278 ESSAYS ann OBSERVATIONS 
the duft of the apices in imperfect plants, 
where it does not appear; fince the contrary 
is demonftrated in the moft perfect of the 
vegetable kingdom. 
55. 1 noticed above, that feveral argu- 
ments might be taken from the fructification 
of fome of the moft compleat plants: and 
the author of the femina mufcorum (n) gives 
fome inftances, and anfwers them ; how ‘fa- 
tisfyingly, I leave the reader to examine. On- 
ly, fince there are three fpecies of the 
viola, 1 fhall add a fourth, viz. viola martia 
purpurea flore fimplici odoro, B. p. 199. or com- 
mon March violet. This plant puts out its 
flowers with the famina in March, on long 
foot-ftalks ; no fruit facceeds them, nor ap- 
pears for fome weeks, yea months after, when 
clofe on the root, and well covered with the 
leaves, the fruit is formed, foon ripens, and 
_contains plenty of feeds; tho’ all the flowers 
were plucked in March. Does either tempus 
or proportio, here confirm the fexual fcheme? 
56. To conclude: Had the modern do- 
Grine of the generation of plants, continued 
only to influence the learned more accurately 
i 
(2) P. 186, &c. 
