_Of VEGETABLES._
The Vegetable Kingdom, although an inferiour Branch of the Creation,
exhibits to us such an ample Scene of the Creator’s Contrivance,
Curiosity, and Art, that I much rather chuse to shew what might be
said, than engage too far in Particulars. I might insist upon the great
Variety there is, both of Trees and Plants provided for all Ages, and
for every Use and Occasion of the World[a]; some for Building, for Tools
and Utensils of every Kind; some hard, some soft; some tough and strong,
some brittle; some long and tall, some short and low; some thick and
large, some small and tender; some for Physick[b], some for Food, some
for Pleasure; yea, the most abject[c] Shrubs, and the very Bushes and
Brambles themselves, the Husbandman can testify the Use of.
I might also survey here the curious Anatomy and Structure of their
Bodies[d], and shew the admirable Provision made for the Conveyance
of the lymphatick and essential Juices, for communicating the Air, as
necessary to Vegetable, as Animal Life[e]: I might also speak of, even
the very Covering they are provided with, because it is a curious Work
in Reality, although less so in Appearance: And much more therefore
might I survey the neat Variety and Texture of their Leaves[f], the
admirable Finery, Gaiety, and Fragrancy of their Flowers[g]. I might
also inquire into the wonderful Generation and Make of the Seed[h], and
the great Usefulness of their Fruit: I might shew that the Rudiments and
Lineaments of the Parent-Vegetable, though never so large and spacious,
is locked up in the little Compass of their Fruit or Seed, though some
of those Seeds are scarce visible to the naked Eye[i]. And forasmuch as
the Perpetuity and Safety of the Species depends upon the Safety of the
Seed and Fruit in a great measure, I might therefore take notice of the
peculiar Care the great God of Nature hath taken for the Conservation and
Safety hereof: As particularly in such as dare to shew their Heads all
the Year, how securely their Flower, Seed or Fruit is locked up all the
Winter, together with their Leaves and Branches, in their Gems[k] and
well fenced and covered there with neat and close Tunicks. And for such
as dare not so to expose themselves, with what Safety are they preserved
under the Coverture of the Earth, in their Root [l], Seed [m], or Fruit,
till invited out by the kindly Warmth of the Spring! And when the whole
Vegetable Race is thus called out, it is very pretty to observe the
Methods of Nature in guarding those insensitive Creatures against Harms
and Inconveniencies, by making some (for Instance) to lie down prostrate,
and others, to close themselves up [n] upon the Touch of Animals, and
the most to shut up their Flowers, their Down [o], or other their like
Guard, upon the Close and Cool of the Evening, by Means of Rain, or other
Matters that may be prejudicial to the tender Seed.
And now to these Considerations relating to the Seed, I might add the
various Ways of Nature in dissipating and sowing it, some being for this
end, winged with light Down, or Wings, to be conveyed about by the Winds;
others being laid in elastick, springy Cases, that when they burst and
crack, dart their Seed at convenient Distances, performing thereby the
Part of a good Husbandman[p]; others by their agreeable Taste and Smell,
and salutary Nature, inviting themselves to be swallow’d, and carry’d
about by the Birds, and thereby also fertiliz’d by passing through their
Bodies[q]; and others not thus taken Care of, do many of them by their
Usefulness in human Life, invite the Husbandman and Gardiner carefully to
sow and nurse them up.
To this so singular a Care about the Propagation and Conservation of
the Species of Vegetables, I might add the nice Provision that is made
for their Support and Aid, in standing and growing, that they may keep
their Heads above Ground, and not be rotted and spoil’d in the Earth
themselves, nor thereby annoy us; but on the contrary, minister to
all their Ends, and our Uses; to afford us Houses, Utensils, Food[r],
Physick, Cloathing, yea, Diversion too, by the Beauty of their Looks, by
the Fragrancy of their Smell, by creating us pleasant Shades against the
scorching Beams of Summer, and skreening us against the piercing Winds,
and Cold of Winter[s].
And it is very observable what admirable Provisions are made for this
Purpose of their Support and Standing, both in such as stand by their
own Strength, and such as need the Help of others. In such as stand by
their own Strength, it is, by Means of the stronger and more ligneous
Parts, (equivalent to the Bones in Animals,) being made not inflexible,
as Bones; because they would then be apt to break; but of a yielding
elastick Nature, to escape and dodge the Violence of the Winds; and by
Means also of the Branches spreading handsomely and commodiously about,
at an Angle of about 45 gr. by which Means they equally fill up, and at
the same Time make an Æquilibration of the Top[t].
And as for such Vegetables as are weak, and not able to support
themselves, ’tis a wonderful Faculty they have, so readily and naturally
to make Use of the Help of their Neighbours, embracing and climbing up
upon them[u], and using them as Crutches to their feeble Bodies: Some
by their odd convolving Faculty, by twisting themselves like a Screw
about others; some advancing themselves, by catching and holding with
their curious _Claspers_ and _Tendrels_, equivalent to the Hands; some
by striking in their rooty Feet; and others by the Emission of a natural
Glue, closely and firmly adhering to something or other that administers
sufficient Support unto them. All which various Methods being so nicely
accommodated to the Indigencies of those helpless Vegetables, and not to
be met with in any besides, is a manifest Indication of their being the
Contrivance and Work of the Creator, and that his infinite Wisdom and
Care condescends, even to the Service, and well-being of the meanest,
most weak, and helpless insensitive Parts of the Creation.
In the last Place, to the Uses already hinted at, I might add a large
Catalogue of such among Vegetables, as are of peculiar Use and Service
to the World, and seem to be design’d as ’twere on Purpose, by the most
merciful Creator, for the Good of Man, or other Creatures[w]. Among
_Grain_, I might name the great Fertility[x] of such as serves for Bread,
the easy Culture and Propagation thereof, and the Agreement of every
Soil and Climate to it. Among Trees, and Plants, I might instance in
some that seem to be design’d, as ’twere on Purpose, for almost every
Life[y], and Convenience; some to heal the most stubborn and dangerous
Distempers[z], to alleviate and ease the Pains[aa] of our poor infirm
Bodies, all the World over: And some designed for the peculiar Service
and Good of particular Places, either to cure such Distempers as are
peculiar to them, by growing more plentifully there than elsewhere[bb];
or else to obviate some Inconvenience there, or to supply some constant
Necessity, or Occasion, not possible, or at least not easy, to be
supplied any other Way[cc]. ’Tis, for Instance, an admirable Provision
made for some Countries subject to Drought, that when the Waters every
where fail, there are Vegetables which contain not only Moisture enough
to supply their own Vegetation and Wants, but afford Drink also both to
Man and other Creatures, in their great Extremities[dd]; and a great
deal more might be instanced in of a like Nature, and Things that bear
such plain Impresses of the Divine Wisdom and Care, that they manifest
the Super-intendence of the infinite Creator.
Thus I have given a Sketch of another Branch of the Creation, which
(although one of the meanest, yet) if it was accurately viewed, would
abundantly manifest it self to be the Work of God. But because I have
been so long upon the other Parts, although less than they deserve, I
must therefore content my self with those general Hints I have given;
which may however serve as Specimens of what might have been more largely
said about this inferiour Part of the animated Creation.
As to the _Inanimate Part_, such as Stones, Minerals, Earths, and
such-like, that which I have already said in the Beginning shall suffice.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[a] The fifth Book of _Theophrastus_’s _Hist. Plant._ may be here
consulted: Where he gives ample instances of the various Constitutions
and Uses of Trees, in various Works, _&c._ See also before _Book IV.
Chap. 13. Note (a)._
[b] _Invisis quoque herbis inseruit ~[Natura]~ remedia: quippe cùm
medicinas dederit etiam aculeatis——in quibus ipsis providentiam Naturæ
satis admirari amplectique non est.——Inde excogitavit aliquas aspectu
hispidas, tactu truces, ut tantùm non vocem ipsius fingentis illas,
rationemque reddentis exaudire videamur, ne se depascat avida Quadrupes,
ne procaces manus rapiant, ne neglecta vestigia obterant, ne insidens
Ales infringat: his muniendo Aculeis, telisque armando, remediis ut
tuta ac salva sint. Ita hoc quoque quod in iis odimus, hominum causa
excogitatum est._ Plin. N. H. L. 22 c. 6.
_Are some of the Species of Nature noxious? They are also useful——Doth
a Nettle sting? It is to secure 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 Cosmolog. L. 3. c. 2. §. 47.
[c] That the most abject Vegetables, _&c._ have their Use, and are
beneficial to the World, may in some measure appear from the Use
the Northern People put rotten Wood, _&c._ unto. _Satis ingeniosum
modum habent populi septentrionales in nemoribus nocturno tempore
pertranseuntes, imo & diurno, quando in remotioribus Aquilonis partibus
ante, & post Solstitium hyemale continuæ noctes habentur. Quique his
remediis indigent, Cortices quercinos inquirunt putres, easque collocant
certo interstitio itineris instituti, ut eorum splendore, quò voluerint,
perficiant iter. Nec solùm hoc præstat Cortex, sed & Truncus putrefactus,
ac fungus ipse Agaricus appellatus, ~&c.~_ Ol. Mag. Hist. L. 2. c. 16.
To this we may add _Thistles_ in making Glass, whose Ashes Dr. _Merret_
saith, are the best, _viz._ the Ashes of the _Common-way Thistle_,
though all _Thistles_ serve to this Purpose. Next to _Thistles_ are
_Hop-strings_, cut after the Flowers are gathered. Plants that are Thorny
and Prickly, seem to afford the best and most Salt. _Merret_’s _Observ.
on Anton. Ner._ p. 265.
_Quid majora sequar? Salices, humilesque Genistæ._
_Aut illæ pecori frondem, aut pastoribus umbram_
_Sufficiunt, Sepemque satis, & pabula melli._
Virg. Georg. L. 2. ℣. 434.
[d] Dr. _Beal_ (who was very curious, and tried many Experiments upon
Vegetables) gives some good Reasons to imagine, that there is a direct
Communication between the Parts of the Tree and the Fruit, so that the
same Fibres which constitute the Root, Trunk, and Boughs, are extended
into the very Fruit. And in old _Horn-beams_, I have observed something
very like this; in many of which, there are divers great and small Ribs
(almost like Ivy, only united to the Body) running from the Root up along
the outside of the Body, and terminating in one single, or a few Boughs:
Which Bough or Boughs spread 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
shall refer to _Seigneur Malpighi_’s and Dr. _Grew_’s Labours in this
kind.
[e] _Tanta est Respirationis necessitas, & usus, ut Natura in singulis
viventium ordinibus varia, sed analoga, paraverit instrumenta, quæ
Pulmones vocamus_ [and so he goes on with observing the _Apparatus_ made
in the various _Genera_ of Animals, and then saith] _In Plantis verò,
quæ infirmum animalium attingunt ordinem, tantam Trachearum copiam &
productionem extare par est, ut his minimæ Vegetantium partes præter
corticem irrigentur.——Plantæ igitur (ut conjectari fas est) cum sint
viventia, visceribus infixa terræ, ab hac, seu potius ab aquâ & aëre,
commixtis & percolatis à terrâ, Respirationis suæ materiam recipiunt,
ipsarumque Tracheæ ab halitu terræ, extremas radices subingresso,
replentur._ Malpig. Op. Anat. Plant. p. 15.
These _Tracheæ_ or _Air-Vessels_, are visible, and appear very pretty
in the Leaf of _Scabious_, or the Vine, by pulling asunder some of its
principal Ribs, or great Fibres; between which, may be seen the Spiral
_Air-Vessels_ (like Threads of Cob-web) a little uncoyled: A Figure
whereof, Dr. _Grew_ hath given us in his _Anat. Plant._ Tab. 51. 52.
As to the curious coyling, and other Things relating to the Structure
of those _Air-Vessels_. 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
succinctly, _Hist. Plant._ L. 1. c. 4.
[f] Concerning the _Leaves_, I shall note only two or three Things. 1. As
to the _Fibres of the Leaf_, they stand not in the _Stalk_, in an even
Line, but always in an Angular, or Circular Posture, and their vascular
Fibres or Threads, are 3, 5, or 7. The Reason of their Position thus,
is for the more erect Growth and greater Strength of the Leaf, as also
for the Security of its Sap. Of all which see, Dr. _Grew_, L. 1. c. 4.
§. 8. _&c._ and L. 4. Par. 1. c. 3. also Tab. 4. Fig. 2. to 11. Another
Observable in the Fibres of the Leaf, is their orderly Position, so as to
take in an eighth Part of a Circle, as in _Mallows_; in some a tenth, but
in most a twelfth, as in _Holy-Oak_; or a sixth, 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 (so as their Forms will bear) the least room; and in being
so 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 somewhat convexly one over
another, but not plaited——but where the Leaves are not so thick set, as
to stand in the Bow-lap, there we have the Plicature, or the Flat-lap;
as in Rose-tree, ~&c.~_ And so that curious Observer goes on shewing
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 these he adds some
others, L. 4. P. 1. c. 1. §. 9. Consult also _Malpig. de Gemmis_, p. 22.
&c.
To these curious Foldings, we may add another noble Guard by the
Interposition of _Films_, _&c._ of which Dr. _Grew_ saith, there are
about six Ways, _viz._ _Leaves_, _Surfoyls_, _Ingerfoyls_, _Stalks_,
_Hoods_, and _Mantlings_. Grew. ib. and Tab. 41, 42. Malpig. ibid.
[g] In the _Flower_ may be considered the _Empalement_, as Dr. _Grew_;
the _Calix_, or _Perianthium_, as Mr. _Ray_ and others, call it, designed
to be a Security, and Bands, to the other Parts of the Flower. _Floris
velut basis & fulcimentum est._ Ray Hist. L. 1. c. 10. Flowers, whose
_Petala_ are strong (as Tulips) have no _Calix_. _Carnations_, whose
_Petala_ are long and slender, have an Empalement of one Piece: And
others, such as the _Knap-weeds_, have it consisting of several Pieces,
and in divers Rounds, and all with a counterchangeable Respect 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 these, not only the admirable Beauty, and
luxuriant Colours are observable, but also their curious _Foldings_ in
the _Calix_, before their Expansion. Of which Dr. _Grew_ hath these
Varieties, _viz._ The _Close-Couch_, as in _Roses_; the _Concave-Couch_,
as in _Blattaria flore albo_; the _Single-Plait_, as in _Pease-Blossoms_;
the _Double-Plait_, 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 lastly, 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 _Stylus_, (called the
_Attire_ by Dr. _Grew_) they are admirable, whether we consider their
Colours, or their Make, especially their Use, 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
Observations of Mr. _Sam. Morland_, in _Philos. Trans._ Nᵒ. 287.
_Reliqua usus alimentique gratiâ genuit ~[Natura]~ ideoque secula
annosque tribuit iis. Flores verò odoresque in diem gignit: magnâ (ut
palam est) admonitione hominum, quæ spectatissimè floreant, celerrimè
marcescere._ Plin. N. H. L. 21. c. 1.
[h] As to the curious and gradual Process of Nature in the Formation of
the Seed or Fruit of Vegetables, Cuts being necessary, I shall refer to
Dr. _Grew_, p. 45, and 209, and _Malpig._ p. 57.
[i] _Vetus est Empedoclis dogma, Plantarum semina Ova esse, ab iisdem
decidua——Inest in eo ~[Ovo vel Semine]~ velut in cicatrice, non sola
viventis carina, sed cum minimo trunco assurgentes partes, Gemma
scilicet, & insignis radicis Conus, ~&c.~_ Malpig. ib. p. 81. vid. plura
in tract. _de Seminum veget._ p. 14. & passim.
In _Malpighi_’s Life, a Debate may be seen between him and _Seign.
Triumphetti_, the Provost of the Garden at _Rome_, whether the whole
Plant be actually in the Seed. The Affirmative is maintained by
_Malpighi_, with cogent Arguments; among which, this is one; _Non
præoccupatâ mente, oculis microscopio armatis, lustret quæso Phaseolorum,
seminalem plantulam nondum satam, in quâ folia stabilia, hæcque ampla
evidenter observabit; in eâdem pariter gemmam, nodos, seu implantationes
varias foliorum caulis deprehendet. Caulem insignem fibris ligneis, &
utriculorum seriebus constantem conspicuè attinget._ And whereas _S.
Triumphetti_ had objected, that _vegetatione, metamorphosi, inediâ
plantas in alias degenerare, ut exemplo plurium ~[constat]~ præcipuè
tritici in lolium, & lolii in triticum versi._ In answer to this, (which
is one of the strongest Arguments against _Malpighi_’s Assertion)
_Malpighi_ replies, _Nondum certum est de integritate, & successu
experimenti, nam facienti mihi, & amicis, tritici metamorphosis non
cessit. Admissa tamen metamorphosi, quoniam hæc neglecta cultura, aut
vitio soli, aut aëris contingit——ideo ex morboso & monstruoso affectu
non licet inferre permanentem statum à Naturâ intentum. Observo plantas
sylvestres culturâ varias reddi, ~&c.~_ I have more largely taken notice
of _Malpighi_’s Answer, because he therein shews his Opinion about the
Transmutation of Vegetables. _Vid._ _Malpig. Vit._ p. 67.
So Mr. _Lewenhoeck_, after his nice Observations of an _Orange-Kernel_,
which he made to germinate in his Pocket, _&c._ concludes, _Thus we see,
how small a Particle, no bigger than a course Sand ~(as the Plant is
represented)~ is increased, ~&c.~ A plain Demonstration, that the Plant,
and all belonging to it, was actually in the Seed, in the young Plant,
its Body, Root, ~&c.~_ Philos. Trans. Nᵒ. 287. See also _Raii Cat. Cant._
in _Acer maj._ from Dr. _Highmore_. But in all the Seeds which I have
viewed, except the _Maple_, the Plant appears the plainest to the naked
Eye, and also very elegant, in the _Nux Vomica_. _Natura non observat
magnitudinis proportionem inter semina & plantas ab iisdem ortas, ita ut
majus semen majorem semper producat plantam, minus minorem. Sunt enim in
genere herbarum non pauca, quarum semina arborum nonnullarum seminibus
non dico æqualia sunt, sed multo majora. Sic ~v.g.~ Semina Fabæ, ~&c.~
semina Ulmi, ~&c.~ multis vicibus magnitudine superant._ Raii ubi suprà,
L. 1. c. 13.
_Filicem reliquasque Capillares herbas Semine carere Veteres
plerique——prodidere; quos etiam secuti sunt è Recentioribus nonnulli,
Dodonæus, ~&c.~——Alii è contrà, Bauhinus, ~&c.~ Filices & congeneres
spermatophoras esse contendunt: Partim quia Historia Creationis_, Genes.
ii. 12. &c.——_Hanc sententiam verissimam esse——autopsia convincit._
_Fredericus Cæsius_, he saith, was the first that discovered these Seeds
with the Help of a Microscope. And since him, Mr. _W. C._ hath more
critically observed them. Among other Things observed by that ingenious
Gent. are these, _Pixidulæ seu capsulæ semina continentes in plerisque
hoc genus plantis perquam exili granulo arenæ vulgaris cinereæ plus
duplo minores sunt; imò in nonnullis speciebus vix tertiam quartamve
arenulæ partem magnitudine æquant, vesicularum quarundam annulis aut
fasciolis vermiformibus obvolutarum speciem exhibentes. Nonnulle ex his
vesiculis 100 circiter semina continere deprehendebantur.——adeò eximiâ
parvitate ut nudo oculo prorsus essent invisibilia, nec nisi microscopii
interventu detegi possent.——Osmunda Regalis, quæ aliis omnibus Filicis
speciebus mole——antecellit——vascula seminalia obtinet æquè cum reliquis
congeneribus magnitudinis——quorum immensa & visum fugiens parvitas cum
magnitudine plantæ collata——adeò nullam gerere proportionem invenietur,
ut tantam plantam è tantillo semine produci attentum observatarem meritò
in admirationem rapiat._ Ray, ibid. L. 3. pag. 132. This _W. C._ was Mr.
_Wil. Cole_, as he owneth in a Letter I have now in my Hands of his to
Mr. _Ray_, of _Octob. 18, 1684._
[k] _Vegetantium genus, ut debitam magnitudinem sortiatur, & suæ
mortalitatis jacturam sucessivâ prolis eductione reparet, statis
temporibus novas promit partes, ut tandem emergentes Uteri, recentes
edant Soboles. Emanantes igitur a caule, caudice, ramis, & radicibus
novellæ hujusmodi partes, non illico laxatæ extenduntur, sed compendio
quodam coagmentatæ intra folii axillam cubantes, non parum subsistunst,
Gemmæ appellantur, ~&c.~_ And then that great Man goes on to shew the
admirable various Methods of Nature, in repositing in that little
Compass, so large a Part of a Tree or Plant, the curious Structure of the
Gems, the admirable Guard afforded them, and the Leaves, Flowers and Seed
contained in them, _&c._ Of which having taken Notice before, I pass over
it now, and only refer to our Author _Malpighi_, and Dr. _Grew_, in the
Places cited in _Note (f) and (g)._
[l] Of _Bulbous_, and a great many more, probably of the far greater
Number of _Perennial Roots_ of Herbs, as _Arum_, _Rape-Crowfoot_, &c. it
is very observable, that their Root is annually renewed, or repaired out
of the Trunk or Stalk it self. That is to say, the _Basis_ of the _Stalk_
continually, and by insensible Degrees descending below the Surface of
the Earth, and hiding it self therein, is thus both in Nature, Place
and Office, changed into a true Root.——So in _Brownwort_, the Basis of
the Stalk sinking down by Degrees, till it lies under Ground, becomes
the upper Part of the Root; and continuing still to sink, the next
Year becomes the lower Part: And the next after that, rots away; a new
Addition being still yearly made out of the Stalk, as the elder Parts
yearly rot away. _Grew._ _ibid._ L. 2. pag. 59. _ubi plura vid._
[m] How safe and agreeable a Conservatory the Earth is to Vegetables,
more than any other, is manifest from their rotting, drying, or being
rendred infecund in the Waters, or the Air; but in the Earth their
Vigour is long preserved. Thus Seeds particularly, Mr. _Ray_ thinks
some, may probably retain their Fecundity for ten Years, and others lose
it in five; but, saith he, _In terræ gremio latitantia, quamvis tot
caloris, frigoris, humoris & siccitatis varietatibus ibidem obnoxia,
diutiùs tamen (ut puto) fertilitatem suam tuentur quàm ab hominibus
diligentissimè custodita; nam & ego & alii ante me multi observârunt
Sinapeos vim magnam enatam in aggeribus fossarum recèns factis inque
areis gramineis effossis, ubi post hominum memoriam nulla unquam Sinapeos
seges succreverat. Quam tamen non spontè ortam suspicor, sed è seminibus
in terra per tot annos resuduis etiam prolificis._ Ray. Hist. Pl. L. 1.
C. 13.
[n] _Plantæ nonnullæ Æschynomenæ Veteribus dictæ, Recentioribus Vivæ, &
Sensitivæ, & Mimosæ, haud obscura sensus indicia produnt; siquidem folia
earnum manu aut baculo tacta, & paululum compressa, pleno etiam meridie,
splendente Sole, illico se contrahunt; in nonnullis etiam speciebus
cauliculi teneriores concidunt & velut marcescunt; quod idem ab aëre
frigidiore admissa patiuntur._ Ray. Hist. Pl. T. 1. L. 18. App. S. 2. c.
2. p. 978.
[o] I have observed that many, if not most Vegetables, do expand their
Flowers, Down, _&c._ in warm, Sun-shiny Weather, and again close them
towards Evening, or in Rain, _&c._ especially at the Beginning of
Flowering, when the Seed is young and tender; as is manifest in the
Down of _Dandelion_, and other Downs; and eminently in the Flowers of
_Pimpernel_; the opening and shutting of which, are the Country-Man’s
Weather-wiser; whereby _Gerard_ saith, he foretelleth what Weather shall
follow the next Day; for saith he, _if the Flowers be close shut up, it
betokeneth Rain and foul Weather; contrarywise, if they be spread abroad,
fair Weather._ Ger. Herb. B. 2. c. 183.
_Est & alia ~[arbor in Tylis]~ similis, foliosior tamen, roseique floris;
quem noctu comprimens, aperire incipit Solis exortu, meridie expandit.
Incolæ dormiræ eam dicunt._ Plin. Nat. Hist. L. 12. c. 11.
[p] _So soon as the Seed is ripe, Nature taketh several Methods for
its being duly Sown; not only in the opening of the ~Uterus~, but also
in the make of the Seed it self. For, First, The Seeds of many Plants,
which affect a peculiar Soil or Seat, as of ~Arum~, ~Poppy~, ~&c.~ are
heavy and small enough, without further Care, to fall directly down into
the Ground——But if they are so large and light, as to be expos’d to the
Wind, they are often furnish’d with one or more Hooks, to stay them from
straying too far from their proper Place——So the Seeds of ~Avens~ have
one single Hook; those of ~Agrimony~ and ~Goose-grass~, many; both the
former loving a warm Bank; the latter, an Hedge for its Support. On the
contrary, many Seeds are furnish’d with Wings or Feathers; partly with
the Help of the Wind to carry them, when ripe, from off the Plant, as
of ~Ash~, ~&c.~——and partly to enable them to make their Flight more
or less abroad, that so they may not, by falling together, come up too
thick; and that if one should miss a good Soil or Bed, another may hit.
So the Kernels of ~Pine~ have Wings——yet short——whereby they fly not
into the Air, but only flutter upon the Ground. But those of ~Typha~,
~Dandelion~, and most of the pappous Kind——have long numerous Feathers,
by which they are wafted every Way.——Again, there are Seeds which are
scatter’d not by flying abroad, but by being either spirted or flung
away. The first of those are Wood sorrel, which having a running Root,
Nature sees fit to sow the Seeds at some Distance. The doing of which is
effected by a white sturdy Cover, of a tendinous or springy Nature.——This
Cover, so soon as it begins to dry, bursts open on one Side, in an
instant, and is violently turn’d Inside outward——and so smartly throws
off the Seed. The Seeds of ~Hart’s-tongue~, is flung or shot away——by
the curious Contrivance of the Seed-case, as in ~Codded-Asmart~, only
there the spring moves and curls inward, but here outward, ~viz.~ Every
Seed-case——is of a spherick Figure, and girded about with a Sturdy
Spring.——The Surface of the Spring resembles a fine Screw.——So soon
as——this Spring is become stark enough, it suddenly breaks the Case into
two Halfs, like two little Cups, and so flings the Seed._ Grew. ib.
p. 199. and in Tab. 72. all these admirable Artifices are handsomely
represented.
_Quin si quantitas modica seminum ~(Filicis Phyiltitidis quoque)~ à
foliis in subjectam charte mundæ——schedam decutiatur, detergatúrve,
& deinde in acervum converratur, vesicularum seminalium plurimis unà
dissilientibus, & sibi invicem allisis, acervulus variè moveri per partes
videbitur, non secus ac si Syronibus aut istiusmodi bestiolis repletus
esset——quin si locus tranquillus sit, aura proximè admotâ crepitantium
inter rumpendum vasculorum sonitus——percipietur; & si microscopio chartam
oculis oberres, semina per eam undique sparsa, & ad notabilem ab acervo
distantiam projecta comperies._ _Ray_ ibid. p. 132.
_The admirable Contrivance of Nature, in this Plant is most plain. For
the Seed-Vessels being the best Preserver of the Seed, ’tis there kept
from the Injuries of Air and Earth, ’till it be rainy, when it is a
proper Time for it to grow, and then it is thrown round the Earth, as
Grain by a skilful Sower.——When any Wet touches the End of the Seed
Vessels, with a smart Noise and sudden Leap it opens it self, and with a
Spring scatters its Seed to a pretty Distance round it, where it grows._
Dr. Sloane Voy. to Jamaica, p. 150. of the _Gentianella flore cœruleo_,
&c. or _Spirit-Leaf_.
The Plants of the _Cardamine-Family_, and many others, may be added
here, whose Cods fly open, and dart out their Seed, upon a small Touch
of the Hand. But the most remarkable Instance is in the _Cardamine
impatiens, cujus Siliquæ_ (saith Mr. _Ray_) _vel leviter tactæ, actutùm
ejaculantur ~[Semina]~ imò, quod longè mirabilius videtur, etsi filiquas
non tetigeris, si tamen manum velut tacturus proximè admoveas, semina
in approprinquantem evibrabunt; quod tum Morisonus se sæpiùs expertum
scribit, tum Johnstonus apud Gerardum verum esse affirmat._ Hist. Plant.
L. 16. c. 20.
Neither is this Provision made only for Land Vegetables, but for such
also as grow in the Sea. Of which I shall give an Instance from my before
commended Friend Dr. _Sloane_. _As to the Fuci,——their Seed hath been
discover’d, (and shew’d me first,) by the Industry of the ingenious
Herbarist, Mr. ~Sam. Doody~, who found on many of this Kind, solid
Tubercules, or Risings in some Seasons, wherein were lodg’d several round
Seeds, as big as Mustard-Seed, which, when ripe, the outward Membrane of
the Tubercule breaking, leaveth the seed to float up and down with the
Waves. The Seed coming near Stones, or any solid Foundation, by Means of
a Mucilage it carries with it, sticks to them, and shoots forth ~Ligulæ~
with Branches, and in Time comes to its Perfection and Magnitude._ Sloan
Voy. Jamaica, p. 50.
But although Mr. _Doody_ had hinted, and conjectur’d at the Thing; yet
the first that discover’d the Seeds in _Fuci_, was the before commended
Dr. _Tancred Robinson_; as may be seen by comparing what Mr. Ray saith
in his _Synops. Stirp. Brit._ p. 6. with his _Append. Hist._ p. 1849.
Besides which _Fuci_, the Dr. tells me, he observ’d Vessels and Seed in
_Coralloid Shrubs_, as also in several _Fungi_, not only in the Species
of _Crepitus Lupi_, but also between the _Lamellæ_ of other Species, and
in that subterraneous Kind call’d _Truffles_, whose Seed and Vessels open
in the Cortex, at some Seasons he saith, like that of Mallows in Shape.
As to the _Crepitus Lupi_, I have more than once examin’d their Powder,
with those excellent Microscopes of Mr. _Wilson_’s Make: But the most
satisfactory View Mr. _Wilson_ himself gave me; by which I found the
Seeds to be so many exceeding small _Puff-Balls_, with round Heads, and
longer than ordinary sharp-pointed Stalks, as if made on purpose to
prick easily into the Ground. These Seeds are intermix’d with much dusty
Matter, and become hurtful to the Eyes, probably by their sharp Stalks
pricking and wounding that tender Organ.
[q] The ancient Naturalists do generally agree, that _Misseltoe_ is
propagated by its Seeds carried about by, and passing through the Body
of Birds. Thus _Theophrastus de Caus. Plant._ L. 2. c. 24. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ
σῆς ὀρνίθων, &c. _Initium verò à pastu avium:——Quippe Visco detracto
confectóque in alveïs, quod frigidissimum est, semen cum excremento
purum dimittitur, & factâ mutatione aliquâ in arbore Stercoris causâ
pullulat, erumpitque, ~&c.~_ So also _Pliny_ saith, viz. _Omnino
autem satum ~[Viscum]~ nullo modo nascitur, nec nisi per alvum Avium
reddittum, maximè Palumbis ac Turdi. Hæc est natura, ut nisi maturatum
in ventre Avium, non proveniat._ Plin. N. H. L. 16. c. 44. Whether what
_Theophrastus_ and _Pliny_ affirm, be conducive to the better fertilizing
the Seeds of _Misseltoe_, I know not; but that it is not of absolute
Necessity, I can affirm upon mine own Experience, having seen the Seeds
germinate, even in the Bark of Oak. But although they shot above an
Inch, and seem’d to root in the Tree, yet they came to nothing, whether
destroy’d by Ants, _&c._ which I suspected, or whether disagreeing with
the Oak, I know not. But I since find the Matter put out of doubt by Mr.
_Doody_, which see in Mr. _Ray_’s _Hist. Plant. App._ p. 1918.
_Nutmegs_ are said to be fertiliz’d after the same Manner, as _Tavernier_
saith was confirm’d to him by Persons that lived many Years in those
Parts; whose Relation was, The _Nutmeg_ being ripe, several Birds come
from the Islands toward the South, and devour it whole, but are forced
to throw it up again, before it be digested: And that the _Nutmeg_, then
besmear’d with a viscous Matter, falling to the Ground, takes Root, and
produces a Tree, which would never thrive, was it planted. _Tavern. of
the Commod. of the ~G. Mogul~._ And _Monsieur Thevenot_, in his Travels
to the _Indies_, gives this Account; The Tree is produc’d after this
Manner; there is a kind of Birds in the Island, that having pick’d off
the green Husk, swallow the Nuts, which having been some Time in their
Stomach, they void by the ordinary Way; and they fail not to take rooting
in the Place where they fall, and in Time to grow up to a Tree. This Bird
is shap’d like a _Cuckow_, and the _Dutch_ prohibit their Subjects under
Pain of Death, to kill any of them. _Vid._ _Sir T. Pope Blunt_’s _Nat.
Hist._
But Mr. _Ray_ gives a somewhat different Account: _Hunc fructum ~[Nucem
Moschatam]~ variæ quidem aves depascuntur, sed maximè Columbæ genus album
& parvum, quæ dehiscente nucamento, illectæ suavitate Macis, hunc cum
Nuce eripiunt & devorant, nec nisi repletâ ingluvie capacissimâ saginam
deserunt. Nostrates ibi mercatores Columbis istis ~Nut-eaters~ sive
Nucivoris nomen imposuerunt. Quas autem vorant Nuces, post integras per
alvum reddunt. Redditæ citiùs deinde germinant utpote præmaceratæ fervore
Ventriculi. Arbores inde natæ ceu præcociores, facilè sunt corruptioni
obnoxiæ fructumque ferunt cæteris multo viliorem, & hâc causa neglectum
incolis contemptumque, prater Macin, quem ad adulterandum meliorem
adhibent._ Ray H. P. L. 27. c. 4.
[r] _Arbores blandioribus fruge succis hominem mitigavere. Ex iis
recreans membra Olei liquor, viresque potus Vini: tot denique sapores
annui sponte venientes: & mensa depugnetur licet earum causa cum feris, &
pasti naufragorum corporibus pisces expetantur, etiamnum tamen secundæ.
Mille præterea sunt usus earum, sine quibus vita degi non possit. Arbore
sulcamus maria, terrasque admovemus, arbore exædificamus tecta._ Plin. N.
H. L. 12. c. 1.
[s] _Plantaram Usus latissime patet, & in omni vita parte occurrit. Sine
illis laute, sine illis commode non vivitur, at nec vivitur omnino:
Quæcunque ad victum necessaria sunt, quæcunque ad delicias faciunt,
e locupletissimo suo penu abunde subministrant. Quanto ex iis mensa
innocentior, mundior, salubrior quam ex Animalium cæde & laniena? Homo
certe natura Animal carnivorum non est; nullis ad prædam & rapinam armis
instructum, non dentibus exertis & serratis, non unguibus aduncis. Manus
ad fructus colligendos, dentes ad mandendas comparati. Non legimus ei
ante Diluvium carnes ad esum concessas. At non victum tantum nobis
suppeditant, sed & Vestitum, & Medicinam & Domicilia aliaque, ædificia,
& Navigia, & Supellectilem, & Focum, & Oblectamenta Sensuum Animique: Ex
his naribus odoramenta & sussumigiæ parantur. Horum flores inenarrabili
colorum & Schematum varietate, & elegantia, oculos exhilarant, suavissima
odorum quos expirant fragantia spiritus recreant. Horum fructus gule
illecebra mensas secundas instruunt, & languentem appetitum excitant.
Taceo virorem amiœnissimum oculis amicum, quem per prata paseua agros,
sylvas spatiantibus objiciunt & umbras quas contra æstum & solis ardores
præbent._ Ray. ib. L. 1. c. 24. p. 46.
[t] All Vegetables of a tall and spreading Growth, seem to have a
natural Tendency to a hemispherical Dilation, but generally confine
their Spreading within an Angle of 90 _gr._ as being the most becoming
and useful Disposition of its Parts and Branches. Now the shortest Way
to give a most graceful and useful filling to that Space of dilating and
spreading out, is to proceed in strait Lines, and to dispose of those
Lines, in a Variety of Parallels, _&c._ And to do that in a quadrantal
Space, _&c._ there appears but one way possible, and that is, to form
all the Intersections which the Shoots and Branches make, with Angles
of 45 _gr._ only. And I dare appeal to all if it be not in this Manner,
almost to a Nicety observ’d by Nature, _&c._ A visible Argument that the
plastic Capacities of Matter are govern’d and dispos’d by an all-wise and
infinite Agent, the native Strictnesses and Regularities of them plainly
shewing from whose Hand they come. _Account of the Origine and Format. of
Foss. Shells, ~&c.~_ _Print._ Lond. 1705. pag. 38. 41.
[u] _In Hederâ, sui culi & rami hinc inde claviculos, quasi radiculas
emittunt, quæ parietibus, vel occurrentibus arboribus veluti digitis
firmantur, & in altum suspenduntur. Hujusmodi radiculæ subrotundæ sunt,
& pilis cooperiuntur: & quad mirum est, glutinosum fundunt humorem,
seu Terebinthinam, quâ arcte lapidibus nectuntur & agglutinantur.——Non
minori industriâ Natura utitur in Vite Canadensi, ~&c.~_ The admirable
and curious Make of whose Tendrels and their Feet, see in the illustrious
Author, _Malpig. de Capreolis_, &c. p. 48.
Claspers are of a compound Nature, between that of a Root and a Trunk.
Their Use is sometimes for Support only; as in the Claspers of Vines,
Briony, _&c._ whose Branches being long, slender and fragile, would
fall by their own Weight, and that of their Fruit; but these Claspers
taking hold of any Thing that is at Hand: Which they do by a natural
Circumvolution which they have; (those of Briony have a retrograde Motion
about every third Circle, in the Form of a double Clasp; so that if they
miss one Way, they may catch the other.) Sometimes the Use of Claspers is
also for a Supply, as in the Trunk Roots of Ivy; which being a Plant that
mounts very high, and being of a closer and more compact Substance than
that of Vines, the Sap would not be sufficiently supply’d to the upper
Sprouts, unless these assisted the Mother Root; but these serve also for
Support too. Sometimes also they serve for Stabiliment, Propagation and
Shade; for the first of these serve the Claspers of Cucumers; for the
second, those, or rather the Trunk-Roots of _Chamomil_; and for all three
the Trunk-Roots of _Strawberries_. Harris _Lex. Tech. in verb._ Claspers.
[w] Vegetables afford not only Food to Irrationals, but also Physick,
if it be true which _Aristotle_ saith, and after him _Pliny_; which
latter in his 8th Book, Chap. 27. specifies divers Plants made use of as
Specificks, by divers, both Beasts and Birds: As _Dittany_ by wounded
_Deer_, _Celandine_ by _Swallows_, to cure the sore Eyes of their Young,
_&c._ And if the Reader hath a Mind to see more Instances of this Nature,
(many of them fanciful enough,) he may consult _Mersenne in Genes._ pag.
933.
[x] See before _Book IV. Chap. 11. Note (b)._
[y] _Planta hæc unica ~[Aloe Americana]~ inquit Fr. Hernandez, quicquid
vitæ esse potest necessarium præstare facilè potest, si esset rebus
humanis modus. Tota enim illa lignorum sæpiendorumque agrorum usum
præstat, caules tignorum, folia verò tecta regendi imbricum, lancium:
eorundem nervuli, & fibra eundem habent usum ad linteamina, calceos, &
vestimenta conficienda quem apud nos Linum, Cannabis, Gossipium, ~&c.~
E mucronibus siunt clavi, aculei, subula, quibus perforandis auribus,
macerandi corporis gratiâ, Indis uti mos erat cùm Dæmonum vacarent
cultui; item aciculæ, acus, tribuli militares & rastilla idonea pectendis
subtegminibus. Præterea è succo mananti, cujus evulsis germinibus
internis foliisve tenerioribus cultis ~[Yztlinis]~ in mediam cavitatem,
stillat planta, unica ad 50 interdum amphoras (quod dictu est mirabile)
Vina, Mel, Acetum ac Saccharum parantur ~[The Methods of which he
tells]~. Idem succus menses ciet, alvum lenit, Urinam evocat, Renes &
Vesicam emundat. E radice quoque Restes fiunt firmissimæ. Crassiores
foliorum partes, truncusque, decocta sub terrâ, edendo sunt apta,
sapiuntque Citrea frusta saccharo condita: quin & vulnera recentia mirè
conglutinant.——Folia quoque assa & affecto loco imposita convulsionem
curant, ac dolores leniunt (præcipuè si succus ipse calens bibatur)
quamvis ab Indicâ proficiscantur lue, sensum hebetant, atque torporem
inducunt. Radicis succus luem Veneream curat apud Indos ut Dr. ~Palmer~._
Ray. ib. L. 21. c. 7. See also Dr. _Sloane_ _Voy. to ~Jamaica~_, _p. 247_.
There are also two Sorts of _Aloe_ besides, mentioned by the same Dr.
_Sloane_, one of which is made use of for Fishing-Lines, Bow-Strings,
Stockings, and Hammocks. Another hath Leaves that hold Rain-Water, to
which Travellers, _&c._ resort to quench their Thirst, in Scarcity of
Wells, or Waters, in those dry Countries. _Ibid._ p. 249.
[z] For an Instance here, I shall name the _Cortex Peruvianus_, which Dr.
_Morton_ calls _Antidotus in levamen crumnarum vitæ humanæ plurimarum
divinitus concessa._ De Febr. Exer. v. c. 3. _In Sanitatem Gentium
proculdubio à Deo O. M. conditus. Cujus gratiâ, Arbor vitæ, siqua alia,
jure meritò appellari potest._ Id. ib. c. 7. _Eheu! quot convitiis
Herculea & divina hæc Antidotus jactabatur?_ Ibid.
To this (if we may believe the _Ephemer. German._ Ann. 12. Obser. 74. and
some other Authors) we may add _Trifolium paludosum_, which is become the
_Panacea_ of the _German_ and Northern Nations.
[aa] _Pro doloribus quibuscunque sedandis præstantissimi semper usus
Opium habetur; quamobrem meritò ~Nepenthe~ appellari solet, & remedium
verè divinum existit. Et quidem satìs mirari vix possumus, quomodo
urgente viscerit aut membri cujuspiam torturâ insigni, & intolerabili
cruciatu, pharmacum hoc, incantamenti instar, levamen & ἀναλγησίαν
subitam, immò interdum absque somno, aut saltem priùs quàm advenerit,
concedit. Porrò adhuc magìs stupendum est, quod donec particulæ Opiaticæ
operari, & potentiam suam narcoticam exerere continuant, immò etiam
aliquamdiu postquam somnus finitur, summa aleviatio, & indolentia in
parte affectâ persisti._ Willis, Phar. rat. par. 1. S. 7. c. 1. §. 15.
[bb] _Tales Plantarum species in quacunque regione, à Deo creantur
quales hominibus & animalibus ibidem natis maximè conveniunt; imò ex
plantarum nascentium frequentiâ se fere animadvertere posse quibus morbis
~[endemiis]~ quælibet regio subjecta sit, scribit Solenander. Sic apud
Danos, Frisios, Hollandos, quibus, Scorbutus frequens, Cochlearia copiose
provenit._ Ray. H. Pl. L. 16. c. 3.
To this may be added _Elsner_’s Observations concerning the Virtues of
divers Things in his Observations _de Vincetoxico Scrophularum remedio_.
F. Germ. T. 1. Obs. 57.
_John Benerovinus_, a Physician of _Dort_, may be here consulted, who
wrote a Book on purpose to shew, that every Country hath every Thing
serving to its Occasions, and particularly Remedies afforded to all the
Distempers it is subjected unto. V. _Bener._ Ἀυτάρκεια, _Batav. sive
Introd. ad Medic. indigenam._
[cc] The Description Dr. _Sloane_ gives of the _Wild-Pine_ is, that
its Leaves are chanelled fit to catch and convey Water down into their
Reservatories, that these Reservatories are so made, as to hold much
Water, and close at Top when full, to hinder its Evaporation; that these
Plants grow on the Arms of the Trees in the Woods every where [in those
Parts] as also on the Barks of their Trunks. And one Contrivance of
Nature in this Vegetable, he saith, is very admirable. The Seed hath
long and many Threads of _Tomentum_, not only that it may be carried
every where by the Wind——but also that it may by those Threads, when
driven through the Boughs, be held fast, and stick to the Arms, and
extant Parts of the Barks of Trees. So soon as it sprouts or germinates,
although it be on the under Part of a Bough,——its Leaves and Stalk rise
perpendicular, or strait up, because if it had any other Position, the
Cistern (before-mentioned, by which it is chiefly nourished——) made of
the hollow Leaves, could not hold Water, which is necessary for the
Nourishment and Life of the Plant——In Scarcity of Water, this Reservatory
is necessary and sufficient, not only for the Plant it self, but likewise
is very useful to Men, Birds, and all Sorts of Insects, whither they come
in Troops, and seldom go away without Refreshment. _Id. ib. p. 188._ and
_Phil. Trans._ Nᵒ. 251, where a Figure is of this notable Plant, as also
in _Lowthorp’s Abridg. V. 2. p. 669._
The _Wild-Pine_, so called, _&c._ hath Leaves that will hold a Pint and
a half, or Quart of Rain-Water; And this Water refreshes the Leaves,
and nourishes the Root. When we find these Pines, we stick our Knives
into the Leaves, just above the Root, and that lets out the Water, which
we catch in our Hats, as I have done many Times to my great Relief.
_Dampier_’s _Voy. to Campeachy_, _c. 2. p. 56._
[dd] _Navarette_ tells us of a Tree called the _Bejuco_, which twines
about other Trees, with its End hanging downwards; and that Travellers
cut the Nib off it, and presently a Spout of Water runs out from it, as
clear as Crystal, enough and to spare for six or eight Men. I drank,
saith he, to my Satisfaction of it, found it cool and sweet, and would
drink it as often as I found it in my Way. It is a Juice and natural
Water. It is the common Relief of the Herds men on the Mountains. When
they are thirsty, they lay hold on the _Bejuco_, and drink their Fill.
_Collect. of Voy. and Trav. Vol. 1. in the Suppl. to ~Navarette~’s
Account of ~China~, p. 355._
The _Waterwith_ of _Jamaica_ hath the same Uses, concerning which, my
before-commended Friend, Dr. _Sloane_, favoured me with this Account from
his Original Papers: _This Vine growing on dry Hills, in the Woods, where
no Water is to be met with, its Trunk, if cut into Pieces two or three
Yards long, and held by either End to the Mouth, affords so plentifully a
limpid, innocent, and refreshing Water, or Sap, as gives new Life to the
droughty Traveller or Hunter. Whence this is very much celebrated by all
the Inhabitants of these Islands, as an immediate Gift of Providence to
their distressed Condition._
To this we may add what Mr. _Ray_ takes notice of concerning the
_Birch-Tree_. _In initiis Veris antequam folia prodiere, vulnerata dulcem
succum copiosè effundit, quem siti pressi Pastores in sylvis sæpenumerò
potare solent. Nos etiam non semel eo liquore recreati sumus, cùm
herbarum gratiâ vastas peragravimus sylvas, inquit Tragus._ Raii Cat.
Plant. circa. Cantab. in Betula.
[Illustration]