212 ESSAYS anv OBSERVATIONS 
particular plants, excepting what he has from 
Theophraftus of the palm-tree, he tranfgreffes 
analogy as much as Diofcorides: his mercurialis 
mafculus being the feed-bearing one ; and his 
other male and female plants the fame with 
thofe of Theophrafius and Diofcorides. Hence 
it appears that the palm-tree is the only in- 
ftance, among the antients, where fexes are 
attributed to particular plants, on account of 
fertility or barrennefs : other plants being cal- 
led male or female, on various and very 
different accounts, and for diftinctions fake 
only. 
6, Ina word, from Theopbrafus down to 
Cafalpinus, who died at Rome in 1603, the 
analogy between plants and animals, with 
regard to fexes, feems to have been intirely 
negle@ted. But Cefalpinus (p) {ays exprefsly, 
<‘ Frucdtum ferunt, non vero florent oxycae- 
‘¢ drus, taxus; in genere herbaceo mercuria- 
«lis, urtica, cannabis: quorum omnium fte- 
“riles mares vocant, faeminas autem fru- 
« Giferas. In eo tamen genere faeminas 
<¢ melius provenire et foecundiores fieri aiunt, 
<< fi juxta mares ferantur; ut in palma eft a- 
“* nimadverfum: 
() De plantis, 1. 1. c 3. 
