GROWTH OF SEEDS. l6?3 



to the female flower, where it establishes a new life in the 

 seed. This life will enable it to grow, but not give life 

 again, without impregnation. These vessels are the life 

 therefore, from which all flower branches grow, and all root 

 threads proceed. In calling it so, I only express what it* 

 office seems to denote. Hill traced it exactly, and called it 

 the circle of propagation. 



The next organ, that attaches the seed to the seed vessel, The nourish- 

 consists of the nourishing vessels. I am rather inclined to in S vessels. 

 think, that these proceed from the jnner bark: at least 

 they may certainly be traced thence after the infant plant 

 has left the seed. When introduced they enter not the seed 

 at the same place as the life does ; they come not into the 

 corculum, but pass it, and spread themselves over a small 

 spot below it, which is visibly of a different nature from 

 the rest of the seed. In farinaceous plants it is yellower, Juices of each 

 and yields a milk white juice ; but in other seeds it is whiter, see 

 and gives a glutinous water of a sweetish taste. Probably 

 the vessels come from the fruit filled with this juice, which 

 medicated with that part of the seed (which very apparently 

 dissolves) they together form a nourishment suited to the 

 infant plant. 



When the seed is so far perfected, it remains in an al- 

 most torpid state, or growing very little ; while the flower 

 expands daily, and the stamens are hastily advaucing to 

 their perfect state. It is now that beautiful process takes Contraction of 

 place, which, by an almost imperceptible contraction of the ** 

 lower part of the pistil, raises the juice to the pointal, 

 whence it may be seen hanging in a large glutinous drop, 

 but which never falls. As soon however as the heat of the 

 mid-day ceases, this juice, which is peculiar to the pistil, 

 retires again within the tube, the contraction ceasing with 

 the heat that caused it. This is continued each day, till the ihe rising of 

 stamens are ripe, and ready tp give out their interior pow- the drop in the 

 der; the greater part of which the pistil its always so placed P ° m 

 as to receive; and as the pollen requires only moisture to 

 burst it, it soon yields that find and imperceptible dust, 

 which quickly melting and mixing with the before-mentioned 

 liquid, forms a combination of so powerful and stimulating 

 a quality, that \t no sooner runs down the interior of the 



M 2 style, 



