(C 
E Account ap the Difference of Strutture in th Flowers of fix Species 
of Pafffira. By Mr. James Sowerby, A L. S. 
4 
. Read. F Mos $; 1790: 
YONSIDERING the Pif T in Sc as one of the moft 
| beautiful tribes of plants yet known, I conceived a defire to col- 
leét drawings of them; but having been diverted from my intention 
by different and hécéifiry purfuits, I have made but trifling pro- 
grefs. Neverthelefs, from a partiality in their favour on contem- 
plating fo much ‘variety in one flower, and the wonderful, and 
 doubtlefs ufeful, organs of which fome of them are compofed, I 
have been led to inveftigate with fome care fuch as have fallen 
in my way. “It muft be owned I had long paffed over a prin- 
cipal beauty in the Paffflora cerulea, viz. the double row of hori- 
zontal, threadlike, radiated neétaries, if 1 may fo call them. If the 
parts to which I allude be properly the neétary, furely many 
flowers in this genus have that organ in greater abundance than, 
any other flower, as well as in greater variety : hence I was induced 
to pay attention to the néétaries in particular, and was much en- 
tertained with the diftinguifhing differences in the fpecies. The 
larger fpecies, as far as I have feen, have conftantly two rows of 
. principal radiated nectaries; the fmaller commonly but one, and 
but half the number of divifions in the corolla, viz..only five, 
whereas the othcts have from ten to twelve. The repofitory for 
the honey alfo differs much in different fpecies, and is a part very 
Da diftin& 
