PHYSICAL AND LITERARY, ifi 



fides, many things concerning palm trees, 

 which appeared to be as well attefted, are 

 found to be vulgar errors. But, granting 

 that they really are barren, this may be 

 owing to the climate, to the foil, to bad 

 culture, or to the want of Pontedera's cu- 

 Ijces rather than of the male duft, for a- 

 ny thing yet appears. a 



39. Argi MENT 7. " Septirao, flores 

 " nutantes. Cum pollen mafculus, ple- 

 ** rumque acre Ijpecifice gravior, difficile 

 " furl'um tenderet ; apud plerafque plan- 

 *' tab, piftiflum longius gerenre.*" florem 

 " nutantem fecit Creator, uc ftigma eo 

 " melius attingat pulvis ; e. gr in galan- 

 " tho ieucoio. cyclamine, narciifo, fritil-* 

 " laria, campanula, erythronio, ^ &c. ;'* 

 Wahlbom *. " Flores nutantes gaudenC 

 " piitillo, (taminibus longiore, ut cadat 

 *' pollen in ftigma: Campanula, leucoi- 

 *' um, galanthus, fritillariaj" Linnaeus f, 

 I readily grant, that the pollen ma/culum, 

 or pulvis apicum, is heavier chan air, it be- 

 ing 



* Amasn. Acad. i. p, 95. 

 t Phil. Bot, p. 92. 



