( i8 5 ) 
ance, -which terminates thofe Hems from 
which the capfules do not proceed: thefe 
ftars are fuppofed, by fome authors, to be the 
female parts of fructification. Mr. Curtis, 
with very accurate inveftigation, was not able 
to difcover any thing in their ftrudture, in the 
leaft fimilar to any of the parts of fructifi- 
cation in other plants. Hedwig afferts, that 
thefe {tar-like appearances are the involucres 
of the ftamen-bearing, or male flowers, and 
makes no doubt of the capfules containing the 
piftils, or female flowers. If the ftars and cap- 
fules are really diftindt parts of the frudtifica^ 
tion, it feems probable, from the fituation in 
which they grow, that the ftars contain the 
females, and the capfules the males ; or fome 
of the genera of mofles may poffibly have 
flowers of all kinds, like thofe plants which 
compofe the clafs Polygamia. On this ob- 
fcure fubjedt I have thought it necefTary to 
give fome idea of the opinions of different 
botanifts, left, by detailing only the defcrip- 
tions of particular individuals, I might lead 
my readers to form too decided an opinion 
upon a point, which is not yet fufficiently 
clear to juftify any thing further than con- 
jecture. 
The 
