Afusei (TOttsew, moss),
UepAticce (hepar, the liver), ^I'lgse (alga,
sea-weed), Pichdnes (Gre<'
P iin g i (fu n
i>. ■
*ri‘ i
■ !r