[ 278 3 . 



was owing to the abfence of light. His experU 

 ments were made with the Abrus Precatorius^ or 

 fcarlet hidian Pea, in which plant this change 

 had been obferved by Profper Alpinus^ and in 

 which it is remarkable. 



[The novelty of this paper induced the author 

 of this volume, foon after its publication, to give 

 the fubilance of it an EngllJIo drefs, and it was pub- 

 lifhed in the Gentlematis Magazine for the year 

 1757, p. 315; to which the Englifh reader, who 

 wifhes for further information, is referred.] 



65, Fungus Melitensis. J, Pfeiffer, 1755, 



This plant, notwithftanding the name it bears, 

 is very far removed from the Fungus tribe, fince 

 it produces perfedly diftin6l flowers, and belongs 

 to the Monandria order of the Monoecious clafs, and 

 is called by Linn^us, Cynomorium Coccineum^ Sp. 

 jPl- 1375' The Maltefe Fungus is a parafitical 

 plant, fmgular in its form, which is little more 

 than that of a fimple ftatk, about a finger's thick- 

 nefs, and fix or feven inches long, and in its ftate 

 of frudlification, the whole plant may be confi- 

 dered as an Amentum^ or Catkin. It is found on 

 the coaft of Barhary^ in Sicily^ and fparingly \n 

 Malta^ fpringingfrom the roots of trees and fhrubs,. 

 as does the Afarum Hypocifiis^ with which it alfa 

 agrees in its fenfible equalities and effects, and is 

 much efteemed, and ufed in the countries above 

 mentioned as an aftringent medicine. The writer 

 of this paper gives us, from the A^a Bononienfia^ a 

 detail of experiments made wi|h thi^ and feveral 



pthef 



