Page:An introduction to physiological and systematical botany (1st edition).djvu/221

 Rh philosopher, six lived nearly as long with one surface applied to the water as with the other; these were the common Arum maculatum, the French Bean, the Sun-flower, Cabbage, Spinach and the Small Mallow. By the last I presume is meant Malva rotundifolia, ''Engl. Bot. t.'' 3092. Six others, Plantain, White Mullein, the Great Mallow (probably M. sylvestris, t. 671), the Nettle, Cock's-comb, and Purple-leaved Amaranth (probably Amaranthus hypochondriacus), lived longest with their upper surface laid upon the water. The Nettle lived but three weeks with its under surface on the water, and about two months in a contrary position. The Mullein scarcely survived five or six days, and the Amaranth not a week, in the first-mentioned posture, while the leaves of the former remained in vigour about five weeks, and of the latter three months, when their upper surfaces imbibed the water. Marvel of Peru and Balm, the two remaining plants of the fourteen on which the experiment was made, had also an evident advantage in receiving that fluid by their upper surfaces. The leaves of some of the above