Plants ripening their Fruit under Ground. 395 



of limes, with a ^&ff oaks and elms, in the shade of which are 

 formed the most delightful walks. Some of the houses in the 

 new streets, and, indeed, all the houses in the old streets, seem 

 as if they were falling down, as the walls are built in such a 

 way, that the top projects 1 ft., and sometimes 1^ ft., over the path 

 at the base. This city is remarkable for its cleanliness ; even 

 the outsides of the houses being generally washed twice a week 

 from top to bottom. 



Any English gardener may accomplish this journey in sixteen 

 days, for the expense of 20/. ; and he need not be at a loss for 

 speaking either German or French, as I spoke English all the 

 way, except once at Dusseldorf, where I was obliged to speak 

 German to the waiter in the hotel ; and I would strongly recom- 

 mend the English gardener to visit the German gardens, as but 

 little is known of them in England. 



Bai/stsoater, June 20. 1836. 



Art. II. Observations and Experiments on the Property possessed by 

 some Plants, particidarly the K'racMs hypogce'^a, of ripening their 

 Fruit under Ground. By Dr. Augustus Trinchinetti of Pavia. 



There are some plants that have the singular property of 

 ripening their fruit under ground, which are distinguished by 

 botanists by the name of Hypocarpogeas. Why nature has 

 provided them with this property is not known ; but it has been 

 supposed to be similar in its uses to that possessed by some other 

 plants, which, though they ripen their seeds in the open air, 

 are guided by nature to deposit them only in the places most 

 suitable to their germination and developement; by which means 

 species are propagated that it would be difficult in any other 

 manner to preserve. Even the Linaria Cymbalaria would soon 

 become rare, did it not throw out its branches, and open its cap- 

 sules over those fissures of the walls on which it grows, which are 

 suitable for the protection of the young plant ; whereas, if its 

 seed fell on the ground, it would be placed in circumstances so 

 unfavourable to its germination, that it would probably perish. 

 Without some such provision, how could steep rocks be so fre- 

 quently covered with cyclamens, 8cc. ? 



There are plants, however, growing in situations where no 

 particular provision of nature is required to prevent them from 

 perishing, which yet form their fruit under ground ; or, at least, 

 bury it in the earth to bring it to maturity : though in what 

 way this is effected, and how the earth operates upon the fruit, 

 as far as I know, has never been explained. 



To solve this difficulty, or, at least, to throw some light on the 

 subject, I determined to cultivate the J['rachis hypogae\ a plant 



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