24 MINUTES OF 



On the component Principles of Vegetables. 



may also be obtained from the isatis tinctoria, or common woad, lichen roccella 

 and parellus, and the croton tinctorius. In the root of the rubia tinctorum, or 

 madder, anchusa tinctoria, or alkanet : and in the wood of the fernambucus or 

 ca3salpinavesicaria, this pHncipleis red. Lastly, the carthamus tinctorius, cro- 

 cus sativus, serratula tinctoria, amomuin curcuma, reseda luteola, trigonella 

 foenum grtecum, genista tinctoria, and bixa arenella, afford, in the same manner, 

 a yeilow fiEeculum. 



Xir. Co>fCERNiN^G the Pollen, or FEcyNOATiNO Powder of the 



SrAMiyA of A^'egetables. 



Modern discoveries and observations have pointed out the sexual parts of 

 pldnts ; and we find nearly the same forms in the organs, the same means in the 

 functions, and the same characters in the prolific humours, as in animals. 



The prolific humour in the male part is elaborated by the anthera; and as 

 the organs of the plant do not admit of an actual intromission of the male into 

 the female, because vegetables are not capable of loco-motion, nature has be- 

 stowed on the fecundating seed the character of a powder ; which the agitation 

 of the air, and other causes, may carry away and precipitate upon the female. 

 There is a degree of elasticity in the anthera, which causes it to open, and eject 

 the globules. It has even been observed that the />i*^i/ opened at the same time, 

 to receive the pollen, in certain vegetables. The wax of bees is merely the pol- 

 len very little altered. These insects have their femora provided with rugosities 

 to brush the pollen from the antheree, and convey it to their nests. 



There appears to exist in the very texture of some floweis, which are rich 

 rn fecundating powder, a matter analogous to wax, which may be extracted by 

 aqueous decoction. Such are the male catkins of the betula ahtus, those of the 

 pine, &c. the leaves of rosemary, of officinal sage, the fruits of the mirica 

 cerifera, suffer wax to transude through the pores. 



It appears that wax and the pollen have for their basis a fat oil, which pas- 

 ses to the state of resin by its combination with oxygen. 



