AND ITS DIFFERENT KINDS. 107 



toariu, Engl Bot. t . 928, Arundo armaria, 

 t. 520, and Elymus arenarius^ t. l6'72. 



3. Radix fwifqrmis- A Spindle-shaped, or 

 Tapering Root. Of this the Carrot, Parsnep 

 and Radish are familiar examples. Such a 

 root is formed, on the principle of a wedge, 

 for penetrating perpendicularly into the 

 aground. It is common in biennial plants, 



but not peculiar to them. The caudex, 

 which is the spindle-shaped part, abounds 

 with the proper secreted juices of the plant, 

 and throws out numerous fibres or radicles, 

 which are in fact the real roots, as they 

 alone imbibe nourishment. 



4. Radix prtembrsa. An Abrupt Root, is 

 naturally inclined to the last-mentioned 

 form, but from some decay or interruption 

 in its descending point, it becomes abrupt, 

 or as it were bitten off. Scabiosa sitccisa, 

 Devifs-bit Scabious, Engl Bot. t. 878, 

 Hedi/pnois hirta, t. 555, and some other 

 Hawkweeds, have this kind of root, the old 

 opinion concerning which cannot be better 

 described than in Gerarde's Herbal, under 

 the plant first named, p. 726. 



