Natural Classification

" The calyx is a husk of two valves,

one proceed ing from within the base of the other, like the claw of a crab. These husks are concave, and truly the. leaves of the plant in miniature. The calyx con tains one, two, or more, florets, which are construct ed in the same manner, of two leafy husks, called by Linnaeus petals, to distinguish them from the former. Within the petals the receptacle bears two very minute, roundish, pellucid, extremely tender, wither ing scales, often invisible without a magnifier, which Micheli termed petals, Linnaeus sectaries. Stamens generally three, in a few one, two, or six, with capil lary filaments, and oblong incumbent anthers, whose lobes become separated at each end. Micheli er roneously imagined those which have six stamens, to bear, as it were, doubled flowers. The germen is superior, with two styles, sometimes raised on a common stalk or elongated base, and they are usually reflexed to each side, being either longitudinally hairy, or tufted at the summit only. Seed univer sally solitary, without a capsule, Lygeung only hav ing a nut, of two cells, which is very singular. A few have a simple style, as Zea, Nardus, and Lygeum. The seed is occasionally coated by the petals, which closely enfold it, and are almost united with it, wit ness Ilordeum and Arena ;" (to which examples in dicated by Linnaeus we may add Brim). " Many grasses are furniithed with an awn, ariata, mostly rough, like a prominent bristle, inserted into the back of the outermost petal, either at the bottom, middle, summit, or a little below the latter. This appendage is either straight, or furnished with a joint, and twisted backward, or simply recurred ; in some it is woolly; in several it is accompanied by hairs at the base of the corolla. The use of these parts is to attach the ripe seeds to the coats of ani mals, that they may be the more dispersed." " Although grasses are destitute of spines proper ly so called, a few have their leaves longitudinally involute, in such a manner that their rigid perma nent points have all the properties of thorns, as in Spinifir, and some Festuca. Their foliation is, for the most part, involute, but in some instances, as Dactylis glomerate, it is folded. This character has not as yet received sufficient attention, but ought to be noticed in future, as it may throw great light on the distribution of the family of plants in question. Very few indeed are furnished with setaceous leaves." Order 5. TRIPETALOIDEAS. " Scheucbser and other authors have referred Anew and its allies to Grasses, under the title of Gransinibus qfifnes. In truth, they are so similar to grasses, as scarcely to be distinguishable without fructification. The ge nera are Amu:, 441kt:saes, Triglochin, Scheuch eerie, Elegia and Ratio in the first place, Fla 'aerie, Camera, Butomus, Auntie and Sagittaria." Linnaeus, in his manuscript, has hinted, that the three latter may possibly belong to the above-men bioned section at the end of his Palma; see Ord. 1.

Order 6. EN8ATA. " So called from the form of their leaves, resembling a sword, being perfectly simple, almost linear, alternate, mostly converging by the margins, often cloven longitudinally, so that the edge of one leaf embraces the other, thus con stituting what is termed equitant foliage. The root in many cases is oblong and fleshy, lying flat on the ground, or creeping. But some species of Iris are truly bulbous, like Crocus, Iris, Antholyza, &c. *am, in these genera, simple, erect, zigzag ; but ii Commeline, especially the annual kinds, it is branched, as in Tradescantia. Crocus and Bulbo codiuns have no stems. Leaves usually sword-shaped; very rarely quadrangular; in the bulbous species of his involute ; in not a few Comments* ovate ; in Xyris and various kinds of Eriocaulon awl-shaped .' , Fulcra, or appendages, are scarcely to be found in this order. The calyx is a spathe, though but of a spurious kind, being mostly a large concave valve, resembling a halved sheath in Iris; most beautiful in Commelina, where it is heart-shaped. In Sisyrin• chium however this part is more perfectly bivalve. Corolla generally of six petals ; though in Iris so united by their claws, as to constitute a monope talous corolla. In Commelina and Tradescantia the petals are very distinct, but the three inferior being ruder in texture, and smaller, resemble a calyx. Style with three stigmas,, except some Commelinte. Pericarp a capsule of three cells and three valves, with many seeds ; generally inferior, but not so in Commelina, Tradescantia, and Callisia. Hence it follows that this order affords no certain mark, on which a distinctive character could be founded."

.Order 7. Oacittnam. " Orchis is a most ancient generic appellation, alluding to the testicular shape of the roots, in many plants of this family, which have, at all times, been believed toa stimu lating, or aphrodisiacal virtue. might be comprehended in one genus, in which light also the Umbellatce, Semillosculosce, Papilionacete, might each likewise be considered. But the science would be overwhelmed in confusion by such exten sive genera, which it is therefore found necessary to subdivide.

Many Orchidece have a tuberous fleshy root; not properly to be termed bulbous, because its fibres are thrown out from the top, or crown, whereas true bulbs produce their fibres from the base. These tubers, or knobs, are mostly in pairs ; some of them globose and undivided, others palmate, like the hand. One of these tubers, from whence the plant of the present year has come, being exhausted, will swim in water; the other, destined to blossom next sea son, is so solid as to sink. In the palmate kinds, the former ie vulgarly called the hand of the Devil, the latter the hand of God. Ophrys corallorrhiza however has a threadshaped, branched, and jointed root ; that of 0. bifolia is perfectly fibrous. In other - genera, particularly Epidendrum, the root consists of clusters of fibres." " The stem is solitary and herbaceous, except in several kinds of Epidendrum, quite simple, often leafy. In some however there is merely a leafless, radical flowerstalk, generally round, though not so in Witys Loeselii and paludosa. The leaves are simple, alternate, undivided, sheathing the stem ; sometimes wanting, as in Orchis abortive. Appen dages none at all, except bractens. Inflorescence terminal, either spiked or racemose. Fructification irregular, and very singular, for it is impossible to say what is calyx, and what corolla; nor is this point of much importance, nature having placed no limits between them. There are five petals; besides a nectary, which makes, as it were, a sixth. These five seem to constitute an upper lip, the nectary an under one. Or it may be said that the corolla is composed of three outer, often ruder, petals ; and three inner, the lowermost of which ()nicht rather to be desteininated a nectary. This last is various in different genera, having its appropriate figure and dimensions, while the rest of the petals are more uniform. Sometimes the middlemost of the five pe tals, composing the upper lip, (like that of a ringent or helmet-shaped flower,) is more erect and dilated ; but I have received some species from the Cape of Good Hope, in which these petals are united to each other, and elongated at their common base in to a spur. Such will constitute a new division or genus, of this family, as it stands in the Species Plantarum, many of which have a spur from the base of the lower lip, or nectary. The petals how ever do not afford sufficient distinctions, for genera or species. The former are determined by the nee. tart', which is for that purpose principally to be re garded. There is indeed no occasion to advert to any other part than the flower of these plants, for distinguishing either genera or species. Valliant therefore, and Seguier, have contented themselves with delineating their various flowers alone." " The stamens consist of two anthers, nearly without filaments, very singular, and peculiar to this order, concealed in a double pouch or hood, but their pollen has not been ascertained. They are,. " contracted at the base, naked, or destitute of a akin, divisible like the pulp of an orange, and cover. ed each by a cell open underneath, inserted into the inner margin of the as described in the Genera Plantarum. It remains therefore for in quiry, whether the anthers burst in these as in other stamens, and whether the pollen explodes upon the female organs ? or whether there be any internal communication between the anthers and germen?" This latter opinion Linnaeus was inclined to adopt, because, (as he thought), " the pistil was so obscure, that no one was able to any whether there were any style or stigma." We cannot but remark here that the latter is sufficiently apparent, in the form of a shining glutinous depression or cavity, just below the anthers ; nor is there any doubt that the pollen, though different in texture from other plants, and various in the different species of these, performs the office of impregnation by the stigma. It consists of naked elastic or granular masses, being what Linnaeus terms the anthers.