Webb, Esq., who has spent several years in exploring the natural pro- 
ductions of the Canary Isles, and is now engaged with M. Berthollet, 
in publishing an account of them, under the title L’ Histoire Natu- 
relle des Isles Canariennes. This gentleman sent it to his garden, near 
Guildford, and permitted it to be propagated by Messrs, Penny and 
Young, of the Guildford Nursery. It is still extremely rare. Our 
drawing was made from a plant belonging to Wm. Leaf, Esq., Park- 
hill, Streatham. It may be kept in the Conservatory, but when the 
flower is setting it is better to have stove heat. 
There is not, perhaps, a more singular and beautiful display of the 
adaptation of vegetable action, to the purpose of reproduction than ex- 
ists in the Statice. It is, indeed, true that wonders meet us at every 
step we take through the mazes of vegetable physiology; and it should 
be esteemed a high privilege which man enjoys in being admitted to a 
knowledge of these operations of the Creator in the economy of His 
works. When we consider that such privileges are granted as a means 
of intellectual improvement and gratification, it would betray an apa- 
thy and a negligence unworthy of rational beings, were we to shut our 
eyes to these evidences of divine power and wisdom. The physiolo- 
gical fact to which we have alluded exists in the arrangement of the 
parts of fructification within the ovary of the Statice. It is known to 
the vegetable physiologist that the pollen has, generally, a direct com- 
munication through the style to the ovules. In these parts of the Sta- 
tice, an obstacle to such communication occurs by the interposition of 
a smal] membranous strap; no sooner, however, is the influence of the 
pollen exerted thereon but it slips aside, and a passage is opened be- 
tween the pollen and the ovules. To render this subject quite intelli- 
gible to all our readers, engravings would be necessary, and it will be 
one of our objects in the Guipe (attached to the BoranisT) to eluci- 
date such facts as these in the most distinct manner; and as far as we 
are able, to open to our readers that page of nature descriptive of her 
mysterious operations. 
DeERIvaTIoN oF THE Names. 
Statice, from YrariZw, STATIZO, to stop, some of the species possessing as- 
tringent properties. a REA, from arbor, a tree, as this species has a ten- 
dency to form a woody ste 
SynonyMes. 
oot ArporEscens. Broussonet. Catalogus Monspessulanus. 
ATICE ARBOREA. W 
Poiret, Encyclopedie Poromesi eeremnirt “ore ? erie daca 
