STUDY XI. 133 



the flowers in this pofition is fheltered from the 

 North wind, and receives the reflection of the Sun 

 from the South fide. 



It is remarkable that all vegetables which bear 

 cones, catkins, or fpikes, prefent them at the ex- 

 tremity of their items, expofed to all the action of 

 the Sun. It is not fo with thofe which grow within 

 the Tropics ; molt of which, fuch as the palm- 

 tree, bear divergent flowers, attached to pendent 

 clufters, and (haded by their branches. The greatefl 

 part of the gramineous plants of warm countries, 

 have likewife divergent ears ; fuch are the millets 

 of Africa. The folid ear of the American maize 

 is crowned with a hairy tuft which fhelters it's 

 flowers from the Sun. On the annexed plate are 

 reprefented an ear of European corn, and an ear 

 of the rice of fouthern Alia, to furnifh the means 

 of comparifon. 



Conical reverberating flowers reflect on the parts 

 of florification a complete cone of light. It's ac- 

 tion is very powerful ; and it is, accordingly, very 

 remarkable, that Nature has given this configura- 

 tion of petal only to flowers which grow under 

 the (hade of trees, as to the convolvulus, which 

 fcrambles up around their trunk ; and that fhe has 

 affigned to this flower a very tranfient duration, 

 for it fcarcely lafts half a day ; and when it's fe- 



K £ cundation 



