An early system of plant taxonomy, the Lindley system, was first published by John Lindley as An Introduction to the Natural System of Botany (Natural History, 1830). This was a minor modification of that of de Candolle (1813). He developed this further over a number of publications, including the Nixus plantarum (1833) and a second edition of Natural History (1836), in which he introduced the concept of a higher order of taxonomic rank, the Alliances, in which he embedded the Tribes (families). He also expanded his ideas on Exogens in his entry of that name in the Penny Cyclopedia (1838). In 1839 he revised his division of the plant kingdom into classes in an article in the Botanical Register. Lindley's system culminated in the three editions of his Vegetable Kingdom (1846, 1847, 1853).

The schema of the Natural History is shown on pages xxxv and xxxvii-xlviii. In the Vegetable Kingdom, the schema for the first edition is on pp. lv–lxviii. The third and final edition was published in 1853, with the schema on p. lv. Cross references from Natural History to Vegetable Kingdom in [Square brackets].

Summary

An Introduction to the Natural History of Botany (1830)

Schema p. xxxv,

Outline p. xxxvii

Index p. 345

Genera organised into Orders (referred to as Tribes, in English)

Vegetable Kingdom (1846–1853)

Summary of previous systems p. xxxv (see Notes)

Schema for 1846 and 1853 p. lv

Genera organised into Alliances and Orders

Flowerless plants (Asexual)

  • Class I: Thallogens
  • Class II: Acrogens

Flowering plants (Sexual)

  • Class III: Rhizogens
  • Class IV: Endogens
  • Class V: Dictyogens
  • Class VI: Gymnogens
  • Class VII: Exogens
  • Index to Vegetable Kingdom p. 833

Natural History orders (1830–1836)

165 orders (list p. 3)

Class I: Vasculares: Flowering plants

p. 1

Subclass I: Exogenae (Dicotyledons)

Subclass II: Endogenae (Monocotyledons)

Endogenae, or Monocotyledonous Plants p. 251

(May be Tripetaloideous, Hexapetaloideous or Spadiceous)

.....

Class II: Cellulares: Flowerless plants

p. 307

Vegetable Kingdom alliances and orders (1846–1853)

(pages refer to 1853 edition)

Flowerless plants

p. 5

Class I: Thallogens

3 Alliances

Class II: Acrogens

3 Alliances p. 51

Flowering plants

Class III: Rhizogens

3 orders p. 83

Class IV: Endogens (Monocotyledons)

11 Alliances p. 95

Class V: Dictyogens

5 orders p. 211

Class VI: Gymnogens

4 orders p. 221

Class VII: Exogens

4 subclasses

  • Sub-class I: Diclinous Exogens 8 alliances p. 249
  • Sub-class II: Hypogynous Exogens 13 alliances p. 325 Alliance 26: Violales p. 325 Family 116: Violaceae p. 338
  • Sub-class III: Perigynous Exogens 10 alliances p. 523 48. Echiales p. 649 Family 258: Boraginaceae p. 655
  • Sub-class IV: Epigynous Exogens 7 alliances p. 688

Notes

His final schemata is illustrated in the Vegetable Kingdom, his last work, on pages lv-lxvii. In this work he also reviews all his previous publications relative to the many known systems published at that time.

Bibliography