DURATION. 93 



It is our design, to present an isolated view of these 

 various; organs, accompanied with a few observations 

 respecting the utility of each, in the economy of vege- 

 tation. The terms with which this portion of our sub- 

 ject is beset, present a formidable aspect to the eye of 

 the student, especially if he has been taught to consid- 

 er the language of Botany, as a burden of pedantic 

 learning, which may without inconvenience be spared. 



In order to avoid an unnecessary repetition, those 

 terms which are equally applicable to different organs, 

 and sometimes employed to express the general char- 

 acter of the plant we examine, will be here defined and 

 illustrated, by a reference to well known examples. 

 They relate chiefly to duration, surface and numbers, 

 but embrace others of a miscellaneous nature, which 

 do not fall within the limits of the succeeding chapters. 



DURATION.— With respect to duration, plants are 

 annual,Q* when they live only one year ; biennial, & * 

 when they live only two years, producing flowers and 

 fruit but once ; and perennial, 1J.* when they produce 

 flowers and fruit several years in succession. The Sun 

 flower is an example of the first variety, the Foxglove 

 of the second, and trees and shrubs are all included un- 

 der the last division. These distinctions are not al- 

 ways absolute ; for a biennial plant may be made to 

 live several years, by removing the flower-buds before 

 they expand, and a perennial plant of warm climates, 

 frequently becomes annual, when transported to less 

 temperate regions. If the stem of a perennial plant 

 annually dies to the ground, it i« said to be herbace- 

 ous, and ranks with annuals, from which it is some- 



* These signs are frequently employed, instead of the terms 

 to which they are annexed, in order to express the particular 

 duration of any plant. 



