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).[1] This was a minor modification of that of de Candolle (1813).[2] He developed this further over a number of publications, including the Nixus plantarum (1833)[3][4] 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).[5][6] He also expanded his ideas on Exogens in his entry of that name in the Penny Cyclopedia (1838).[7][8] In 1839 he revised his division of the plant kingdom into classes in an article in the Botanical Register.[9][10] Lindley's system culminated in the three editions of his Vegetable Kingdom (1846, 1847, 1853).[11][12][13]
The schema of the Natural History is shown on pages xxxv and xxxvii-xlviii.[14] In the Vegetable Kingdom,[13] the schema for the first edition is on pp. lv–lxviii. The third and final edition was published in 1853,[13] with the schema on p. lv.[15] Cross references from Natural History to Vegetable Kingdom in [Square brackets].