OP THK FLOWER AND FRUIT. 241 



Pliny had long ago beautiiully said that 

 " blossoms are the jov of trees, in bearing 

 which they assume a new aspect, vyeing 

 with each other in the luxuriance and va- 

 riety of their colours." Linnaeus has justly 

 applied this to plants in generul, 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 tiie 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, PhiL 

 r/w?s. for 1801,2;. 340. There can be no doubt ' 

 that certain parts of the flow^er, 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 



R 



