SECT. III. SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. 377 



plete. The fecundation is spurious when the ovary 

 swells but exhibits no traces of perfect seed within. 

 This often happens in the case of plants producing 

 berries, as in that of the Vine and Tamus. It is in- 

 complete when barren and fertile seeds are inter- 

 mingled together in the same ovary. This proceeds 

 from some defect either in the quantity or quality 

 of the pollen ; but rather in the quality, as it is not 

 always plants having the most pollen that produce 

 the most seeds. The two stamens of the Orchidea 

 fecundate 800O seeds, and the five stamens of 

 Tobacco fecundate QOO : while the 50 stamens of 

 Barringtonia, the 230 of Thea, and the 80 of the 

 Caryophylli, fecundate only two or three ovaries. 



SECTION III. 



Specific Examples. 



As the exhibition of specific examples is always 

 the most edifying, as well as generally the most 

 pleasing, mode of instruction, I shall subjoin the 

 following observations upon the changes succeeding 

 impregnation in the seed and fruit of several of our 

 most common plants ; that the reader may have it 

 in his power to refer to the individual case, if he is 

 inclined to repeat the observation. 



