PREFACE.

...many species of the same genus differ among themselves in the number of cells Latin: cellularum; the internal chambers or compartments of a seed vessel into which the Fruit is divided. Thus, the Ascyroides of Alpinus Prospero Alpini (1553–1617), a Venetian physician and botanist and the Hypericon St. John's Wort of Mount Olympus described by Wheeler Sir George Wheler (1650–1723), an English clergyman and travel writer, which are considered by Botanists to be species of Hypericum, possess fruit with five capsules five-chambered, whereas the rest of the Hypericum crowd is three-capsuled.

Likewise, some species of Cistus Rock-rose possess fruit divided into nine or ten cells, others into five, and others—if you count Chamaecistus Dwarf Rock-rose among them—into three cells. Thus, most species of Convolvulus Bindweed produce a three-capsuled fruit, while one or another produces a single-seeded fruit. Among the Campanulas Bellflowers as well, of which most are three-capsuled, some—such as the one called Viola Mariana Canterbury Bells—are found to be five-capsuled. Among the Papilionaceous herbs Plants with "butterfly-shaped" flowers, such as peas and beans, which usually have a single cavity, not a few are observed with a double one.

Among the Four-petaled Siliquose Plants in the mustard family with long pods or "siliques" plants, some have a simple pod with a single internal cavity, while others are divided into two cells by an internal membrane. No less variety may be observed (these are the words of Mr. Sherard William Sherard (1659–1728), a prominent English botanist expressing the opinion of Mr. Hermann Paul Hermann (1646–1695), author of Paradisus Batavus in the preface to his Paradisus Batavus) among the species of Fumaria Fumitory; some of which have small pods Latin: siliculosae, others have long pods Latin: siliquosae, and the climbing bladder-like African Fumaria always produces seeds enclosed in inflated bladders; yet the common sort of gardeners would at first glance take it for a true species of Fumaria, and would not separate it from the plants of the same family. And a little later: By these diligently