1. " Monocotyledones. Ord. I-x inclusive.

ii.

Dicotyledones & Polycotyledones. Ord. XII-LIV inclusive.

Acotyledones.

Ord. LV - LVII.

Of the Xlth order some have single, others double cotyledons; but the reason of the subdivision of the cotyledons I will not add. Perhaps you, or some one, at a distant period will discover it, and you will then see that I was already acquainted with it. But you must labour hard at it for ten years at least.

"G. But why, I pray you, will you not now give the reason: L. Because my orders were unfavourably received by those who did not understand them. Of the first class I had the connection in my mind; and in the second and third, I know that some are more nearly related than others. Where it was in my power I have given them their proper situation. Thus, the papilio-naceae are related to the lomentaceae; the umbellatae to the hederaceae, but yet distinct. Others may have a less manifest connection: some have none. I should wish to know with what orders the siliquosae are connected?"

If this extract appears to have little affinity with the great object of the work, it must be recollected that we shall endeavour to point out the connection between the natural affinities and the medical powers of plants, and that it is of course necessary to show in what these natural affinities consist. These doctrines will also assist in some other arrangements, which must be the subjects of our consideration. At all events, little has been said in any botanical work on the subject, and the explanation is wholly new to the English reader; consequently interesting. We may remark, that M. Giseke has prefixed what he styles ' A Geographico-genealogical Map of the Affinities of the Orders.' This consists of circles of different diameters, each of which has the title of one of the orders, and is of a size proportioned to the number of its genera. They are at different distances according to the affinity: some touch, others pass beyond the circumference of its neighbour when the affinity is considerable; and, at the point where they touch or encroach, we find the connecting neighbouring genera. Let us just mention a fact, that in the moment occurs to us on inspecting the map. The palmae are nutritious, and in different parts farinaceous: the order most nearly connected with these is the tripelatoideae; and the connecting genus is the butomus, which we have very lately learnt from the Russian naturalists is employed by the Kalmucks to make bread. The species is the b. umbellatus. Numerous observations of a similar kind we shall have occasion to add.

The first of the Linnaean natural orders is the pal-mi. These are sufficiently distinct in their form and their properties. A farinaceous or an oily substance abounds in all the species; and so rich is the palm in supplying all the wants of man in a less artificial and refined state of society, that where these trees abound.

scarcely any thing else is wanting for food, for defence, or for convenience.

The second order, the piperitae, contain but few genera; but all are pungent or aromatic. The pepper, the arum, the calla, the acorus, and dracontium. Of these the acorus only is aromatic. The calamariae are the rushes, of which the carex arenaria, and two species of cyperus, are employed; and agree in a warm strengthening quality, which adapts them for humoral asthmas, and for rheumatism. The c. arenaria is called the sarsaparilla of the Germans. It rather, however, resembles the guaiacum.

The gramina, which include the various kinds of the cerealia, seem to contain in the greater number of species a saccharine and farinaceous matter evolved in different parts of the plant. The former is often found in the leaves, though more generally in the seeds, always to be elicited by a slight preparation. Instances of these properties may be found in the sugar cane, and in barley; from which, by heat and moisture, malt is formed. These are connected, by botanical analogy and medical properties, with the rushes on one hand, and the olera-ceae on the other. One species of lolium is the only plant of this order supposed to be injurious, and the only one of the order used in medicine: the gramen caninum was employed on an uncertain foundation, and is now neglected.

The tripetatoloideae, which follow, are related to the rushes and palms. The butomus, as we have observed, is a connecting link, but the species have no medical virtue. A species of the calamus, viz. c. ro-tang, is said to produce the sanguis draconis; but this is doubted, and the medicine itself scarcely possesses any powers.

The Ensatae contain only the crocus and the iris, employed in medicine; and, as the former is now found to be useless, we cannot compare the medical powers of the two genera. In the roots of the iris there is an astringency with a considerable acrimony, and they have been employed with success in dropsy. From general affinity, the colchicum should perhaps have been inserted in this order. Botanical refinement alone seems to have excluded it.

The orchideae contain the orchis; several species of which are at different times employed to produce the nutritious farina, the salep. The only other genus employed is the epidendrium, which furnishes the vanilla. This also is nutritious, and, in the opinion of Linnaeus, (Amaenit. Academ. vol. vii.) aphrodisiac.

The scitamineae are almost exclusively aromatic and mucilaginous, if we except only the musa and canna; which, as nutritious substances, are not very distant. This order contains the ginger, the cardamoms, the costas, galangals, and zedoary. The acorus is the only European plant, though not a medicinal one. The musa is not properly a species of this order.

The spathaceae, the next order, are not very strictly medical, or probably natural. Its characteristic is a bulb, consisting of the bases of the leaves of the preceding year, and consequendy tunicated; but a gem consistsonly of the rudiments of the future leaves. In the latter, the scales become leaves: in the former, the bases of the old leaves become fleshy. All the spathaceae are acrid, but this quality is vague; and we think Murray, among some useless or inconvenient alterations, has properly united the garlic, the colchicum, the crocus, hellebore, sabadillum, the squill, and several similar medicinal plants, under a new order, the liliaceae. Many of these are included by Linnaeus under the following order, the coronariae; a term by no means descriptive, as it implies only a group of beautiful flowers, employed in making garlands, coronae. The chief difference between these and the spathaceae consists in the spatha. The roots of some of these plants are esculent, but it is not uncommon to find considerable acrimony sheathed in the root by farina.