AND HONET. 267 



least is the mode in which Linnaeus and his 

 followers understand the four last-mentioned 

 flowers ; but we have already hinted that 

 Jussieu is of a different opinion, and he even 

 calls the decided Nectary of Epimedium an 

 internal petal! Difficulties attend both the- 

 ories. It seems paradoxical to call petals those 

 singular bodies in Aconitum, like a pair of 

 little birds, which are manifestly formed only 

 to hold the honey, and not situated nor con- 

 structed so as to perform the proper functions 

 of petals; but on the other hand Ranunculus, 

 1. 100, 515 and 51 6, one of the same natural 

 order, has evident calyx and petals, which 

 latter have a honey-bearing pore in their 

 claw, evincing their identity with the less 

 petal-like Nectaries just described. Other 

 instances indeed of Nectaries in the claws of 

 petals are found in the Crown Imperial and 

 Lily ; which only confirms more strongly the 

 compendious construction of the Lily tribe, 

 the leaves of their flowers in these examples 

 being Calyx, Petals and Nectaries all in 

 one. 



The most indubitable of all Nectaries, as 

 actually secreting honey, are those of a 



