74 Additional Account of the New Hybrid Passifloras. 



the same plant, fecundated by the same male, should produce 

 different plants, more than the seeds of one capsule so im- 

 pregnated. In the ordinary course of vegetable economy, the 

 seeds of any plant naturally fertilized, produce plants resem- 

 bling each other, whether they come from one capsule or 

 from several. The differences of the mules therefore must 

 be the consequence of the artificial process of hybridizing, by 

 which nature, though probably still acting under some regular 

 law, which we cannot as yet explain, has been driven from 

 the ordinary course of proceeding. 



These hybrids, which I have described, have unquestion- 

 ably such merit that they will be much sought after ; if the 

 origin of the first had not been known, it would probably 

 have been treated as a new and distinct species, and from its 

 singular beauty would have attracted much notice, while the 

 others which succeeded it would perhaps have been consid- 

 ered as strongly characterized varieties of it, equally deserving 

 of cultivation. But it will not always happen that similar 

 productions will be equally fortunate. In my former commu- 

 nication I mentioned that Mr. Cattle y had raised hybrids, 

 between Passiflora alata and Passiflora racemosa; I have this 

 season seen a blossom of one of them, it had much resem- 

 blance to the flower of its female parent, the first named 

 plant, but was so much inferior to it, that, except as a matter 

 of curiosity, the plant would not be preserved ; Mr. Cattlev 

 has, however, others of the same race, which may prove more 

 worthy of consideration. 



I mentioned last year, that Mr. Milne had commenced 

 the experiment of exposing his new Passiflora to the severity 

 of our climate in the winter ; it has so completely succeeded, 



