3i2 Dr. Prefton to Mr. Ray. 



herbaceous Flower^ whofe Pijtill becomes a round 

 membranaidous carinulate, or fcriat Capfule, like the 

 Fruit of the Linum Catharticum^ divided into eight 

 Loculaments, in each of which is contained one 

 fmall Seed Qvato-acuminatum. Befidcs the four her- 

 baceous Petala^ that are green without and white 

 within : It has alfo feveral Stamina; but thofe P eta- 

 la never become the Involucra Seminis. This is what 

 I have found on repeated Obfervations. Turnef. Inft. 

 R. H. places it inter herbas fiore fiamineo cujus piftiU 

 lum abit in femen calice obvolutum ; and in the parti- 

 cular Note fays, Quoad piftillum deinde abit in femen in 

 capfuld oblonga £5? ftriatd^ qu# calix floris fuit, recondi* 

 turn. But this Plant cannot properly be called Sta- 

 mineous j for the Petaia, or Calix, never become the 

 Capfuk) or Involucra Seminis) but they have a di- 

 ftin6t thin membranaceous Capfule, as above defcribed* > 

 You have alfo given it a Stamineous Flower ^ confift- 

 ing of four Herbaceous Petala, and placed it amongft 

 the Polygonums % but whether it can be properly cal- 

 led Stamineous for the Reafons above, 1 leave it for 

 you to determine. 



Quaere if Herniaria Ger. J. B. (Pag. 69 Synopfeos) 

 be a diftin<5fc Genus from Millegrana minima Ger. 

 (JSyn. pag. 207.) The laft is placed amongft the Vaf* 

 culiferous Plant s^ with a Pentapetalous Flower. - y but 

 more particularly amongft the Alfines Species Anomaly 

 fiore tetrapetalo. This Note feems to agree even to 

 the Herniaria Ger. J. B. in that it is vafculiferous^ and 

 has a Tetrapetalous Flower 3 the other placed amongft 

 the Polygonums^ and you have given it a Stamineous^ 

 but Tetrapetalous Flower : So that they feem not 

 much to differ in Flower. The Reafon of my Que- 

 ry is, becaufe in all thofe I had occafion to meet with, 

 both in EricetiSj on Lee-grounds, and in Corn-fields, 

 I could never obferve any Difference in the Chara£le- 

 riftick, but only as to the Growth, I ihall not que- 

 iiion but there may be two diftin£t Genus's under 



