318 FUNCTIONS OP 



The existence of the parts under considera- 

 tion is so incontrovertible in every flower 

 around us, that Pontedera was reduced to 

 seek plants without stamens among the fi- 

 gures of the Hortus Matabaricus, but the 

 plates in which he confided are now known 

 to be faulty in that very particular. 



Plants indeed have occasionally abortive 

 stamens in one flower and barren pistils in 

 another, and the Plantain-tree, Musa> is de- 

 scribed by Linnaeus as having five out of its 

 six stamens perfected in such blossoms as 

 ripen no fruit, while those with a fertile ger- 

 men contain only a single ripe stamen, five 

 being ineffective. This only shews the re- 

 sources, the wisdom, .and the infinite variety 

 of the creation. When the roots are luxuri- 

 antly prolific, the flowers are in some mea- 

 sure defective, Nature, relaxing as it were 

 from her usual solicitude, and allowing her 

 children to repose, and indulge in the abun- 

 dance of good tlnngs about them.. But when 

 want threatens, she instantly takes the alarm; 

 all her energies are exerted to secure the fu- 

 ture progeny, even at the hazard of the pa- 

 rent stock, and to send them abroad to co- 

 lonise more favourable situations. 



