Sexual System of Plants

Clavis Systematis Sexualis (key to the sexual system) in the 1st edition of Systema Naturae (1735).

As sexual system of plants is Carl Linnaeus pioneering botanical classification referred to the vegetable kingdom, in which he based the plants of features of their reproductive organs classified . Linnaeus published the main features of this system for the first time at the end of 1735 in the first edition of his work Systema Naturae .

Classification method

In his writings, Linnaeus used the term fructificatio , which is derived from the Latin terms fructus ("fruit") and facere ("to produce") and which can be represented with fruiting organs . Linnaeus understood it to mean the totality of the components of a flower that are used for reproduction . He attached particular importance to the stamens and pistils , i.e. the male and female sex organs of a plant.

Linnaeus defined his classes by the visibility and location of the fruiting organs and the properties of the stamens. The order arose from the number and position of stamens and pistils. He was aware that he was arranging the plants according to an artificial system that did not take into account the natural relationships.

Linnaeus system

Clavis Systematis Sexualis in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae .

The panel Caroli Linnaei Classes Sive Literae drawn by Georg Dionysius Ehret in the 1st edition of Systema Naturale .

Later version of Ehret's drawing.

Linné explained to Georg Dionysius Ehret his new classification system for plants during his work on the Hortus Cliffortianus , whereupon Ehret made a drawing with the distinguishing features of the 24 classes, initially for his private use. The board with the title Caroli Linnaei classes sive literae was part of the first edition of Linné's Systema Naturae as early as 1735 and was later used in other works by Linné.

Here Ehret's drawings serve to illustrate Linnaeus' sexual system in plants. The corresponding orders are listed under the bold class name. This is followed by examples of some plant genera that belong to the respective class.

Fruiting organs are clearly visible
	Monoclinia : stamens and pistils on a flower
		Stamens are not fused
			all stamens are of the same length , but vary in number
				I. Monandria monogynia, Digynia e.g. B. Canna
				II. Diandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia e.g. B. Olea , Piper
				III. Triandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia e.g. B. Crocus , Iris
				IV. Tetrandria Monogynia, Digynia, Tetragynia e.g. B. Protea , Hamamelis , Ilex
				V. Pentandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Tetragynia, Pentagynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Primula , Stapelia
				VI. Hexandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Tetragynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Bromelia , Oryza
				VII. Heptandria Monogynia e.g. B. Trientalis
				VIII. Octandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Tetragynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Acer
				IX. Enneandria Monogynia, Trigynia, Hexagynia e.g. B. Laurus
				X. Decandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Pentagynia, Decagynia e.g. B. Cassia , Dianthus , Silene , Oxalis
				XI. Dodecandria Monogynia, Digynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Sempervivum
				XII. Icosandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Tetragynia, Pentagynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Prunus
				XIII. Polyandria Monogynia, Digynia, Trigynia, Tetragynia, Pentagynia, Hexagynia, Polygynia e.g. B. Papaver , Paeonia , Reseda
			the stamens are unequal in length
				XIV. Didynamia Gymnospermia, Angiospermia, Polypetala e.g. B. Thymus
				XV. Tetradynamia Siliculosa, Siliquosa e.g. B. Iberis
		the stamens are fused
				XVI. Monadelphia Pentandria, Decandria, Polyandria e.g. B. Geranium , Hibiscus
				XVII. Diadelphia Hexandria, Octandria, Decandria e.g. B. Lupinus
				XVIII. Polyadelphia Pentandria, Icosandria, Polyandria e.g. B. Citrus , Hypericum
				XIX. Syngenesia Polygamia aequalis, Polygamia superflua, Polygamia frustranea, Polygamia necessaria, Monogamia z. B. Gerbera , Senecio , Helianthus , Calendula , Lobelia
				XX. Gynandria Diandria, Triandria, Tetrandia, Pentandria, Hexandria, Decandria, Polyandria z. B. Orchis , Passiflora , Arum
	Diclinia : stamens and pistils are on different flowers
				XXI. Monoecia Monandria, Triandria, Tetrandia, Pentandria, Hexandria, Polyandria, Monadelphia, Polyadelphia, Syngenesia z. B. Najas , Sparganium , Buxus , Ambrosia , Zizania , Jatropha , Pinus , Ricinus
				XXII. Dioecia Didandria, Triandria, Tetrandia, Pentandria, Hexandria, Octandria, Enneandria, Decandria, Icosandria, Polyandria, Monadelphia, Syngenesia, Gynandria z. B. Salix , Cannabis , Taxus
				XXIII. Polygamia Monoecia, Dioecia, Trioecia e.g. B. Musa
Fruiting organs are not clearly visible
				XXIV. Cryptogamia Plantae, Filices, Musci, Algae, Fungi, Lithophyta e.g. B. Ficus , Ophioglossum , Sphagnum , Jungermannia , Mucor , Spongia

Naming

The names Linnaeus formed for his classes and orders are usually easy to understand. For example, the name of the class Triandria is derived from the two word components tri , ie "three" and andria for "male" and stands for a plant with three stamens. The class Didynamia , consisting of di for "two" and dynamia for "mighty", opens up as "two-mighty" (two stamens are longer than the others).

The peonies , which have many stamens and two pistils, therefore belong to the class Polyandria and the order Digynia .

The following table should make it easier to understand the names formed by Linnaeus:

Numerals		Other
prefix	meaning	syllable	meaning
mono-	a-	other-	man
di-	two-	gyn	woman
tri-	three-	-oecia	frequently
tetra-	four-	clin-	lie
penta-	five-	dynam-	Power
hex	six-	delphy-	brotherly
hept-	seven-	crypt	hidden
oct-	eight-	syn-	with together
enne-	nine-	gam-	Wedding, united
dec-	ten-	gymn	naked
dodec-	twelve-	angi-	container
icos-	twenty-
poly-	much-

proof

literature

• Carl von Linné : Systema Naturae . 1st edition, Leiden, 1735.
• Carl Heinrich Schultz : Natural system of the plant kingdom according to its internal organization, together with a comparative representation of the most important of all earlier artificial and natural plant systems . 1832.
• Gottlieb Wilhelm Bischoff : Handbook of botanical terminology and systems science . 1844, volume 3, p. 1086 ff.
• Fritz Clemens Werner : Word elements of Latin-Greek technical terms in the biological sciences . 1st edition, Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1972 (= Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch; 64), ISBN 3-518-36564-9 . (current: 9th edition, 2003)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Linnés Introduction Observationes in Regna III. Naturae is dated July 23, 1735.
2. ↑ The foreword to the print edition by Jan Frederik Gronovius and Isaac Lawson with the dedication to Hans Sloane is dated December 19, 1735.
3. ↑ monoclinic = hermaphroditic
4. ↑ diklin = unisexual
5. ↑ monözisch = monoecious
6. ↑ dioecious = dioecious

Web links

• Linnaeus plant system . In: Heinrich August Pierer , Julius Löbe (Hrsg.): Universal Lexicon of the Present and the Past . 4th edition. tape 10 . Altenburg 1860, p. 399-400 ( zeno.org ).