154 



A DISCOURSE 



old hollow tree which embraces it, not by any perceptible roots, but a» 

 if it were only one body with it, whilst the rest of the vaginated stem 

 touches no other part of the whole cavity, till it comes to the ground, is 

 surprising. I'liis being, besides, very extraordinary, that a tree, which 

 naturally grows taper as it approaches the top, should swell, and become 

 bigger there than it is below. But this the doctor will himself render 



own males, e. g. in the Cross-wort, and White Hellebore ; or if female flowers are added, 

 they are impregnated by the farina of the hermaphrodite flowers, as in the Pellilory and 

 Orrache. It is very remarkable, that the seeds of the hermaphrodite flowers in the Orrache 

 are altogether unlike the seeds of the female flowers both in shape and size, yet they 

 produce the same plant, as well as the seeds of compound flowers do, which grow in the 

 disk and in the radius, or in the centre and margin of the flower. To this place we may 

 refer a third sort of polygamous plants, in which there are two sorts of hermaphrodite 

 flowers on one individual, one sort wanting the stignaata, and the other the antherae, as in 

 the Plantain-tree. 



When there are more petals in flowers than they ought to have, such are said to be 

 luxuriant ; and they are of three sorts, viz. full, when all the stamina are wanting, and 

 petals only grow in their room ; multiplied, when some of the stamina are wanting, and 

 some remain : or proliferous, when another flower with its proper flower-stalks grows out 

 of the pistillum, or centre of the flower. All luxuriant flowers are justly reckoned 

 monsters ; since the essential parts are changed into a different nature and figure : which, 

 notwithstanding, is much admired by florists, who take great delight in full and multiplied 

 flowers, or double flowers, as they commonly call them. It is remarkable, that when 

 monopetalous flowers are changed into luxuriant or full ones, only the corolla is increased, 

 as in the Gelder Rose, African Marygold, Feverfew, &c. And this holds chiefly in com- 

 pound flowers, and but seldom in any other. Hence we may see, that no full flowers are 

 ever natural, but always propagated from single ones ; for Nature never produces any race 

 of mere monsters. These full flowers are at first produced from a superabundance 

 of nourishment. And since these full flowers are destitute of stamina, they are conse- 

 quently deprived of the male organs of generation, which should impregnate the stigmata ; 

 but no seeds will germinate, (as we have observed before,) unless they have been fertiliaed 

 by the male dust ; therefore such flowers must necessarily be barren, or produce no seeds. 

 Of this sort are the Pinks, the Hepalica, Stock July-flower, Indian Cress, Pomegranate, 

 Rose, Ranunculus, Marsh-marygold, Lychnis, Violet, W^all-flower, Piony, Narcissus, &c. — 

 All these, with full flowers, never produce seeds, but are propagated by suckers, off"-sets, 

 or slips. I am well aware, that the Poppy, the Fennel-flower, and some few among the 

 compound flowers, do sometimes produce good seeds, because some of their stamina remain 

 to impregnate the pistillum. The same way of reasoning may be applied to all pro- 

 liferous flowers, e. g. the Ranunculus and Rose ; for they are barren, because they want 

 the germen, and female parts of generation, when the prolification is from the centre of the 

 flower ; but their offspring sometimes produce good seeds, provided they are not full flowers. 



BOOK II. 



