OF THE FLOWER AND FRUIT. 241 



Pliny had long ago beautifully said that 

 '* blossoms are the joy of trees, in bearing 

 which they assume a new aspect, vyeing 

 with each other in the luxuriance and va- 

 riety of their colours." Linriseas has justly 

 applied this to plants in general, and, im- 

 proving upon the idea, he considers their 

 herbage as only a mask or clothing, by no 

 means indicative of their true nature or cha- 

 racter, which can be learned from the flower 

 and fruit alone. 



Mr. Knight has traced his central vessels, 

 by which the sap is conveyed from the root, 

 into the flower and fruit. On the returning 

 sap in the bark of these parts he has not been 

 able to make any distinct observation ; but 

 he has determined that no matter of increase 

 is furnished from the flowers or their stalks, 

 as from leaves, to the part of the branch be- 

 low them, nor indeed to any other part, T?hiL 

 Trans. for 1801,^.340. There can be nodoubt 

 that certain parts of the flower, which we shall 

 presently describe, perform functions respect- 

 ing air and light analogous to those of leaves, 

 but entirely subservient to the benefit of the 

 flower and fruit. Their secretions, formed 



It 



