350 MEMOIRS of the 
grow 5 not like miffeltoe, which penetrates into the bark or 
wood to fuck its nourifhment, but only interwoven and matted 
together, to afford the plant a firm fupport 5 hence ariie fe- 
veral leaves on every fide as Plate X. Fig. 12. aaaa after the 
manner of leeks, or Ananas-, and hence it has the name of 
wild-pine or aloes, being folded or inclofcd one within the 
others each of them is two feet and a half long, three inches 
broad at bottom, and ending in a point; having very hollow 
or concave fides within, it forms a very large refervatory, ci- 
ftern or bafon ^, fit to contain a pretty deal of water 5 which in 
the rainy feafons falls upon the uppermoft parts of the fpread- 
ing leaves that have channels in them to convey it down to the 
cidern, where it is kept, as in a bottle 5 the leaves, after they 
are fwelled out like a bulbous root to form the bottle, bend 
inwards or come again clofe to the flalk, whereby they hinder 
the evaporation of the water by the heat of the fun j they are 
of a light green colour below, and like leeks above, from the 
middle of thefe arifes a round, fmooth, ftraight, frefh green- 
coloured ftalk, three or four feet long <;, that has feveral 
branches 5 when wounded, it yields a clear mucilaginous gum 5 
the flowers come out here and there on the branches; they 
confifl: of three long, yellowifli, white or herbaceous leaves, 
and fome purple ended Stamina^ that ftand in a long Caly^ or 
^fiibulus made up of three green vifcid leaves with purple 
edges, to which is a long triangular Capfida d o^ a greenilh- 
brown colour, being fomewhat like thofe of the CariophylU^ 
and having under it three fhort capfular leaves and within fe- 
veral long pappous feeds 5 the feed itfelf being oblong, pyra- 
midal and very fmall, having very foft hairs, down, or Tomen- 
tumy much longer in proportion to the feed, than any the Dr. 
ever faw, being as long as the pod or Capfida : It grows on the 
arms of trees every wjiere in the woods, as alfo on the bark of 
their trunks, efpecially when they begin to decay, the bark 
/• then receiving the feed, and yielding more eafily to the fibrils 
of the roots of this plant, which in fome time diffolves it and 
ruins the whole trunk. 
The contrivance of nature in this vegetable is very furpri- 
fing; the feed having feveral long threads of l^omentum^ not 
only that it may be carried every where by the wind, as the 
pappous nnd tomentuous feeds of Hieraciwn, Lyfimacbia^ 8<c. 
are, bat alfo that when it is driven thro' the boughs it may be 
held fall by thofe threads, and lb flick to the arms and extended 
part of the bark of trees 3 as foon as it fprouts or germinates, 
tho' 
