1^5 Cvl. VEi.LEv'i Rc7mvks on the Niiture 



he difclaims all pretenfions to the difcoveiy upon which it is foiimkd^ 

 and moreover affcrts, in the Philofophia Bolanka-t that the florelcence 

 of the Fucm had been fiift brought to light by that author. Now 

 Reaumur in no inQance admits that the male flowers are contained 

 in the air-bladders. On the contrary,, he po-fitively maintains that 

 the pencilled cluflei's of fine hairs, fpread on the furface, are the 

 male flowers exclufively. Whatever ambiguity, therefore, may be 

 attached to the word " vcficulas" as applied by Linnxus^or however 

 he may have varied his mode of expreffion at different times, ftill. 

 \vc are to recur to the account of the difcovery, as ftated by Reau- 

 mur, for the reaj import and meaning which ought to have been 

 conveyed in the definitions of Linnjeus ; fince on that alone his 

 (Joftrine of the male flower appears to reft.. The defcription cited 

 above from the Genera Plantarujn feems evidently to relate to the air- 

 bladders in the Fucus vejkulofusy and has induced fome authors to 

 confider the fru6lification as confined to thofe parts'* ; — while, 

 others again, purfuing the fame opinion, and who at the fame time 

 adopt the do£lrine of Reaumur and Donati,.that the pencilled 

 clufters of hairs, fcattered over the furface of the frond, are the 

 male flowers, will find themfelves reduced. to the neceflity of admit- 



* In the laft edition of the Botanical Afrangemetits. it is obferved, under Fucus veficulofui-, , 

 that " the bladders in the fubftance of the leaf contain the fruiflifieation." Dr. Withering, . 

 agreeably to the method which he has conftantly purfued throughout that valuable work, 

 very properly produces the authority of Linnreus in fupport of the above opinion. In the 

 fame work, the Fucus Jerraius is alfo noticed as having " two kinds of frudifications fuf- 

 ficiently obvious ;" <■ e. the feed-veflels in the fummits, and the clufters of fine hairs ex- 

 ternally fituated. But it muft not be pafled over, that the fame appearances are equally 

 eb'jious on the Fucus veficulofus and all its varieties. Admitting therefore that the male 

 flowers are contained in the air-bladders, the Funis veficulofus muft of courfe have three 

 diftinct parts of fruftification; one expofed, another concealed, and the third in the fum- 

 mits (univerfally admitted) producing the feeds. 



5- ting 



