APPENDAGES TO SEEDS. 231 



Seeds are occasionally furnished Avith Spines, 

 Hooks, Scales, Crested appendages, particularly a 

 iitde gland-like part near the Scar, sometimes deno- 

 minated Strophioliun^ as in Asarum^ Gcevtn. t. 14, 

 Bossi^a, Ventawt, Jard. de Cds, t. 7, Platylobiumy 

 Bot. of N. I I oil. t. 6, Ulesc, Spartium, See. In 

 general however smoothness is characteristic of a 

 seed, by which it best makes its M'ay into the soft 

 earth, thoucrh sometimes it is barbed, or at least its 

 covering, as in Stipa, Engl, Bot. t. 1356, that it 

 may not easily be wididrawn again by the powerful 

 feathery appendage of that plant,vvhich, after having 

 by its circumvolutions forced the seed deeper and 

 deeper, breaks off at a joint, and flies away. 



The various modes by which seeds are dispersed 

 cannot fail to strike an observing mind with adrnira- 

 tion. Who has not listened in a calm and sunnv 

 day to the crackling of Furze bushes, caused by the 

 explosion of their little elastic pods ; nor watched 

 the down of innumerable seeds floatincron the sum- 

 mer breeze, till they are overtaken by a shower, 

 which moistening their wings stops their further 

 iiight, and at the same time accomplishes its final 

 purpose, by immediately promoting the germination 

 of each seed in the moist earth? How little are chil- 

 dren aware, as they blow away the seeds of Dande- 

 lion, or stick Burs in sport upon each other's clothes, 

 that they are fulfilling one of the great ends of 

 Nature ! Sometimes the^ Calyx, beset with hooks^ 



