LINNAEUS 87 



that many plants, which now appear different species of the same 

 geniis, may in the beginning have been but one plant, having arisen 

 merely from hybrid generation. Many of those Geraniums which 

 grow at the Cape of Good Hope, and have never been found wild 

 anywhere but in the south parts of Africa, and which, as they are 

 distinguished from all other Geraniums by their single-leaved calyx, 

 many-flowered foot-stalk, irregular corolla, seven fertile stamina, and 

 three mutilated ones, and by their naked seeds furnished with downy 

 awns; so they agree together in all these characters, although very 

 various in their roots, stems and leaves ; these Geraniums, I say, would 

 almost induce a botanist to believe that the species of one genus in 

 vegetables are only so many different plants as there have been dif- 

 ferent associations with the flowers of one species, and consequently a 

 genus is nothing else than a number of plants sprung from the same 

 mother by different fathers. But whether all these species be the off- 

 spring of time; whether, in the beginning of all things, the Creator 

 limited the number of future species, I dare not presume to determine. 

 I am, however, convinced this mode of multiplying plants does not 

 interfere with the system or general scheme of nature ; as I daily ob- 

 serve that insects, which live upon one species of a particular genus, 

 are contented with another of the same genus. 



A person who has once seen the AehyrantJies aspera, and remarked 

 its spike, the parts of its flower, its small and peculiarly formed nee- 

 taria, as well as its calyces bent backwards as the fruit ripens, would 

 think it very easy at any time to distinguish these flowers from all 

 others in the universe ; but when he finds the flowers of Achyranthes 

 indica agreeing with them even in their minutest parts, and at the 

 same time observes the large, thick, obtuse, undulated leaves of the 

 last-mentioned plant, he will think he sees Achyranthes aspera masked 

 in the foliage of Xanthium ^trumariiim. But I forbear to mention 

 any more instances. 



Here is a new employment for botanists, to attempt the production 

 of new species of vegetables by scattering the pollen of various plants 

 over various widowed females. And if these remarks should meet 

 with a favourable reception, I shall be the more induced to dedicate 

 what remains of my life to such experiments, which recommend 

 themselves by being at the same time agreeable and useful. I am 

 persuaded by many considerations that those numerous and most 



