Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists
History
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists
Botanists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Botany -- Great Britain -- History
It was not till nearly forty years after Morison's death, not until
Bobart too was dead, that a full statement of Morison's method was
published. In 1720 there appeared at Oxford a small tract of but twelve
pages, the _Historiae Naturalis Sciagraphia_, containing an account of
a complete system of classification, which agrees in all essentials,
so far as herbaceous plants are concerned with that adopted by Morison
and by Bobart in their respective volumes of the _Historia_: and, as
regards trees and shrubs, with that in the MS. volume by Bobart which
has been already mentioned. The tract is anonymous, but the matter that
it contains is Bobart's work, whether it was written by himself or
by some one who had access to his papers. This classification may be
accepted as being essentially that of Morison, though somewhat modified
by Bobart, who had undoubtedly been influenced by Ray's systematic
writings which had appeared meanwhile. It is of such interest that it
may be reproduced here, somewhat compressed, with an indication of the
modern equivalents of the groups.
I. ARBORES.
Coniferae semper virentes: most coniferous genera.
" foliis deciduis: _Larix_, _Alnus_, _Betula_.
Glandiferae: _Quercus_.
Nuciferae: _Juglans_, _Fagus_, _Corylus_, _Laurus_, &c.
Pruniferae: _Prunus_, _Olea_, &c.
Pomiferae: _Pyrus_, _Citrus_, _Punica_, _Ficus_, &c.
Bacciferae: _Taxus_, _Juniperus_, _Morus_, _Arbutus_, _Sorbus_, &c.
Siliquosae: _Cercis_, and other leguminous trees.
Fructu membranaceo: _Acer_, _Carpinus_, _Tilia_, _Fraxinus_, Ulmus.
Lanigerae non Juliferae: _Platanus_, _Gossypium_.
Juliferae et Lanigerae: _Populus_, _Salix_.
Sui generis Arbor: _Palma_.
II. FRUTICES.
Nuciferi: _Staphylea_.
Pruniferi: _Cornus_.
Bacciferi, foliis deciduis: _Viburnum_, _Rhus_, _Rosa_, _Ribes_, &c.
" semper virentes: _Ruscus_, _Phillyrea_, _Myrtus_,
_Buxus_, &c.
Leguminosi: _Genista_, _Cytisus_, _Colutea_.
Binis Loculamentis: _Justicia_, _Syringa_.
Capsulis tetragonis: _Philadelphus_, _Tetragonia_.
" pentagonis: _Cistus_.
Multicapsulares: _Spiraea_, _Erica_.
Lanigeri: _Salix_, _Tamarix_, _Nerium_.
III. SUFFRUTICES.
Scandentes capreolis: _Vitis_, _Bignonia_, _Smilax_.
" viticulis: _Lonicera_, _Jasminum_, _Solanum_, &c.
" radiculis: _Hedera_.
IV. HERBAE.
Sectio i. =Scandentes=: Bacciferae: _Bryonia_, _Tamus_, &c.
Pomiferae: most Cucurbitaceae.
Campanulatae: Convolvulaceae.
Sectio ii. =Leguminosae, Papilionaceae siliquis bivalvibus=:
Leguminous herbs.
Sectio iii. =Siliquosae Tetrapetalae Bicapsulares=: Cruciferae
(with _Veronica_ and _Polygala_).
hisce adjiciuntur quaedam: _Chelidonium_, _Fumaria_,
_Epilobium_, &c.
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