ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS.

23

On the application of the foregoing Rules towards discoveringthe Genera of Plants.

If the reader has properly consulted the different parts of fructifi-cation as laid down in the preceding observations, he will with a littlePractice be able to refer any flower of a common form to its place in thesystem, which he may consider as a principal step towards the know-ie 'lge of Botany.

We shall now begin to examine this, and find by reading the fore-going pages and consulting the parts of fructification, that the Rose is>n the class Icosandria, order Polygyria. That in the British Florathere are only two plants in this order having a five-cleft calyx, namelyJlosa and Rubus: and the latter we find has a granulated seed-vessel,by which it is at once distinguished.

The limits of this introductory matter will not allow of our goingmore at length into this subject. Comparisons should be made with dif-ferent flowers in this way, accompanied with the descriptions at fulllength from the Genera Plantarum, or any of the translations of thatwork, and the student thereby will soon be enabled to detect the ge-nus; and frum the following abridged characters of the different Britishplants, aided with a little assistance received practically at our usuallectures, he will understand the science sufficiently to study by him-self if assisted by a few books, wherein more copious descriptions aregiven than this small work will admit of.—The Genera Plantarum, orits Translation by the Lichfield Society.—Martyn's Language of Bo-tany: and, if he wishes to pursue this favourite science beyond thelimits of British botany, Willdenow'a Species Plantarum, or Turton'sTranslation of i he \egetable part of .Murray's Systems Natura,

Thus in the examination of the Dog-rose, I find that the stamensare fixed on the calyx, which points it out to belong to the tcelfthclass Icosandria. I also find the calyx to be a periauthium of fiveleaves or divisions, with a ventricose tube; the divisions of the calyxare spreading, of an oval shape, and sharp-pointed.

The Conor r,A is composed of five petals, reversely heart-shaped,the length of and inserted into the neck of the calyx.

Stamens. —Filaments numerous, capillary, short, inserted like thepetals into the neck of the calyx. The anthers are three-cornered.

Pistils. —Germs numerous in the bottom of the calyx, styles of thesame number, villous, very short, inserted into the side of the germ,stigma obtuse.

Pericarp. —A berry of a top-shape, fleshy, one-celled, contractedin the neck frum the operation of the persisting calyx.

Seeds many, oblong, hispid, affixed to the interior side of the pericarp.

'thus have we regularly delineated the generic character of the

Dog-rose (Rosa) at full length, which is all that is necessary to give