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RAY'S TABLES OF PLANTS
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is a summary of Ray's first attempt at a system of classification. He begins by distinguishing Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees. Proceeding to the detailed classification of Herbs, he divides them into Imperfect "which either do want or seem to want some of the more essential parts of Plants, viz. either Root, Stalk, or Seed," the Cryptogamia of Linnaeus; and Perfect "having all the essential parts belonging to a Plant." The Perfect Herbs are arranged in three main groups according to (1) their leaves, (2) their flowers, (3) their seed-vessel, each group being subdivided in various ways.
Herbs considered according to their Leaves:
- With long Leaves: Frumentaceous, "such whose seed is used by men for food, either Bread, Pudding, Broth, or Drink" (Cereals): or Non-Frumentaceous (other Grasses, Sedges, Reeds).
- Gramineous Herbs of Bulbous Roots (Bulbous Monocotyledons).
- Herbs of Affinity to Bulbous Roots (other Monocotyledons).
- Herbs of Round Leaves (e.g. Petasites, Viola, Pinguicula, Drosera).
- Herbs of Nervous Leaves (e.g. Veratrum, Plantago, Gentiana, Polygonum).
- Succulent Herbs (Sedum, Saxifraga).
- "Herbs considered according to the Superficies of their Leaves, or their Manner of Growing":
- more rough (e.g. Borago, Anchusa, Echium):
- less rough (e.g. Pulmonaria, Symphytum, Heliotropium):
- stellate leaves (e.g. Asparagus, Galium).
Herbs considered according to their flowers: "having no seed-vessel besides the Cup which covers the flower":
- Herbs of Stamineous Flowers, "whose flower doth consist of threddy Filaments or Stamina, having no leaves besides the Perianthium: or those herbaceous leaves encompassing these stamina, which do not wither or fall away before the seed is ripe"; and not of grassy leaves, may be distributed into such whose seeds are
- Triangular (Polygonaceae);
- Round: "distinguishable by sex, of male and female; because from the same seed some plants are produced which bear flowers and no seeds, and others which bear seeds and no flowers" (e.g. Cannabis, Humulus, Mercurialis): not distinguishable by sex (e.g. Chenopodiaceae, Urticaceae, Resedaceae).
Herbs having a Compound Flower not Pappous } (Compositae). Pappous Herbs
- Umbelliferous Herbs (Umbelliferae, with Valeriana).
Verticillate Fruticose Herbs } (Labiatae). Verticillate Not Fruticose Herbs
