TO BOTANY 211 
CS oH - Adee Xk, 
Of the Hasit of Plants. 
Y the HABIT, or external Face of 
Plants, is to be underftood a certain 
Conformity between Vegetables that belong 
.to the fame Genus, or are near of Kin to 
each other *. This Conformity may be in 
refpe& to various Circumftances; as Placen- 
tation, Radication, Ramification, Intor/ion,Gem- 
* This Definition of the Habit of Plants, which we 
have taken from the Philofophia Botanica, feems to agree 
better with the old State of Botany, when Plants were 
actually ranged according to their external Face, than 
with the modern Sy{tem that ranges them by the Fruc- 
tification: For Plants that by the Syftem are neither of 
the fame Genus, nor have any fyftematic Affinity, will 
often have a great Conformity in their Habit; whilft 
thofe of the fame Genus (hall have their Habits diflin&. 
The Habits of Plants was the Invention of the eerlier 
Botanifts, who knew no better Rule for rhe Diftribution 
of Vegetables: And indeed Linneus himfelf is induced 
to admit, that it is often a good Guide; and,that Ca/- 
per Baubine, and others, had in many Cafes difcovered 
the Affinity of Plants by the Habit, when Syftemati(ts 
had failed in attempting the fame by their artificial Rules; 
nor does he think even the Frudtification, which is the 
Invention of the Moderns, fufficient for detecting all the * 
Claffes of Vegetables, though he confiders it as the pri- 
mary Guide to the natural Method fo much fought after 
by thofe who have cultivated this Science. 
rE 2 mation, 
