.EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. XI 



flakes like the artichoke. Every flake carries it's kernel : 

 fuch is the one here reprefented, detached from the cone ; 

 and each of them, as the fruit comes to maturity, flies off, 

 by the help of the winds, toward the fummit of the lofty 

 mountains, to which it is deftined. Remark, likewife, that 

 the leaves of the cedar are filiform, in order to refill the 

 winds, which are violent on lofty mountains, and they are 

 aggregated into chillers refembling pencils, for the purpofe 

 of collecting, in the air, the vapours which float about in it. 

 Each leaf of this tree has more than one aqueduct traced in 

 it lengthwife ; but as it is extremely minute, it was impof- 

 fible to exprefs it in the engraving. Farther, that filiform 

 and capillaceous lhape, fo well adapted to refilling the 

 winds, as well as. that which is of the fword-blade form, 

 is common to vegetables of the mountains, fuch as pines, 

 larches, cedars, palm-trees ; it is, likewife, frequently 

 found on the edge of waters equally expôfed to violent 

 winds, as in ruihes, reeds, the leaves of the willow ; but 

 the foliage of thefe lall differs eflentially from that of the 

 firft, in that there is no aqueduct in it, whereas the leaves 

 of mountain vegetables have one ; neither is their aggrega- 

 tion fimilar. 



The dandelion grows, like the cedar, in dry and elevated 

 fituations. It's grains are fufpended to a complete fphere 

 of fhuttle-cocks, which forms outwardly a very regular po- 

 lyedron, having a multitude of hexagonal, or pentagonal 

 faces. Thefe faces are not exprefled in the print, becaufe 

 it has been copied after that of a highly valued botanical 

 Work, but which, like books in every department of lite- 

 rature, collects only the characters which make for a favour- 

 ite fyftem. The )eaf of the dandelion particularly deter- 

 mines it's natural fite ; it is broad and flefliy, becaufe ex- 

 panding 



