AFFINITY. 79 



Thus in all these six important circumstances the 

 Crowfoots and Myrtles are extremely dissimilar ; 

 therefore they are not in affinity with each other. 



Next let us compare Evening Primroses and 

 Myrtles, which we have seen disagree in the former 

 having the parts of the flower always divided hy four, 

 no oil spots in their leaves, and but a small number 

 of stamens. Compared as to other circumstances 

 they are extremely similar, as the following columns 

 will shew : — 



Evening Primroses have 



Leaves sometimes opposite. 

 Stamens arising from the sides of 



the calyx. 

 An inferior^«s^i7 with many seeds. 

 Only one style. 



k fruit which is sometimes pulpy. 

 An embryo with no albuminous 



provision for its infancy. 



Myrtles have 



Leaves usually opposite. 

 Stamens arising from the sides of 



the calyx. 

 An inferior JJ^*^^7 with many seeds. 

 Only one style. 



k fruit which is usually pulpy. 

 An embryo with no albuminous 



provision for its infancy. 



Thus in these important circumstances the Evening 

 Primroses and Myrtles essentially agree ; therefore 

 they are in affinity with each other. You will further 

 remark, that the points of difference between them in 

 structure are no greater than what I just now men- 

 tioned; so that the points of resemblance are much 

 more numerous than the points of difference. 



Having thus given you an idea of the meaning of 

 the word affinity as used in Botany, let me resume my 

 account of the Gourds, which are in near affinity with 

 the Passion-flowers. 



A Cucumber, which is one of the Gourd tribe, has 

 a twining, scrambling stem, and raises itself by ten- 



