T BOOK X. Of VEGETABLES. HE Vegetable Kingdom, although an inferiour Branch of the Creation, exhibits to us fuch an ample Scene of the Creator's Contrivance, Curiofity, and Art, that I much rather chufe to fhew what might be faid, than engage too far in Particulars. I might infift upon the great Variety there is, both of Trees and Plants provided for all Ages, and for every Ufe and Occafion of the World (a); fome for Building, for Tools and Utenfils of every Kind; fome hard, fome foft; fome tough and strong, fome brittle; fome long and tall, fome fhort and low; fome thick and large, fome fmall and flender; fome for Phyfick (b), fome for Food, (a) The fifth Book of Theophraftus's Hift. Plant. may be here confulted: Where he gives ample Inftances of the va rious Conftitutions and Ufes of Trees, in various Works, c. See also before Book IV. Chap. 13. Note (a). (b) Invifis quoque herbis inferuit [Natura] remedia: quippe cùm medicinas dederit etiam aculeatis in quibus ip fis providentiam Natura fatis admirari amplectique non eft. Inde excogitavit aliquas afpectu hifpidas, tačku truces, ut tantùm non vocem ipfius fingentis illas, rationemque reddentis exaudire videamur, ne fe depafcat avida Quadrupes, ne procaces manus rapiant, ne neglecta veftigia obterant, ne infi dens Ales infringat his muniendo Aculeis, telifque armando, remediis ut tuta ac falva fint. Ita boc quoque quod in iis odi mus, hominum causa excogitatum eft, Plin. N. H. L. 2z..c.6. Are Food, fome for Pleasure; yea, the most abject (f) Shrubs, and the very Bushes and Brambles themfelves, the Husbandman can testify the Ufe of. I might also furvey here the curious Anatomy and Structure of their Bodies (d), and fhew the admirable Are fome of the Species of Nature noxious? They are also useful Doth a Nettle fting? It is to fecure so good a Medicine from the Rapes of Children and Cattle. Doth the Bramble cumber a Garden? It makes the better Hedge; where if it chanceth to prick the Owner, it will tear the Thief. Grew Cofmolog. L. 3. c. 2. §. 47. (c) That the most abject Vegetables, c. have their Ufe, and are beneficial to the World, may in fome measure appear from the Ufe the Northern People put rotten Wood, &c. unto. Satis ingeniofum modum habent populi feptentrionales in nemoribus nocturno tempore pertranfeuntes, imo & diurno, quando in remotioribus Aquilonis partibus ante, & poft Solftitium hyemale continua noctes habentur. Quique his remediis indigent, Cortices quercinos inquirunt putres, eafque collocant certo interftitio itineris inftituti, ut eorum fplendore, quò voluerint, perficiant iter. Nec folùm hoc praftat Cortex, fed & Truncus putrefaftus, ac fungus ipfe Agaricus appellatus, &c. Ol. Mag. Hift. L. 2. c. 16. To this we may add Thiftles in making Glafs, whofe Ashes Dr. Merret faith, are the beft, viz. the Ashes of the Common-way Thifle, though all Thistles ferve to this Purpose. Next to Thistles are Hop-ftrings, cut after the Flowers are gathered. Plants that are Thorny and Prickly, feem to afford the best and moft Salt. Merret's Obferv. on Anton, Ner. p. 265. Quid majora fequar? Salices, humilefque Genifta, Virg. Georg. L. 2. V. 434 (d) Dr. Beal (who was very curious, and tried many Experiments upon Vegetables) gives fome good Reasons to imagine, that there is a direct Communication between the Parts of the Tree and the Fruit, fo that the fame Fibres which conftitute the Root, Trunk, and Boughs, are extended into the very Fruit. And in old Horn-beams, I have obferved Dd 3 admirable Provifion made for the Conveyance of the lymphatick and effential Juices, for communicating the Air, as neceffary to Vegetable, as Animal Life (e): I might alfo fpeak of, even the very Covering they are provided with, because it is a curious Work in Reality, although lefs fo in Appearance: And much more therefore might I furvey ferved fomething very like this; in many of which, there are divers great and fmall Ribs (almoft like Ivy, only united to the Body) running from the Root up along the outside of the Body, and terminating in one fingle, or a few Boughs: Which Bough or Boughs fpread again into Branches, Leaves and. Fruit. See what Dr, Beal hath in Lowth. Abr. V. 2. p. 710. But as to the particular Canals, and other Parts relating to the Anatomy of Vegetables, it is too long a Subject for this Place, and therefore I fhall refer to Seigneur Malpighi's and Dr. Grew's Labours in this kind. (e) Tanta eft Refpirationis neceffitas, & ufus, ut Natura in fingulis viventium ordinibus varia, fed analoga, paraverit inftrumenta, qua Pulmones vocamus [and fo he goes on with obferving the Apparatus made in the various Genera of Animals, and then faith] In Plantis verò, qua infimum animalium attingunt ordinem, tantam Trachearum copiam & productionem extare par eft, ut his minima Vegetantium partes prater corticem irrigentur. Planta igitur (ut conjeclari fas eft) cùm fint viventia, vifceribus infixa terra, ab hac, feu potius ab aquâ aere, commixtis & percolatis à terrâ, Refpirationis fue materiam recipiunt, ipfarumque Trachea ab halitu terra, extremas radices fubingreffo, replentur. Malpig. Op. Anat. Plant. p. 15. Thefe Trachea or Air-Veffels, are vifible, and appear very pretty in the Leaf of Scabious, or the Vine, by pulling afunder fome of its principal Ribs, or great Fibres; between which, may be feen the Spiral Air-Veffels (like Threads of Cob-web) a little uncoyled: A Figure whereof, Dr. Grew hath given us in his Anat. Plant. Tab. 51, 52. L As to the curious coyling, and other Things relating to the Structure of thofe Air-Veffels, I refer to Malpig. P. 14. and Dr. Grew, ib. L. 3. c. 3. §. 16. &c. and L. 4. C. 4, §. 19. of Mr. Ray, from them fuccinctly, Hift. Plant. L. I. c. 4. the the neat Variety and Texture of their Leaves (ƒ), the admirable Finery, Gaiety, and Fragrancy of their Flowers (g). I might alfo inquire into the wonder (f) Concerning the Leaves, I fhall note only two or three Things. 1. As to the Fibres of the Leaf, they ftand not in the Stalk, in an even Line, but always in an Angular, or Circular Pofture, and their vafcular Fibres or Threads, are 3, 5, or 7. The Reason of their Pofition thus, is for the more erect Growth and greater Strength of the Leaf, as alfo for the Security of its Sap. Of all which fee, Dr. Grew, L. I. c.4. §. 8.c. and L. 4. Par. 1. c. 3. alfo Tab. 4. Fig. 2. to II. Another Obfervable in the Fibres of the Leaf, is their orderly Pofition, fo as to take in an eighth Part of a Circle, as in Mallows; in fome a tenth, but in moft a twelfth, as in Holy-Oak; or a fixth, as in Sirynga. Id. ib. Tab. 46, 47. 2. The Art in Folding up the Leaves before their Eruption out of their Gems, &c. is incomparable, both for its Elegancy and Security, viz. In taking up (fo as their Forms will bear) the leaft room; and in being fo conveniently couched as to be capable of receiving Protection from other Parts, or of giving it to one another, e. g. First, there is the Bow-lap, where the Leaves are all laid fomewhat convexly one over another, but not plaited but where the Leaves are not fo thick fet, as to stand in the Bow-lap, there we have the Plicature, or the Flat-lap; as in Rofe-tree, &c. And fo that curious Obferver goes on fhewing the various Foldings, to which he gives the Names of the Duplicature, Multiplicature, the Fore-rowl, Back-rowl, and Tre-rowl, or Treble-rowl. Grew. ib. L. 1. c. 4. §. 14, &c. To thefe he adds fome others, L. 4. P. I. c. 1. §. 9. Confult also Malpig. de Gemmis, p. 22. &c. To thefe curious Foldings, we may add another noble Guard by the Interpofition of Films, ec. of which Dr. Grew faith, there are about fix Ways, viz, Leaves, Surfoyls, Interfoyls, Stalks, Hoods, and Mantlings. Grew. ib. and Tab. 41, 42. Malpig. ibid. (g) In the Flower may be confidered the Empalement, as Dr. Grew; the Calix, or Perianthium, as Mr. Ray and others, call it, defigned to be a Security, and Bands, to the other Parts of the Flower. Floris velut bafis & fulcimentum eft. Ray Hift. L. 1. c. 10. Flowers, whofe Petala are strong (as Tulips) have no Calix. Carnations, whofe Petala are long and flender, have an Empalement of one Piece: And others, fuch as the Knap-weeds, have it confifting of feveral Dd 4 Pieces, wonderful Generation and Make of the Seed (b), and the great Usefulness of their Fruit: I might fhew that the Rudiments and Lineaments of the Parent-Vegetable, though never fo large and fpacious, is locked up in the little Compafs of their Fruit or Seed, though fome of those Seeds are scarce visible to the naked Eye (i). And forasmuch as the Pieces, and in divers Rounds, and all with a counterchangeable Refpect to each other, for the greater Strength and Security of themselves, and the Petala, &c. they include. The next is the Foliation, as Dr. Grew, the Petala, or Folia, as Mr. Ray, and others. In thefe, not only the admirable Beauty, and luxuriant Colours are obfervable, but also their curious Foldings in the Calix, before their Expansion. Of which Dr. Grew hath thefe Varieties, viz. The ClafeCouch, as in Rofes; the Concave-Couch, as in Blattaria flore albo; the Single-Plait, as in Peafe-Bloffoms; the DoublePlait, as in Blue-Bottles, &c. the Couch and Plait together, as in Marigolds, &c. the Rowl, as in Ladies Bower; the Spire, as in Mallows; and laftly, the Plait and Spire, together, as in Convolvulus Doronici folio. L. 1. c. 5. §. 6. and Tab. 54. As to the Stamina with their Apices, and the Stylys, (called the Attire by Dr. Grew) they are admirable, whether we confider their Colours, or their Make, especially their Ufe, if it be as Dr. Grew, Mr. Ray, and others imagine, namely, as a Male Sperm, to impregnate and fructify the Seed. Which Opinion is corroborated by the ingenious Obfervations of Mr. Sam. Morland, in Philof. Trans. No. 287. Reliqua ufus alimentique gratiâ genuit [Natura] ideoque fecula annofque tribuit iis. Flores verò odorefque in diem gignit: magna (ut palam eft) admonitione hominum, que fpeltatiffimè floreant, celerrimè marcefcere. Plin. N. H. L.21. c. 1.1 (b) As to the curious and gradual Process of Nature in the Formation of the Seed or Fruit of Vegetables, Cuts being neceffary, I fhall refer to Dr. Grew, p. 45, and 209, and Malpig. P. 57. (1) Vetus eft Empedoclis dogma, Plantarum femina Ova effe, ab iifdem decidua Ineft in eo [Ovo vel Semine] velut in cicatrice, non fola viventis carina, fed cum minimo trunco affurgentes partes, Gemma fcilicet, infignis radicis Camus; &c. Malpig. |