~ 
Some authors, therefore, have reckoned them as dis 
THE STUDY OF BOTANY. ? 
°'The SpEctés are ‘mostly chatacterized from peculiarities in’ 
the Stem or Leaves ; sometitiés from parts of the Frower ; 
rarely from the Roors. nee Seterete 
Varieties ~Both leaves and flowers arc subject'to Variations H 
some of them evidently dependert upoh soil and siftiation': but 
others owing to'causes hitherto dnascértainéd: Thus thé leaves 
of ‘the Ranunculus aquatilis, or’ Water Crowfoot). growing 
beneath the’surface of the waterparéinuch mote divided than 
those which grow above the surface; so that a person unac-’ 
quainted with this circumstance, ‘would hardly believe: they 
belonged to the'same plant. ‘Again; the leaves of the Poly- 
gonum amphibium, or Amphibious Snakeweed, in wet situa~ 
tions, are smooth; but, in dry and warm situations, rou he 
species ; but, let them change situations, and the appearances 
will be chan, 1 likewise. But why the leaves of Mint are 
Sometimes curled, those of Holly or, Mezereon variegated with 
white, &c. is a more difficult matter to dete nine ; seeing that 
slips from these plants, though transplanted into different soils, 
do not lose their peculiarities: but young ones raised from 
seeds return to, their original form.. It. is evident, therefore, 
that these, however different in appearance, are not to be con- 
4 
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tect 3 eVTRQuisr Gg} in,2 ory 36 29 : MS 2016 Sy 
No variations are more. common than, those of, coloun;,,but 
Os } 
desirable as, these, changes are to,the Florist, they haye.Jittle 
weight with the Botanist, who considers them. as variable acci- 
dental circumstances, and th refore by no means admifsible 
in the discrimination of species. It must, however, be allowed; 
that in some plants the colours of the flowers are not liable to 
variation, and that they often, afford the readiest marks. of 
distinction ; on which account they are generally mentioned.in 
the course of this work. ; lg eee oiliia: i 
Many flowers, under the influence of garden culture, become 
double; but double flowers are monsters, and therefore can 
only rank in a System of Botany, as varieties. When we 
consider, that every plant is composed of an outer bark, an 
inner bark, a wood, and a heart or pith ; and that flowers are 
formed by an expansion of these parts; when we recollect 
P Se 
