O MEMBERS OF PLANTS. 



turnip-shaped l , round 2 , twin 3 , palmate 4 , as in peony., 

 digitate 5 . abrupt 6 , knotted 7 , tuberculated 8 , bun- 

 dled 9 , jointed 10 , contorted ", fibrous l ~, hairy I3 , or 

 beaded H . 



Of spindle-shaped roots, the best known is that of 

 the carrot ; the most famous in legendary superstition 

 is that of the mandrake, which, however, is not simple, 

 but forked. The abrupt root of a species of scabious 

 is popularly said to have been bitten off by the Devil, 

 a superstition absurdly retained in the terms of scien- 

 tific works on botany. In popular belief, also, imagi- 

 nary restorative properties are contained in the twin 

 roots of orchis. 



It is worthy of remark, that when the body of a 

 root comes upon a stone, it either divides or goes round 

 it, moulding itself thereupon. I have a specimen of 

 an alder root grown amongst gravel, all over marked 

 with the contour of small stones. On the other hand, 

 when certain roots, such as that of timothy grass, are 

 planted in a moist soil, they are fibrous, but if removed 

 to a dry loose soil, they become tuberculated. 



This circumstance corroborates the opinion, that the 

 tubers on the roots of potatoes and some other plants^ 



(1) In Latin, Napiformis. (2) In Latin, Rotunda. 



(3) In Latin, Didyma. (4) In Latin, Palmata. 



(5) Tn Latin, Digitata. 

 (6) In Latin, Abrupta or Preemorsa, which is bad. 



(7) In Latin, Nodosa. 



(8) In Latin, Tuberculata or Granulata. 



(9) In Latin, Fasciculafa. (10) In Latin, Articulate. 



(11) In Latin, Contorta. (12) In Latin, Fibrosa. 



(13) In Latin, Comosa. (14) In Latin, Moniliformi*. 



