OF THE FLOWER AND FRUIT. 1^5 



but he has determined that no matter of increase is fur- 

 nished from the flowers or their stalks, as from leaves, to 

 the part of the branch below them, nor indeed to any 

 other part, Phil. Trans, for 1801, p. 340. There can 

 be no doubt that certain parts of the flower, which wc 

 shall presently describe, perform functions respecting 

 air and light analogous to those of leaves, but entirely 

 subservient to the benefit of the flower and fruit. Their 

 secretions, formed from the returning sap, are confined 

 to their own purposes. As soon as these are accomplish- 

 ed, a decided separation of vessels takes place, and the 

 ripe fruit, accompanied perhaps by its stalk, falls from 

 the tree. Dr. Hales tried in vain to give any flavour to 

 fruit by the most penetrating and volatile fluids conveyed 

 through the sap- vessels ; for the laws of secretion are 

 absolute in the organs of the flower, and their various re- 

 sults are, if possible, more strikingly distinct than even 

 those we have contemplated in the leaves. 



It is scarcely necessary to repeat that the fructification 

 is essential to vegetables. A plant may be destitute of 

 stem, leaves, or even roots, because if one of these parts 

 be wanting, the others may perform its functions, but it 

 can never be destitute of those organs by which its spe- 

 cies is propagated. Hence, though many individual 

 plants may be long without blossoms, there are none, so 

 far as nature has been thoroughly investigated, that are 

 not capable, in favourable circumstances, of producing 

 them, as well as seeds ; to whose perfection the blos- 

 soms themselves are altogether subservient. 



Linnasus distinguishes seven parts of fructification, 

 some of which are essential to the very nature of a flow- 



