Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London - University Library

28 PROCEEDINGS OF THE
' Systeraa Naturae,' which gave the outlines of his method of
classifying natural objects, and is of especial interest as containing
his artificial " sexual system " of plants based upon the number and
position of the reproductive organs of the flower. Prom this
time onward he devoted himself more particularly to the study of
plants, so that all his larger subsequent works were mainly or
entirely botanical. The ' Systema IVaturse ' was followed, within
a year, by the ' Fuudamenta Botanica,' in which the principles of
botanical science are clearly and concisely laid down. The year
1737 was marked by the issue, first, of the ' Critica Botanica,'
authoritatively stating rules of nomenclature ; and, secondly, of
the 'Genera Plantarum," in which those rules are applied to the
generic names of plants. In the following year appeared the
' Classes Plantarum,' in which an account is given of all the
systems of classification from Ctesalpinus onwards, both tlie earlier
and the Linnean generic names being included, together with a
fragment of a natural system. In 1751 the ' Philosophica
Botanica ' was published as an expansion of the ' Pundamenta,' a
work which, as Pulteney says, " must be considered as the
institutions of the Linnean system of botany," or indeed of any
system of botany Mhatsoever. Pinally, in 1753, appeared the
' Species Plantarum,' the crowning work of the series, in which
definite specific names were for the first time assigned to plants.
Thus it was that Botany was provided with a precise descriptive
language .-
with
generic names based upon fixed characters ; with
specific names in the place of involved descriptions ; and with a
system that facilitated the determination of any given plant
changes that have been fitly designated the " Eeformation " of the
science.
A few words must be devoted to the discussion of the relation
of Linnaeus to the development of the natural system of classification.
It has been thought, it is sometimes thought even now,
that the " sexual system " was devised by Linnseus as an alternative
to the " natural system " ; that he was, as it were, the apostle of
artificial classification. Nothing could be fiu-ther from his
intention. Not only did he himself elaborate a fragment of the
natural system, but he expressed over and over again, and in
the clearest language, his conviction that the end and object of
every genuine botanist should be to contribute to the elucidation
of such a system based upon a recognition of the true affinities of
plants. " Let those who can," he says, " amend, extend, and perfect
this system, but let those who are unequal to the task desist from
attempting it : those who succeed are distinguished botanists
(' Classes Plantarum,' p. 487).
Excellent as were the intentions of Linnasus, there can, however,
be no doubt that the enthusiastic acceptance of his artificial
system tended rather to impede than to stimulate the pursuit of
the natural system. Without any fault of Ids, the scaffolding
that he had found it necessary to erect was taken to be the edifice
itself. That this was so is demonstrated by the historical fact
" :