2H4 Of Flowers. 
land was of opinion, that the feeds which come up in 
their proper involucra, are at firft like the unimpregnated 
ova of animals ; that this farina is a congeries of feminai 
plants d , one of which muft be conveyed into every 
ovum, before it can become prolifick. That the ftylus, 
as Mr. Ray, or the upper part of the piftulum, as Mr. 
Tournefort calls it, is a tube defigned to convey thefe 
feminai plants into their neft in the ova; and that there 
is fuch a vaft provifion made thereof, becaufe of the odds 
there are, whether one of fo many {hall ever find its way 
into, and through fo narrow a conveyance. 
For in the corona imperialis, where the uterus or 
vafculum feminale of the plant ftands upon the centre of 
the flower, from the top of which ftands the ftylus; the 
vafculum feminale, and ftylus together, reprefenting a 
piftillum; round this are planted fix ftamina; upon the 
extremities of each of thefe are apices, fo artfully fixed, 
that they turn every way with the leaft blaft of wind, 
being in height almoft exactly equal to the ftylus, about 
which they play, and which in this plant is manifeftly 
open at top ; it is hollow all the way, and upon the top 
of the ftylus there is a fort of tuft, confifting of pinguid 
villi, fuppofed to be placed there to catch and detain the 
farina, as it flies out of its thecae; and that the rain either 
waihes it, or the wind ih'akes it down the tube, till it 
reaches the vafculum feminale. 
In the caprifolium or honey-fuckle, there rifes a ftylus 
from the rudiments of a berry, into which it is inferted, 
to,the top of the monopetalous flower; from the middle 
of which flower are fent forth feveral ftamina, that fhed 
their farina off the cafes, upon the orifice of the ftylus, 
which in this plant is villous or tufted, upon the fame 
account as the former is. 
In 
e ’ Phil. Tranf. No. 2S7. 
