[ 6 5S ] 
fortunately proved double. For notwithftanding the 
Fr unification is the only material thing in plants, 
whence they can be fufficiently known and deferibed, 
yet double flowers are really a kind of monfters in 
the vegetable kingdom, as their principal parts are too 
much altered and diftorted, for any thing to be de- 
termined from them with certainty. It therefore 
{till remained a difficulty to afeertain what tribe 
this fhrub belonged to ; and the only way of forming 
any judgment, was confidering all its parts accurate- 
ly, comparing them with other known plants, and 
thus by analogy finding out its affinity, and thence 
its proper place in the vegetable fyftem. At firft, it 
was thought to be a fpecies of Jafmine, * as I fuppofe 
from fome diftant likenefs and the fragrancy of its 
flowers ; but as it hardly agreed in any other parti- 
cular, it was afterwards doubted, if it could proper- 
ly be referred to that tribe, ■j'* and at lafl: John Ellis 
Efqj F. R. S. declared this plant to be a diffinft 
genus, and gave it the name of Gardenia £. This 
gentleman concluded that the plant then in queftion, 
muff be very different from a Jafmine, as well from the 
unlikenefs in its leaves and ftipulas, as principally from 
the Seedveflel being placed below the receptacle of 
the flower ; but not choofing to advance this upon 
his own authority, he fent an account of it with dryed 
fpecimens to Do<ffor Linneeus at Upjal , whofe known 
extenfive {kill in every part of natural hiftory has ren- 
dered his opinion among all the profeflors of that fei- 
ence to be of the beft authority. The Do&or anfwered, 
that the fituation of the Seedveflel, and the peculi- 
* Miller Diff. and Fig. \ Ehret¥\g. J Phil. Tranf. 1760, p. 929. 
vol. lii. p arit y 
