Page:An introduction to physiological and systematical botany (1st edition).djvu/383

 3. Seeds 1, 2, 3, 4, or numerous. 4. Seed-vessels 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.

The work of Cæsalpinus, though full of information, was too deep to be of common use, and excited but little attention. A century afterwards Morison, Professor of Botany at Oxford, improved somewhat upon the ideas of the last-mentioned writer, but has been justly blamed for passing over in silence the source of his own information. Ray, the great English naturalist, formed a considerably different system upon the fruit, as did Hermann, Professor at Leyden, and the great Boerhaave, but in these last there is little originality.

Rivinus, Ruppius and Ludwig in Germany proposed to arrange plants by the various forms of their Corolla, as did Tournefort the illustrious French botanist, whose system is by far the best of the kind; and this having been more celebrated than most others, I shall give a sketch of its plan

In the first place we meet with the old but highly unphilosophical division into Herbs and Trees, each of which sections is