" There is scarcely any thing odoriferous about these plants, except in their flowers. When they are bruised, indeed, something volatile ascends, of an acrid, rather than odorous nature, irritating the coats of the nerves, and inducing spasms, which do not originate in the medullary substance of the ner vous system, but in its coats." No alteration or addition respecting the genera of the Tetradynarnia occurs in the Linmean manu script.
Order 40. PERSONAT2E. There is no commenta ry on this order in the lectures of Linnteus. Giseke has given a synoptical arrangement of the genera, according to the shape of the corolla, which is not in every part precisely correct. He justly expresses his doubts respecting Melaleuca, of which we have spoken under the 19th order ; and he truly observes that there is no order in which so many genera are named after botanists as in the present.
The only manuscript additions or corrections, which occur in the Genera Plantarum of Linnieus, are the following : Martynia, Craniolaria, Torenia, and Scrophularia are pointed out as akin to Pedali urn, in order 28th ; Hyobanche, Lindernia, Pedero ta, Manulea, Premna, .and Calceolaric. are inserted, with a question, certainly not well founded, whether the latter should not rather be referred to the 24th order. Brunfelsia also is placed among the Perso flake, at the suggestion of Van Itoyen.
" All the Aspenfolice are and act only as such. The ancients selected their four cor dial flowers out of this order, seeming not to have been aware that the motion of the heart .depends
upon the nerves, which therefore must be strength ened if the force of the heart is to be increased. This end however is not to be attained by either the flowers or the herbs of this tribe, which nevertheless have long been used for the purpose. The leaves may be eaten as food, by which their small medical use may be estimated. The root is perennial and (we would rather say " if perennial, is mucilaginous," which perhaps were the original words of the lecture.) " Among the whole, Symphy tum abounds most with mucilage, equalling, in quan tity as well as quality, the monadelphous plant Al thea in this respect. Symphytum tuberosum has been recommended in the gout. Possibly its mucilagi •nous quality may hinder the crystallization of the gouty matter. The root in almost all the Asperi folice is red, but for the most part externally only. The root of Lithospermum tinctorium, now Anchusa tinctoria, is used for its colouring properties. Of all plants; the herbs of this order yield the largest pro portion of ashes. There is hardly an odoriferous, nor one fragrant, herb in the whole tribe ; though Cynoglossum has a somewhat foetid scent. Their taste is nothing, the great quantity of mucilage in volving the stimulating particles. These herbs are esculent, especially when young and tender, al though their rough surface renders them less agree.. able to delicate palates. They generally grow in dry mountainous situations ; and it is singular that - in proportion as they are found nearer to water, they become smoother." Order 42. VERTICILLATAL " Ray, In construct ing his system, founded three classes, which all suc ceeding botanists hitherto have approved, the Stel late, Asperifolie, and Verticillata; but he was un able to give proper characters of the genera. Her. mann subsequently, establishing a system upon the fruit, called the of Ray ma, plants with four naked seeds, but he could not by ;his means distinguish them from the Aspen:folic?, which have the same character. The generality of Asperifollee, in fact, differ from the Gymnotetrasper. ince, in their corolla, which in the former is regular, in the latter irregular, though likewise monopetalous. But Echium, though it belongs to the Asperifolie, has still an irregular corolla. The Arpertfolia have alternate leaves, the Gymnotetrasperma opposite ones. These classes might therefore be distinguish ed from each other, according to Hermann's method, were' not Echium an obstacle. Linnieus, however, that he might avoid all confusion between the orders in question, has borrowed a character from the sta mens, and has referred to his class Didynamia such plants as have two stamens longer, and two shorter. He has moreover divided that class into two orders, the first of which comprehends Hermann's Gymnate trasperma, whose stamens easily distinguish them from the Asper:four:E. But the consideration of the stamens has further obliged the author of the sexual system to refer certain genera, of the natural order under our present consideration, to his class Dian dria. These are Verbena, Lycopus, Amethystea, Ziziphora, Cunila, Monarda, Rosmarinus, Salvia, and Collinsonia ; of which Verbena and Collinsonia perhaps ought rather to be placed in the other or der of the Didynamia, called Angiospermia." This is correct with regard to Verbena only.