8 
^NTANCrm Linmxj* 
PELORINE. 
antirrhinum PELORIA, 
I Add to the fifth Clafs a Plant, which ’tis a cuftom rather to place among the mon- 
fters ; but few have fecn it. This fpecimcn I owe to the favour of the Bifho of 
PaNTOPPIDan, who gather’d it in Norway. ^ ° 
By monfiers, among Plants, Naturalifts mean fuch as have been produced by the co- 
pulation of two diftina kinds. ’Tis not impoffible that the Organs of fonie different 
plants may be fo nearly like to one another, that fuch a copulation may come within the 
verge of rational belief: but I do not know to what Plant they would refer for one part 
of the parentage of this, who fancy it a mongrel; tho’ it were allow’d, that the common 
LiNARiA, which it muft be acknowledg’d to refemble, were the other. 
’Tis thought Veronica and Vervain, have produc’d aMonfter, or a mongrel Plant be- 
tween them : Nor will I contradidl the opinion, fince negatives admit no proof. All I 
can fay is, that I have long cultivated the two Plants in the fame border, and near one 
another, but no middle kind has yet appear’d. ’Tis not impflible there may hereafter: 
or that which fails with me, may have fucceeded with another. 
The Peloria has a general refemblance, in its afpeft, of the Toad^plax ; but the Flower 
is altogether different. Even the Clafs is different : nor is the Plant, if I may judge from 
a fingle fpecimen, fo perfeflly like this Toad-fla.x as has been faid. 
From a long flender woody Root there rofe in this three Stalks ; purplifh, weak, and 
bent; whereas our Linaria is ufually rebuff and upright. The Leaves svere long, and 
narrow, but they had blunter Ends than in the common Toad-flax, and they were 
paler. The Flowers crown’d the top of each Stalk in a handfome Spike. They were 
large, oblong, yellow, and in conffruflion wholly unlike not the Linaria alone, but thofe 
of any other Plant whatever. The Mouth was regularly open’d, and the Tube long and 
fwell’d ; at its Bafe there were four Horns or Spurs form’d of the fame Subffance with the 
Flower, and hollow. Within there ffood five regular and perfeift Filaments unlike en- 
tirely thofe of the Linaria, and indeed of every thing elfe known. The Rudiment of 
a Seed-veffel was alfo perfedl in many of the Flowers, and there were fome unripe Seeds. 
I have fown thefe, tho’ without much hope, becaufe they w'ere plainly immature : it 
they (hoot we fhall have opportunities of knowing fomething more of the Plant than we 
do at prefent ; or if thefe fail, it will foon be in the Upfal Garden ; where a Root was 
fome Years fince fet, but at an ill feafon, and without fuccefs. 
Perhaps the Proof of its being or not being a mixt Produflion, may be refer d to the 
fuccefs of fairly ripen’d Seeds. If thefe produce their like, it will give a fevere fliock to 
the receiv’d opinion. Mules produc’d from the horfe and afs do not propagate . and 
probably a Law fo univerfal in the animal creation is not broken in the vegetable. 
Peloria. 
D 
