Plants. 187 



regular and various as their external 

 forms are elegant and well-proportioned. 

 The root, trunk, branch, leaf, flower, 

 fruit and seed, have each its peculiar 

 character and form. No part in the con- 

 texture of the smallest fibre is unfinish- 

 ed but is formed with the most minute 

 exactness. The seeds of plants have the 

 appearance of shells, unlike in form, and 

 diversified with spots and stripes. Eve- 

 ry seed possesses a reservoir of nutri- 

 ment, designed for the growth of the 

 future plant. This is the matter prepar- 

 ed by nature for the reproduction and 

 continuation of the whole species. This 

 nutriment consists of starch, mucilage, 

 or oil, within the coat of the seed, or of 

 sugar and subacid pulp in the fruit, which 

 belongs to it. The sections of the vaii- 

 ous kinds of trees are crossed with the 

 greatest number of regular figures which 

 the imagination can conceive. The lines, 

 which form the texture of fir-trees, 

 are distant ; but those of oak are close 

 and compact. And this difference of 

 texture may serve to account for their 

 greater or less solidity, and the difference 

 of time requisite for them to arrive at 

 maturitv. 



