AeraNnix. Palinx. The magnificent natural order of palms was placed by Lin nails as an appendix to his system, be cause their parts of fructification were not well known when he first wrote. They are now, however, in general so well understood, that the plants in ques tion are easily reducible to the regular classes of the Linmean system; and it would he advisable for any future editor to arrange them accordingly. They prin cipally belong to the Hexandria Monogy nia, and are nearly allied to many plants already referred to that class.
Palms are called by Linmcus the prin ces of the vegetable kingdom, and are re markable for their lofty growth, their sim ple stems crowned with evergreen leaves, and their abundant fruits. Among them we find the date, so valuable an article of food for many nations ; the cocoa nut, and many other fruits of less value. Some supply whole nations with oil, for food or economical uses, from their fruits; with wine from the juices of their stem, or with cordage from its fibres.
We shall now proceedto give a sketch of the natural system of arrangement published by Jussieu, a botanist of the first eminence, now living at Paris. Its primary divisions are rcunded upon the structure of the seed, whence is derived the distinction of all plants into Acotyle dones, destitute of a cotyledon ; Monoco tyledones, such as have one cotyledon ; and Dicotyledones, such as have two. Un der the last are included a few generating have numerous cotyledons, as l'inus and its allies, which Jussieu considers as hav ing two cotyledons, each divided into several segments, but erroneously. So that this last section should rather be characterised as having two or more co tyledons.
The classes of Jussieu's method are fif teen, and comprise in all an hundred or ders. These classes have no appropriate names, but are distinguished by numbers, with a short definition of the essential character. The orders, except those of the first class, are for the most part named after some principal genus belonging to each. It is to be observed, that, with re spect to the cotyledons, there are some inaccuracies in the terms used, for many of the supposed Monocotyledones are now known to have no cotyledon at all, and what has been so called in the rest is more properly an albumen.
Class I. Acotyledones. The orders of
this are in a great measure analogous to the 24th class in Linnxus. 1. Fungi ; 2. .ffigx ; 3. //epaticx ; 4. -Mari ; 5. Fa ces; to which is added a sixth, termed Naiades, which contains several water plants, as llippuris, My riophyllum, Pota mogeton, Lemma, &c. Along with which Jussieu reckons several genera, of the structure of whose seed, and consequent ly of the primary character of whose class, he was uneertain.
Class II. Monocotyledones with the sta mens inserted beneath the germen, or, in Linn:ran language, having the germen superior.
The orders are four, 7. Aroidere ; as Arum, &c. 3. Typh,e, consisting of Typha and Sparganium ; 9. as Carex, Scirpus, Cyperus, &c. and, 10. Graminere, the true grasses.
Class III. .211onocotyledones, with the sta mens inserted round the pistil, this is upon the calyx or corolla The orders are eight, 11. Palma., of which we have spoken at the end of the Linnxan system ; 12. Asparagi, Aspara gus, Convallaria, &c. ; 13. Junci, Juncus, &c. to which are added, Commelina, Be tomus, Sagittaria, Veratrum, and even Colchicum 14 Liha, as Tulipa, Fritil laria, Lilium, &c. 15. Bronzelix, of which the Pine apple and Agave are instances; 16 Asphodc/i, consisting of Aloe, Aspho delus, Hyacinthus, Ornithogalum, Allium, and several others. 17. Xarcissi, IIeme rocallis, Narcissus, Galanth us, and others ; 18. Iri.les, Ferraria, Iris, Ixia, Gladiolus, Crocus, exemplify this order.
with the sta mens inserted upon the germen or style, that is, having the germen inferior.
The orders are four, 19. 31asce, includ ing the plantain-tree and Heliconia 20.
Canny, which are the Scitaminex of Lin watts and other writers, and which have been lately so ably illustrated by Mr. Ros coe, in the 8th 'volume of the Linntean. Society's Transactions ; 21. Orchidee, a beautiful and favourite tribe ; 22. Hydro chartdes, a rather obscure order, under which Jussieu enumerates Vallisneria, Stratiotes, Hydrocharis, and some others which are very doubtful, or rather cer tainly misplaced here.
Class V. Dicotyledones, without petals, stamens as in the last class.
Order only one, 23. Aristolochice, con sisting of Aristolochia, Asarum, and Cyti nus, in the first of which Jussieu takes for a calyx what other botanists esteem a corolla.