C ON THE INTERIOR BUDS OF ALL PLANTS. 



arums, cal'te, and dracontia. These have been arranged 

 with grain ai)d o;iat,ses ; but they are extremely different in 

 their foraiation. Though they have (like the grasses) no 

 apparent stem; yet they send their buds from the root just 

 before flowering; by enclosing them in wood vessels, the 

 buds being tied together by the line of life ; and this slender 

 piece running up within the cuticle of the leaves unperceived 

 till it strikes out of the axilla, or bosom of the leaf, in a 

 bunch of flowers. But it is very easily detected by dis- 

 section, if sought ; I have repeatedly taken it out of its place 

 of concealment after watching its progi^ess from the root. 

 So careful has nature been to separate this collectioti from, 

 the leaf; that tlVere is a double cuticle on the way upfoi< the 

 purpose; and I suppose to prevent the contamination of 

 the juices. 

 The buds In the 5th example, that is in all bulbous roots, the flowers 



iTiouim g in ^j.g jjj,^^y,^ fo |-,g formed in the root, and to vise by deorrees 



DultJOUs ... JO 



plants. improving till they show themselves perfect flowers at the 



top of the plant, merely by the lengthening of the peduncle : 

 but no person ever suspected, that this was a repetition of 

 the case of al! those plants which rise yearly from the earth; 

 that they all equally draw their buds from the root, and pass 

 it to the top, in the interior of one or many wood vessels, 

 according to tlie sort or size of the flower. In the ranun- 

 culus tribe tht flower. is so complete, (even in the root) that 

 I have taken it out, and dissected it, and proved that the 

 seeds are alrieady formed in it. The various parts of the 

 flower of a bulb are all formed; it is only the proportions 

 that are not observed in its earlier state. It is a curious 

 truth, that certain parts, as the stamen, germe, and nectaries, 

 are ranch larger when first forming, than they are when 

 more thoroughly perfected. As to the offsets of a bulb they 

 are merely a second sort of bud ; with all the attendant parts 

 the same ; or another sort of seed ; for the difference between 

 these parts is very trifling, all equally proceeding from a 

 knot in the line of life. 

 Decreasing of 1 have ihus given an account, as I promised, of the five 

 brLdthT '" <^insions wmch might well form the foundation of a natural 

 uielliod : as a more important point in physiology than the 

 budding of plants could not well be found, or tixed on for 



the 



