ON THE INTERIOa OP PLANTS. 25() 



The 1st 1 shall call the grand obstruction, to distinguish it. in plants. 



It takes place only in two parts of the plant; that which ^^t grand ob- 



1 •, -' iii'ij-j I siruction, 



separates the root irom the stem ; and that which divides the separating. 



stem from the peduncle or flow^-r stalk. In both cases the ^^^ rooifrorti 



1 , I V r. 1 • 1 > I. ^"* stem. 



whole order and arrangement of the stem is so altered, that 



a pupil, accustomed to find six parts in regular gradation in 

 its form, finds only three in the root of all the trees and 

 shrubs. In the stem there are the rind, the bark, the inner 

 bark, the wood, the line of life, and the pith : bat in the root 

 only, the rind, the wood, and the line of life. In some her- 

 baceous plants, and annuals, a row of bark is found and some 

 pith : this difference of the root does not take place imme- 

 diately, but by gradual increase of rows, within the compass 

 of an inch above ground ; for they are the parts which have 

 formed the seminal leaves, and the outwapd case of the 

 embryo, that now grow up increasing in the bark and inner 

 bark, till they arrive at the proper form of the stem; while 

 the wood of the root decreases in like proportion: for the 

 embryo growing up in no wise alters the situation of its 

 |3arts. That outward case, which formed the holders to the 

 seed, and the cotyledons, again, when out of the seed, 

 forms the bark and inner bark of the stem, returninf^ to the 

 part from which it came; so that nothing can equal the 

 beautiful simplicity of nature's designs, if we did not our- 

 Sflves load them with difficulties. The root is certainly a 

 reservoir for nourishment, which the radicles bring in quan- 

 tities, which is contained in the wood, and which it dispenses 

 to the tree by the means of the stem. The radicle is 

 formed of the same parts as the root, having the line of lit^e 

 in the middle, ready to dispense to any minor radicle. 



The next errand obstruction is that of the peduncle ; 5d. grand ob« 



dividini^ the flower stem from the branch, Linnaeus alone ^^'""^^^°"^^' 

 1 • 1 1 • 1 1 • • • ^ 1 1 > , . viding the 



hinted at this; and so plain is it to be seen, that to look is flower steoi 



to be convinced. Cut a slice from both, and compare ^'^^'" ^^»^» 

 them; and their arrangements will be found wholly differ- 

 ent. On examining the wood, it will appear to divide into 

 various little parcels, answering to the number of stamens 

 the flower contains; while the inner bark separates into the 

 number of petals; and the line of life, fixing in the middle, 

 generally denotes the figure and divisions of the pericarp, 



S 2 I havt 



