BOOK I. 



OF THE EXTERNAL STRUCTURE 

 OF VEGETABLES. 



IN surveying the subjects of the vegetable king- 

 dom as planted by the hand of nature, the spectator 

 readily recognizes certain traits of resemblance or of 

 dissimilitude that occur in the form, structure, or 

 habit of the several individuals of which the whole 

 is composed, indicating the propriety and means of 

 distributing or arranging them into distinct groups 

 or classes ; and suggesting the notion of vegetable 

 tribes or families. Perhaps the most ancient divi- 

 sion of vegetables that ever was instituted is that by 

 which they are distributed into trees, shrubs, un- 

 dershrubs, and herbs a division obviously founded 

 in nature, but not sufficiently general for the pur- 

 poses of the present work. 



But vegetables may be regarded as a natural as- 

 semblage of individuals reducible to classes accord- 

 ing as they are distinguished by a structure or or- 



