210 PROCESS OF DEVKLOPEMENT. CHAP. IV. 



According In the earlier ages of phytological inquiry, or 

 !?er h ph*. rather in ages in which phytological opinions were 

 legists, formed without inquiry, one of the vulgar errors of 

 the time seems to have been an opinion by which 

 the function of the pith was supposed to be that of 

 generating the stone of fruit, and by which it was 

 thought that a tree deprived of its pith would pro- 

 duce fruit without a stone.* But this opinion is by 

 much too absurd to merit a serious refutation. 

 Another early opinion, exhibiting however indica- 

 tions of legitimate inquiry, is that by which the pith 

 was regarded as being analogous to the heart and 

 Malpighi, brain of animals,-^ as related by Malpighi; who did 

 not himself adopt it, but believed the pith to be 

 like the cellular tissue, the viscera in which the sap 

 is elaborated for the nourishment of the plant, and 

 Magnol, for the protusion of future buds. % Magnol thought 

 that it produces the flower and fruit, but not the 

 DuHa- wood. Du Hamel regarded it as being merely an 

 mel> extension of the pulp or cellular tissue, without 

 being destined to perform any important function in 

 Linn<eus. the process of vegetation. But Linnaeus was of 

 opinion that it produces even the wood ; regarding it 

 not only as the source of vegetable nourishment, 



* Phys. des Arb. liv. i. chap. iii. 



f Medullae usus olim insignis cordi et cerebro analogus crede- 

 batar. Anat. Plant. 13. 



J Concoquitur itaque in horizontalibus utriculis, et medulla 

 ipsa succus, ut futuris et proximo erupturis gemmis, et tenellis 

 foliis praesto sit. Anat. Plant. 13. 



Phys. des Arb. liv. i. chap. iii. 



