Sex of Plards. 333 
rations of nature in this phaenomenon, 
though daily prefent to their obfervation. 
The antient fathers of botany, and par- 
ticularly DioscoRiDES, it is true, applied 
the diftincSion of male and female to many 
other plants; but it was entirely without 
regard to true analogy, or difcrimination of 
funftions in the flower. It was frequently 
applied to fuch as carry all the parts of the 
flower within the fame calyx y or on the fame 
ftalk ; on account of ftature ; greater de- 
gree of fertility; or other marks uncon- 
nefted with the fructification. In the dm-- 
cioiiSj, or fuch as have the Jlaminay and pif- 
tils^ on feparate plants of the fame fpecies, 
the real male plant was, in fome cafes, de- 
nominated the female ; of which the Mer-^ 
ciirialis may be mentioned as one inflance, 
among feveral others. 
Exclufive of a numerous fet of plants^ 
in which the fiamina and pijlih are fepa- 
rately placed, either on different parts of 
the fame individual, or on different plants 
of the fame fpecies, conftimting the Monce- 
ciQus and Dicecious claffes of Linnaeus, the 
folio win 
