the Britijh Fuci, with particular Defer iptiem of each Species, lOI 



mod firm and thick^numerous beyond defcription, capable of 

 being turned to the ufe of man in many ways, both as to food and 

 other conveniences, and affording prote6lion and fupport to myriads 

 of the fubmarine inhabitants — All this marks the goodnefs of the 

 ever bleffed Godhead, ' by whom they are and were created.' — That 

 part ill creation is not to be found, where fome principle does 

 not invariably a6l beneficial to man. 



N. B. As we have referred to feveral of the old Herbaria prc- 

 fervcd in the Britilh Mufeum, it is proper to mention that they are 

 as follow ; 



Buddie, Plantas Britannica:, vol. i. 



Petiver^ Hortus Siccus Anglicus, vol. I. 



Uvedai'e, Herbarium "Rayanum, vol. I. 



Moffes and Plants by BuJdle, Vernon, Floyd, Cowrion, &c. 



tlie firft thofe plants are defigned, the branches of which have the appearancerf)f leaves 

 growing diftindl. Of thefe, natnns, fatigiihieiis, and finiiofus have what any one would 

 deem leaves, but, when attentively conrKlered and compared with others, appear to be 

 branches 'in^Jibrilltc of Morifon) growing up into, or dilated into, a thin membrane — In- 

 membranifolhis it is very evidently fo. 



By the fccond divifion,yi/;7/ unitis, are defigned thofe which appear to have leaves united 

 with and forming a part of the frons — ^Thefe leaves are only fo in appearance, for in 

 fa£l they are rudiments of branches, or more properly young branches themfelves. All 

 the ramifications of 7 . fihrofus axe produced from what appears to be a leaf dividing 

 itfelf, and then foon lofing its original fhape. This is Hill more obfervable in F. abro- 

 tanifo.ius, as will be feen by referring to our defcription of that plant. Y.faetiiculaceus alfo 

 (concat. Fl Ang. ) and F. concatenaius Linn, have branches which firfl appear under the 

 form of linear leaves, afterwards branching out into minute ramifications. The concate- 

 nated veficles which charafterife thefe two plants, are merely formed from thefe leaves 

 contrafting themfelves at regular intervals, whilft at the fame time the coats of the leaf, 

 in the intervening fpaces, feparate, and thus form hollow veficles. Y.filiqiiofui 3.viA/elagi~ 

 noides will give ftriking proofs of the fame kind. 



Synopsis 



