be denied, that it embraces several great assemblages of vegetables, which are related to each other by striking family affinities. The genus Cactus, which stands at the head of the class, does not seem to have much relation with the other genera. This genus, however, together with Tetragonia, Mesembryanthemum, and Aizoon, are referred by Linnæus to his order Succulentæ, formerly mentioned. Cactus gives name to an order (Cacti) in the system of Mr. De Jussieu. This order, beside Cactus, embraces the genus Ribes, or Currant, which belongs to Pentandria. Eugenia, Psidium, Myrtus, Calyptranthes, and some others, belong to Linnæus's nineteenth order, Hesperidea*. What a pity, that Linnæus did not contrive to put his genus Citrus, which, indeed, furnishes us with golden-like fruit, in this poetic order!

PUNICA, Amygdalus, Prunus, Chrysobalanus, Crataegus, Sorbus, Mespilus, Pyrus, and Spiræa, together with Ribes, are referred to the Swedish naturalist's

* From Hesperides, the three daughters of Hesperus, the brother of Atlas, whose orchards bore golden fruit, which were kept by a watchful dragon, which Hercules slew, and thus obtained the fruit. The poets have immortalized the name of Hesperides; but, after all the learned labours of the commentators, we are still in the dark as to the situation of these celebrated gardens. Virgil places them in the most western parts of Africa, and adds, that, beside the dragon, the garden contained a priestest and a temple:

"Hinc mihi Massylæ gentis monstrata sacerdos,

Hesperidum templi custos, epulasque draconi
"Quæ dabat, et sacros servabat in arbore ramos,
"Spargens humida mella soporiferumque papaver."

ENRID. Lib. IV. 483-486.

I do not doubt, that under the mythological fable of the Hesperides is buried some highly interesting piece of history; perhaps the introduction, after great dangers by sea or land, of some valuable fruits into Greece.

thirty-sixth natural order, Pomacea*. All the genera mentioned under the head of the order Polygynia, with the exception of Calycanthus, belong to the thirty-fifth natural order, Senticosat. Alchemilla, Aphanes, and Agrimonia, are also referred to this order. The order Rosacea in the system of Mr. De Jussieu embraces all the genera of the two Linnæan orders just mentioned, together with several others.

THE class Icosandria might, with some degree of propriety, be denominated the ESCULENT CLASS. In the sexual system there is no class of the same extent to which we are indebted for such a number of fine esculent vegetables, of the fruit kind. The fruits of some species of Cactus, or Indian-Fig, are deemed good eating. Some species of Eugenia also afford excellent fruits. But the finest and most substantial fruits of this class are those of the genus Amygdalus, comprehending the Peach and Almond; the different kinds of Prunus, known by the names of Plumb and Cherry; of Pyrus, or Apples and Pears; of Mespilus, or Medlars; of Rubus, or Bramble (such as the Rubus idaeus, or Raspberry, the R. caesius, or Dewberry, the R. Chamamorus, or Cloud-berry), of Fragaria, or Strawberry, and others.

To the materia medica, the class Icosandria has not given many important articles. Some, however, it has given, and these deserve to be mentioned. The genera Eugenia and Myrtus furnish us with those valuable aromatics, the Clove and the Pimento. The shells of the Punica, or Pomegranate, and the root of the Tormentilla, or Tormentil, are still employed, as astrin

Pomace, from pomum, an apple.

Senticosa, from sentis, a brier, or bramble.

gent articles, by physicians. The bark of the Prunus virginiana, or American Wild-Cherry, is certaintly entitled to the attention of physicians, as a remedy for intermittents, and other diseases*. Different species of Geum, or Avens, have acquired some reputation, as substitutes for the Peruvian bark. Buchave has published an express dissertation concerning the virtues of the Geum urbanum, Common Avens, or Herb-Bennet. The American species of Geum are known to be useful medicines, but are generally neglected by physicians. The root of the Spiræa trifoliata, or Indian-Physic, is a good emetic. It is said, that there grows in the State of Kentucky, another species, which is still more valuable, as an emetic, than the S. trifoliata. With respect to the remarkable effects of the fruit of the Strawberry in curing the gout of Linnæus, how much cause have I to wish, while I write this very paragraph†, that this fine fruit would afford only a portion of similar relief to others afflicted with the same hydra-disease.

A LARGE proportion of the Icosandrous genera are natives of the United-States. Species of the following genera are, unquestionably, indigenous to this great tract of country: viz. Cactus, Philadelphus, Prunus, Cratægus, Sorbus, Mespilus, Pyrus, Spiræa, Rosa, Rubus, Fragaria, Potentilla, Geum, Comarum, and Calycanthus. It is doubtful, whether any part of America possesses a native species of Amygdalus. The Abbe Clavigero expressly informs us, that the Peach (Amygdalus Persica) was imported into Mexico from the old-world. I am inclined to think, that this fine vegetable is really a foreigner in all the countries of America, in which it is

* See Dr. Morris's Inaugural Dissertation. Philadelphia: 1802. +June 11th, 1802.

now found. America, I believe, may claim a native species of Pear. But no Apple, properly so called, has been found indigenous in the new-world. We can boast, however, of the beauty and perfume of the blossoms of Pyrus coronaria, or Crab-apple.

FOR an illustration of the class Icosandria, see Plate XVIII.

CLASS XIII.

POLYANDRIA.

MANY MALES.

THE thirteenth class is denominated POLYANDRIA*. This class embraces those hermaphrodite vegetables which are furnished with a number of stamens, that are inserted into the receptacle of the flower. I have already observed, that it is by this circumstance, though it is not expressed in the name of the class, that the Polyandrous vegetables are distinguished from those of the class Icosandria.

WITH respect to the number of the stamens of this class, it is said by Linnæus, that they are generally from twenty to a thousand. It is true, that many of the plants of the class Polyandria are furnished with a very great

• From Пoλus, many.

number of stamens, far above twenty; such as Poppy, Capparis, Cistus, Ranunculus, and others. But in the class Icosandria, there are not a few genera which are as abundantly supplied with these sexual organs, such as Cactus, Eugenia, Rosa, and others. By attending, however, to the very different manner of insertion of the many-stamened plants of these two classes, we shall have no difficulty in referring them to their proper classes.

PROFESSOR Gmelin, in his edition of the Systema Naturæ, has united the two classes Icosandria and Polyandria into one, which retains the name of POLYANDRIA! I cannot but consider this as a very injudicious alteration; and I am happy to unite in sentiment, on this subject, with a number of able botanists*. The classes Icosandria and Polyandria should be kept apart, and not merely in subordinate divisions, but in the higher associations, or classes. Nature is remarkably regular and constant in the place of insertion of the stamens. Besides, by uniting, or rather confounding, the two classes in question, we render the sexual system much more artificial than it really was, when it came from the hands of its GREAT ARCHITECT: we, thus, deprive it of one of its charms, its occasional approach to a NATURAL SYSTEM. For although the system of Linnæus is pro. fessedly artificial, it has, certainly, some claim to the character of a natural assemblage of vegetables; and I cannot help thinking, that in proportion as it is rendered more artificial, it will lose a part of its value.

It has already been observed, that the class Icosandria contains a great number of esculent and innocent vege

* Professor Martyn, Dr. J. E. Smith, Dr. Darwin, Professor Willdenow, and others.