Of Flowers. 287 
Fig. 528. reprefents the filiqua in a flower of a pea 
kind, E the tube which arifes from the filiqua, and con¬ 
veys the plants thereto ; F the membraneous coat which, 
involves the filiqua laid open : g g g g the apices, which 
before the membraneous tegument is laid open, appear 
to rife from its edges, and by the petala of the flower aie 
kept clofe upon the orifice of the tube, that they may 
conveniently fhed their farina into it. 
Hence we learn from the general ftrudfure of the 
flowers of plants, though diverfifted infinite ways, that 
fome have no fenfible piftil, others no ftamina, others 
have ftamina without any apices; and what exceeds all 
the reft, fome plants have no flowers. 
Mr. Bradley obferves, that at the bottom of the piftil 
of the lilly, there is a veflel which ne calls the uterus,' or 
womb, wherein are three ovaries filled with little eggs, 
or rudiments of feed, which, fays he, always decay and 
come to nothing, unlefs impregnated by the farina of the 
fame plant, or fome other of the fame kind. 
It is this farina or duft falling out of the apices on the 
piftil, fcecundifies the grain or fruit inclofed therein ; 
and hence they call it the farina fecundans. Thus the 
farina ftiould be the male part of the plant, and the 
piftil the female. 
The fruit is ufually at the bafis of the piftil, fo that 
when the piftil falls with the reft of the flower, the fruit 
appears in its ftead. The piftil is frequently the fruit 
itfelf, but ftill they have both the fame fituation in the 
center of the flower, whofe leaves difpofed around the 
little embrio, only feem deftined to prepare a fine juice 
in their little vefleis for its fupport. Mr. Bradley imagines 
their ufe to be only to defend the flower. 
The difpofition of the piftil, and the apices about it, 
is always fuch, as that the farina may fall on its orifice; 
it 
