44 AN INTRODUCTION 



the amentum of the former ; and the Bracteae, flo- 

 ral leaves, of tiie spike in the latter will shoot into 

 leaves also. 



Linnaeus has enumerated some tribes of plants 

 which are not found subject to luxuriancy; but. as 

 the heads under which he has ranged them, are ta- 

 ken from the systems of preceding writers, and not 

 from the sexual, it would perplex the reader to ex- 

 plain them : the curious may have recourse to them 

 in the Philosophia Botanica, page 81. 



CHAP. XXL 

 OF THE SEX OF PLANTS. 



THE distinction of flowers into male, female, her- 

 maphrodite, and neuter, has been already explained 

 in Chap. iv. To which we must add that herma- 

 phrodite flowers are sometimes distinguishable into 

 Male hermaphrodites, and Female hermaphrodites : 

 This is when, although the flower contains the parts 

 belonging to each sex, one of them proves abortive 

 or ineffectual ; if the defect be in the Stamina, it is 

 a Female hermaphrodite; if in the Pistillum, a 

 Male one. The case wherein this distinction be- 

 comes necessary, happens very rarely : It will be 

 shewn in the course of this Chapter. 



Plants, in respect to sex, take their denominations 

 from the sex of their flowers in the manner fol- 

 lowing. 



1. HERMAPHRODITE plants are such as upon the 

 same root bear flowers that are all hermaphrodite, 

 as in most genera. 



2. ANDROGYNOUS, Male and Female, such as 

 upon the same root bear both male and female 

 flowers, as in the class Monoecia. 



3. MALE, such as upon the same root bear male 

 flowers only, as in the class Dioecia. 



