HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL, 215 



tory. I may here observe, that I was favored with the opportunity of ex- 

 a-mining one of Mr. Meehan's specimens, — in which there were certainly 

 two scapes from the same root — one bearing a cyme of pistillate flowers 

 (with minute rudiments of abortive stamens,) and the other a cyme of per- 

 fect, or hermaphrodite flowers : and whether the specimen was the progeny 

 of a pistillate, a staminate, or a hermaphrodite plant, I should think the in- 

 ference plausible, that the flowers on at least one of these two cymes, must 

 must have been a modification, or altered product, of the parent plant. It 

 is this kind of change, in the character of the flowers, which I understand 

 Mr. Meehax to announce, as having occurred in plants under his manage- 

 ment. Now, in view of the countless modifications daily observable in the 

 organs of plants — and especially in the floral organs — I Can perceive no 

 sufficient ground for declaring the changes, reported by Mr. Muehan, to be 

 "utterly impossible." The modifications here referred to, are a very differ" 

 ent thing from the alleged transmutation of one kind to another, — which 5 

 is vulgarly supposed to take place in certain plants, just as the Alchemists 

 formerly pretended was affected among the metals. They merely alter the' 

 texture, distort the forms, or affect the developements of organs; but do 

 neither change nor annihilate those essential characteristics, by which the' 

 plant is rendered permanently distinct from every other genus and species. 

 The floral organs of many plants are remarkably subject to modification, 

 under the long-continued influences of soil, climate, and culture, or manage- 

 ment. Some flowers are rendered double, as it is termed, by the expansion 

 of stamens into petals ; others become imperfect, and even neutral, by the 

 abortion or blighting of the stamens, or pistils, or both. The Strawberry' 

 appears to be very liable to this kind of blight ; and hence the much talked 

 of sorts* among cultivators, of pistillates, and staminates, — though in all 

 the pistillate flowers, which I have examined, there were vestiges more or 

 less obvious, of abortive stamens, on the rim of the calyx. It also varies 

 much, under culture, in some other features, — especially in the developement 

 and character or quality of the receptacle, or what is commonly regarded as 

 fruit : but no one, I believe, has yet seen a Strawberry plant transmuted 

 into a Cinquefoil, though so nearly allied in habit. The organs of plants 

 may be greatly disguised by the influences above mentioned; but still the 

 essential distinguishing traits are preserved, — and there seems to be no in- 

 superable obstacle to prevent a plant, with modified or abortive organs, 

 from reverting, under a change of circumstances, to its original condition, 

 and resuming its pristine form and character. The normal, or what may be 

 called the constitutional character of the Strawberry-flower, is to be perfect 

 — 'i. e. furnished with both stamens and pistils (possibly such may be the 



