427 



dories, or having but one cotyledon. If the embryo di- 

 vides, in sprouting, into two * primary lobes, which origi- 

 nally made up the bulk of the seed, as in a Pea or Bean, 

 and between which the young plant springs, such are 

 termed Dicotyledones. These are the most numerous. 



The obscure tribes of Fungi, Mosses, Ferns, and others, 

 whose parts of fructification are but partially known, and 

 which Linnaeus referred to his class Cryptogamia, are 

 supposed, with a few doubtful additions, to make up a 

 third division, called Acotyledones, as having no cotyledon 

 at all. But this is an extremely doubtful point, scarcely 

 capable of demonstration, or even of investigation ; and 

 which the further we look we find less reason to adopt. 

 It would be more consonant with fact to say, that what 

 are denominated Monocotyledones, have really no cotyle- 

 dons. As, however, the Cryptogamous tribes just men- 

 tioned, are too imperfectly known in their germination, to 

 allow us to say anything decisive about them, it is best to 

 leave them apart, and to adopt for the bulk of the vege- 

 table kingdom the popular terms and ideas of Monocoty- 

 ledones and Dicotyledones. This distinction is confirmed 

 by others, well worthy of remark. The Monocotyledones 

 are most simple in their whole structure, external as well 

 as internal. Their vascular system is on a larger scale, 

 and more easily examined. Their bark and wood are 

 scarcely, if at all, deposited in concentric or annual layers. 

 Their stems are less branching, their foliage generally 

 simple, undivided, and without indentation. The parts 

 of fructification are disposed according to the number 3 

 and its compounds, which I believe the learned Mr. 

 Brown either first observed, or, at least, has much con- 

 firmed and illustrated. 



The Dicotyledones are in every respect more complex 

 and various. Their seed-lobes either remain under ground, 

 or more commonly are elevated in the form of a pair of 

 leaves, till the real foliage comes forth. The wood of 



* Rarely many-cleft. 



