294 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



" deinde iterum. peracfla florefcentia, de* 

 *' mergicur fpicaj" Wahlbom *. 



" Flores fubmerfi adfceadunt fub flo' 

 " refcentia : Nymphaea, llratioces, my- 

 " riophyllum. potamogeton, hydrocharis, 

 ** valifneria ;" Linnaeus f . 



Although fome aquatic plants blow 

 only above the water, it cannot be proven 

 that all do fo : Yea it is certain, that ma- 

 ny fubmarine ones fru<5lify under water. 

 But. granting all the alledged fads, it by 

 no means follows, that the defign of na- 

 ture is to procure the better accefs of the 

 duft to the ftigma j but rather that it 

 may be difperfed in the air. For fince, 

 under water, the flowers ** folicite per pe- 

 " talorum commiffuras clauduntur, api- 

 ** cibus verfus fligma inclinatis. et verfus 

 " interiora tantum farinaceis ;" the duft, 

 or its aura femlnaliSf muft there have 

 much eafler accefs to the ftigma, than it 

 can have, when the ftamina are feparated 

 and expofed to the winds j elpecially, if 



it 



• Amaen Acad, i. p. 96. 

 t Phil. Bot. p. 92. 



