INTRODUCTION. 3 



which is little known without previous study — such as 

 cellular tissue, trachece, &c. When, on the contrary, 

 we commence with describing the elementary organs, 

 we are constrained, in order to express their situation, 

 to make mention of compound parts which have not as 

 yet been explained ; but these, such as the leaves, the 

 bark, or the petals, are most commonly known, and 

 consequently there is less inconvenience in speaking of 

 them before having described them. 



I will commence, then, by describing the elementary 

 parts which compose the intimate tissue of all the organs 

 of plants ; after which I will describe the organic parts 

 or the compound organs which serve either for nutrition 

 or reproduction ; I %vill reduce the exposition of the 

 elementary parts to that w hich is common to the greater 

 number of the organs of plants ; and I w^ll reserve for 

 the history of the compound organs, the anatomical 

 details which are pecuKar to each of them. 



Following tliis course throughout, I would here advise 

 beginners, or those who do not wish to dive deeply into 

 the study of plants, to commence the reading of this 

 work with the Second Book, and to reserve the first for 

 the end. 



B 3 



