VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 9. 



the light with its upper furface, perfpires a dew from its under 

 furface, and perifties never to be renewed. 



But the Larva of the herb is Displayed, when the protrufion 

 of the Medulla is greater than the retention of the including 

 Body ; when the fubftance of the Bark is expanded in the 

 Ca'yx, that of the Rind in the Corol, that of the Woodm the 

 Stamens, that of the Medidla in the Piftil ; the vegetation 

 thus terminates in new life, the threads of life being colle6led 

 into the ultimate Seeds of the Medulla. 



24. The PROLEPSIS exhibits the myftery of the Metamorphofis of 

 Plants, in which the Larva of the Herb is changed into a 

 Difplayed Fru6tification ; for it is the office of a Plant to pro- 

 duce either a leafy Herb or a Fructification, 



A genuine Leaf always nouriihes in its bofom the principle 

 of a multiplying Branch, either fuch a61:ually or potentially ; 

 and fmce the Leaf is produced for this caufe, and no other, a 

 Leaf cannot exill, unlefs this principle has previoufly perfo- 

 rated the bark, from which it arofe, altho' the efFeft appears 

 before its caufe. 



A genuine Bud is the compendium of a future Branch, Into 

 which it is at length unfolded. A Bud always confills of 

 Scales, which are fo many rudiments of Leaves, and are 

 prelTed together till the future branchiet becomes elongated^ 

 And fince the Leaf cannot exift without the Bud, it follows 

 that buds lie concealed in the bofom of every bud-fcale, and 

 this is evident to the eye, whence every bud can be nothing 

 more than a body compofed of leaves and Budlets. It follows 

 therefore that every Bud confifls of Leaves with their Budlets, 

 and thefe Budlets in like manner of lefs fcales or budlets, and 

 fo forward even to the fifth generation, (as In the Volvox) 

 nor further, as appears from the metamorphofis. Therefore 

 a leafy Branch of the prefent year is pregnant with all the 

 branchlets to be produced \}[iXQi\x^five years, new ones always 

 fucceeding at the extreme fummits, in the pk.ce, at the bafe^ 

 oFthofe fallen off, that the five feries may be perpetual. This 

 happens in Trees, where the medulla is delayed by the harder 

 woody fubftance ; but in annual Plants where the refillance 

 of the lefs compa£l: body againft the medulla is lefs, it can 

 fooner pafs into Flower without the delay in the bud ; for 

 whatever increafes the protrufion of the Medulla, and weakens 

 the power of the including Body, promotes the florefcence. 



When a Tree produces a Flower, Natare anticipates the 



progenies of five years, then all coming forth together ; in 



B forming 



