LINNAEUS 8i 



ago, and has every year been plentifully increased by means of its 

 perennial root. Flowers in great number have been produced by it; 

 but, being all female, they proved abortive. Being desirous of 

 producing male plants, I obtained more seeds from Paris. Some 

 more plants were raised ; but these likewise to my great mortification, 

 all proved females, and bore flowers, but no fruit. In the year 1757 

 I received another parcel of seeds. From these I obtained a few 

 male plants, which flowered in 1758. These were planted at a great 

 distance from the females; and when their flowers were just ready 

 to emit their pollen, holding a paper under them, I gently shook the 

 spike of panicle with my finger, till the paper was almost covered 

 with the yellow powder. I carried this to the females, which were 

 flowering in another part of the garden, and placed it over them. 

 The cold nights of the year in which this experiment was made, 

 destroyed these Datiscas, with many other plants, much earlier than 

 usual. Nevertheless, when I examined the flowers of those plants, 

 which I had sprinkled with the fertilizing powder, I found the seeds of 

 their due magnitude; while in the more remote Datiscas, which had 

 not been impregnated with pollen, no traces of seeds were visible. 



Several species of Momordica, cultivated by us, like other Indian 

 vegetables, in close stoves, have frequently borne female flowers; 

 which, although at first very vigorous, after a short time have con- 

 stantly faded and turned yellow, without perfecting any seed, till 

 I instructed the gardener, as soon as he observed a female flower, to 

 gather a male one, and place it above the female. By this contrivance 

 we are so certain of obtaining fruit that we dare pledge ourselves to 

 make any female flowers fertile that shall be fixed on. 



The Jatropha urens has flowered every year in my hot-house ; but 

 the female flowers coming before the males, in a week's time dropped 

 their petals and faded before the latter were opened ; from which cause 

 no fruit has been produced, but the gcrmina themselves have fallen ofif. 

 We have therefore never had any fruit of the Jatropha till the year 

 1752, when the male flowers were in vigour on a tall tree, at the 

 same time that the females began to appear on a small Jatropha 

 which was growing in a garden-pot. I placed this pot under the 

 other tree, by which means the female flowers bore seeds, which grew 

 on being sown. I have frequently amused myself with taking the 

 male flowers from one plant, and scattering them over the female 



