Natural Classification

Order 12. HOLERACEJE, pot-herbs, (erroneously printed holoracece in Gen. Pl. which has misled se veral writers). " This denomination is given to plants that are tender or brittle in the mouth, and easy of digestion, like many of the order before us." The order is divided into several sections. Of the first Blitum, Atriplex, Chrnopodium, Salsola, Salicornia, &c. are examples. The second consists of Petiveria, Calligonum, Ceratocarpus and Calli triche was subsequently removed to the 15th order. In the third section Axyris stands alone. Of the fourth Herniaria, Illecebrum, Amaranthus, Phy tolacca, may serve to give an idea. The fifth berg with Begonia, (of whose affinity Linnaeus candidly confesses his ignorance, and to which no botanist has yet found an ally). Next follow Rumex, Rheum, Polygonum, &c. The sixth section has Nyasa, Mi *atop, Rhixoplaora, Bucida and Anacardium ; and the seventh Laurus, IVinterana and Heisteria ; in both which the fleshy receptacle appears, where he could trace it, to have guided Linnaeus to an arrange ment evidently paradoxical, which he labours, with out satisfying us, to justify.

Order 18. SUCCULENT2E.

" Bradley wrote on Succulent Plants, by which he meant such as could net be preserved in a Hortus Simms. When gather ed, vegetables of this nature will live, often for a -whole year, flowering as they hang up in a house. and throwing out roots afterwards if planted. All such plants, however, do not enter into the present order. Euphoria and Aloe are excluded. The Sec re grow, and become very turgid, in the driest soil, nor are any found in watery places. If moistened too much they perish, and their roots •lecay. They afford, in putrefying, a fine vegetable mould, whereas dry plants, like heath and fir,scarce -ly yield any." Linnaeus has distinguished these into four sections. In the first are Cactus, Tama rix, and others. Nymphaa placed here, in the Lin ,nsean manuscript, as well as in Giseke's publication, was afterwards removed by Linnseturto his Rhoeadece. Sarracenia be conceived to be akin thereto. In his second section are Sedum and its numerous allies; in the third Fortulaca, Claytonia, arc.; and in the fourth a very different assemblage, as we should -think, •composed of Sass/raga, Adaxa, &c. and even Hydrangea.' Linnteus however thought all these sections nearly related. " They are," says he, "suc culent, insipid, inert, and inodorous, therefore mere pot-herbs, widely different from the other fleshy plants, Stapelia, &c. whose fructification is so unlike them, and qualities are so poisonous. We find in this order, that opposite or alternate leaves is an indifferent circumstance. These plants have no true spines, no tendrils, nor climbing stems, neither stipules nor bracteaa." (Giseke well remarks, that Sedum acre is one exception to their alleged insipidi ty, though we can scarcely agree with him that Sem pen:iv:an tectorunt is another.) Order 14: GRIIIWALES. The best brown genera here are Liam, Drosera, Oxalis, Geranium and its relations. Linnteus admits also Quassia, Zygophyl lane, Averrhoa, &c., and his editor inserts, with well

founded doubt, Sparmannia. Their roots and habits are various. Calyx usually of five leaves, and corolla of five petals. Stamens various in number and con nexion. Pistils mostly five or ten. Fruits various. Linnteus professed himself unable to define the cha racter of this order. Many of the plants have acid leaves.

Order 15. INUNDATZE. " SO called because they row in water, many of them under its surface, ex cept their blossoms.' Potamogeton is the genus most generally known, to which Linnaeus suspected Orontium to be related, but not correctly. My riophylluns, Prompina,oa, Hippuris, &c. are placed and even Elaine, notwithstanding its numerous seeds. Chem and Nigas form a section at the end. Callitriche, Lemma, and even Pistia, were proposed to be brought hither ; with Saururus and Aponoge• ton.

" The qualities of the Inundate are very obscure. These plants are mostly inodorous, except a fishy scent in some ; nor have they any particular taste; hence they are not used medicinally." This order is 'out of its place with respect to the arrangement by the cotyledons, of which Linneus seems aware, from the remarks subjoined to it, in his lectures, concerning that principle. To these we shall hereafter refer.

Order 16. CALYCIFLOR1E. This consists of My ris, Trophis, and Eleagnas. No obser vation relative to it is given in the lectures, except that these genera are removed elsewhere. A manu script note before us indicates a suspicion of its re lationship to the 6th section of the Holeracecr. Lin nteus sometimes referred Memecylon to one of these orders, sometimes to the other, but finally, to his 18th ; we should rather presume it belongs to the 19th notwithstanding the definite number of the sta mens, which caused Jussieu to range this genus with the Linntean Calycanthenite ; see the next order.

Order 17. CALYCANTHEME. " The title of this order is precisely synonymous with the last, and is applicable in a different manner to the different ge nera of which the present consists. In those whose germen is inferior, the calyx bears the flower and enfolds the germen ; in those where the latter is su perior, it. is unconnected with the calyx, into which that the stamens are, in at case, inserted, like the Sen. lima and Poniacea, not into the receptacle. The germen is inferior in Epilobium, Oenothera, Gaura, Juniata, Ludnrigia and Isnarda, as well as in Ment xelia and Loom" (or Loans) ; " in the rest, Amman nia, Gridea, Glans, Peplis Frankenia, Lythrion, Melastoma, Osbeckia and itexia, it is superior. Some genera have four, others five or six petals. Clause and Isnarda have none. Annnannia and Pe rlis have occasionally petals, or not, in the same plant. Melastonsa has a berry ; the rest a capsule, usually of four or five cells, in some genera of but two, or one." Linnteus mentions Melasionm as the only arboreous genus. The rest are herbaceous, (rarely shrubby), with opposite or alternate leaves; stamens from four to twelve, pistil always solitary, the stigmas either four or one.