B O T 
is to be expend from them- Plenitude is chiefly inci¬ 
dental to polypetalous flowers, as in pear-tree, almond- 
tree, myrtle, rote, ranunculus, anemone, columbine, poppy, 
peony, pink, carnation, lily, crown imperial, &c. Pleni¬ 
tude of monopetalous flowers is by fame authors held a 
contradiction: but this cannot be granted; for there are 
inftunces of it in meadow faft'ron, crocus, hyacinth, and 
polyanthes : however, it is rare that their luxuriaricy pafles 
duplicity. When they are filled, it is by the multiplica¬ 
tion of the fegments ; whereas the polypetalous flowers 
are ufually filled by the multiplication of the petals. 
Flowers are faid to be proliferous, when one bloflom grows 
out of another: this generally happens in full flowers, 
the fullnefs being the caufe of their becoming proliferous. 
Prolification happens in two ways: i. From the center. 2. 
Front the fide. Prolification from the center, which oc¬ 
curs in Ample flowers, is when the pittillum fhoots up into 
another flower ftanding on a fingle peduncle; of which 
there are inflances in the pink, carnation, ranunculus, ane¬ 
mone, and rofe. Prolification from th.e fide, which hap¬ 
pens in aggregate flowers, properly fo called, is when many 
pedunculate flowers are produced out of one common ca¬ 
lyx ; of which there are inflances in the daify, marigold, 
liawkweed, and fcabious. In umbellate flowers, the pro¬ 
lification is by the increafe of the umbellulte, one Ample 
umbellula producing another, as in cornelian cherry ; and 
in this manner compound umbels will become fupradecom- 
pound , more than compounded a fecond time, as in milk- 
parfley. A proliferous flower is called frondous, or leafy, 
when it produces leaves j this rarely happens, but inftan- 
ces of it have heen found in rofes, anemone, and others. 
Mutilate flowers are the reverfe of luxuriant. Linnaeus 
confines the term to thofe flowers only that want the co¬ 
rolla, and that ought to, be furnifhed with it; which often 
happens in bell-flower, violet, colc’s-foot, and the berry¬ 
bearing chickweed. The caufe of this defedt he aferibes 
chiefly to, the want of fufficient heat. The luxuriancy of 
the calyx is very unfrequent, butr not without inflances : 
in dianthus caryphyllus there is a variety, in which the 
fquaraae or feales of the calyx are fo multiplied, as to con- 
ftitute aperfedt fpike in a manner mod; lingular : the gra¬ 
mma or grades of the Alps become full by their glume 
(hooting out into leaves, as in a fpecies of the fefeue-grafs; 
and in f’alix rofea, and plantago rofea, the fquamae of the 
amentum of the former, and the bracteae of the fpike in 
the latter, will (boot into leaves allb. 
In the Botanical Plate IX. a figure of each kind of the 
above-mentioned flowers is delineated, as follows: Fig. 1. 
A fimple flower ; the bloflom of the theobroma, or cho¬ 
colate-nut-tree. 2. An aggregate flower, properly fo 
called ; the laciniated teazel. 3. A compound radiated 
flower; the common marigold'. 4. An univerfal com¬ 
pound umbellate flower; the bupleurum, or hare’s ear. 
5. A cymous flower; the fweet-william. 6. An amenta¬ 
ceous flower; the bloom of the white poplar. 7. A glu- 
mous flower; the bloom of the vernal grafs. 8. A fpadi- 
ceous flower; the dwarf palm. 9. A monopetalous dou¬ 
ble flower; the variegated carnation hyacinth. 10. A po¬ 
lypetalous, double flower; the poppy. 
The manner in which flowers are attached to the plant, 
or the form in which they throw out their bloflfoms, is 
called injlortfcence \ and thefe forms are diflinguifhed by 
the following appellations, viz. a [pica, or fpike ; a race- 
mus, or bunch ; a verticillus, or whirl ; a panicula, or pa¬ 
nicle ; an umbellata, or umbel; a corymbus, or clufter; a 
thyrfus, or cluttered bunch ; and an amentum, or blooming 
catkin. The fpike, is an aflemblage of flowers growing 
upon one common footftalk, feflile, or fitting clofe upon 
the ftem without peduncles, and running up narrow like 
an ear of corn, as (hewn at fig. 11. the vervain orubica. 
The raceme , is a fpike or bunch of flowers, iimilar in form 
to the above, but, inflead of being feflile, the bloffoms 
hang by a (lender peduncle, like grapes or currants ; as 
the hyacinth, fig. 9. The whirl, is a tuft of flowers grow¬ 
ing round the (tern, and proceeding from each axilla or 
VjOL. III. No. 128. 
joint made by the leaves or branches; as (hewn at fig. 12. 
the black horehound. The panicle, is an aflemblade of 
bloom fcattered on peduncles varioufly fubdivided, as at 
fig. 13. the avena, or wild oat. The untbel, is a compofi- 
t.ion of flowers, in which a number of (lender footflaiks 
proceed varioufly from 1 he fame center, and rife nearly to 
the fame height, as at fig. 4. the bupleurum. The corym¬ 
bus, is a collection of blofloms fomewhat refemblirtg a bunch 
of ivy-berries, the flowers in which have each its proper 
pedicellus, or partial footftalk, elevating the whole to 
nearly an equal height; as at fig. 14. the Virginian gilder 
rofe, or fpiraea. The thyrfus, is an aflemblage of flowers 
confiding of many clutters, growing together in a kind of 
ovate form, as at fig. 15. the lilac. The arrtcntaccous in- 
florefcence confitts of a feries of blottoms or bloom com¬ 
ing out Willi, or upon, a catkin, as at fig. 6, the white 
poplar. Whether the flowers come fingle or double, thefe 
terms are the fame in their application. 
Many flowers, under the influence of garden culture, 
are made to grow double, which are rarely found fo 
in a wild date. When we recolledt that every plant is 
compofed of an outer bark, an inner bark, a Wood, and a 
medulla or pith : when vve reflect that the ttamens are 
formed of the woody (iibftance ; and that this woody firb- 
ftance was originally formed by many coats of the inner 
bark confolidated ; we (hall not be at a lofs to account for 
the mode of producing double flowers. The woody ex¬ 
tremity, inttead of running up into ttamens, is expanded 
into petals. This appears to be effected by giving the 
plants an unaccuftomed degree of fucculent nourifliment, 
which prevents the particles that form the wood from co- 
alef'cing, and becoming folid. Hence it js that the flow¬ 
ers with many ttamens are more apt to become double, 
and to a greater degree, than thofe which have few. Dou¬ 
ble flowers, and thofe of a brilliant colour, are donbtlefs 
defirablc objects to the florid; but with the botanitt they 
have little weight; for double flowers being repugnant to 
nature, are regarded asmonfters; and the colour of the 
petals, though ever fo bright, are confidered only as ex¬ 
ternal covers, primarily defigned to protect the more e(- 
fential parts. It mutt; however be allowed, that plants 
whofe colours are permanent, might be made to afford the 
readied marks of diftindtion ; and perhaps if is not a vain 
imagination to believe, that a difplay of beauty was in forhe 
meafure the defign of the Creator. 
Of the SEXUAL CLASSIFICATION. 
The fexual claflification being now univerfally admitted, 
it were premature for us to enter into the merits of the con- 
troverfy about it, further than briefly to mention thofe ar¬ 
guments which were adduced by Linnaeus in favour of its 
eftablifhment. For this purpofe he firlt attempted to (hew, 
that vegetables are endowed with a certain degree of life; 
and, fecondly, that they propagate their fpecies in a man¬ 
ner fimilar to that of animals. That vegetables are really 
living beings, (fays he,) mutt: be obvious at firft light; be- 
caufe they poflefs all the properties contained in that accu¬ 
rate definition of life laid down by Dr. Harvey, namely. 
Vita ejl J'pontanea propufio humorum. But univerfal expe¬ 
rience teaches, that vegetables propel humours or juices : 
hence it is plain that vegetables mutt be endowed with a 
certain degree of life. 
Not trotting folely to a fyllogifm founded on a definition, 
Linnaeus proceeds to fupport the life of vegetables by ar¬ 
guments drawn from the following particulars in their eco¬ 
nomy. 1. Nutrilio. —The very idea of nutrition implies a 
propulfion of humours, and of courfe the idea of life. But 
vegetables derive their nourittiment from the earth, air, <Src. 
and confequently mutt be confidered as living creatures. 
2. ALtas .—Every animal mutt not only begin to exitt, and 
have that exitteuce dillolved by death, but mutt likewife 
pafs through a number of intermediate changes in its ap¬ 
pearance and affcdions. Infancy, youth, manhood, old 
age, are charadterifed by imbecility, beauty, fertility, dot¬ 
age. Are not all thefe vicillitudes confpicuous in the ve- 
3 T getable 
