BOTANY. 



The colour* of plants are divide J by Linnaus into 

 Ilyalioci with the tranfparence either of water or of 

 jlaf.. 



White, either cream-coloured or fnowy. 

 Cinereous, either grey, livid, or lead-coloured, 

 lilack, either dark or iit hlack. 

 Yellow, cither fulphur, flame, or coppcr-cnloured. 

 Red, either crimfon, flcfh-colourcd, or fcarltt. 

 Piirple, more or lefs approaching to violet, 

 lilue. 

 Green. 



It is fcarcely neceflary to obferve, that this enumeration is 

 very im|)crfeft. The different parts of plants have mod 

 commonly their appropriate colour. Roots and feeds are 

 frequently bl.ick, the pericarp rarely, the corolla fcarcely 

 ever. The lUm, the leaves, and the calyx are generally 

 green, the corolla very feldom. The lilanients and the pillil 

 are often liyalinc. The anthers are often yellow, as is alfo 

 the corolla, efptcislly in rutumnal flowers. Vernal corollas 

 and fwcct berries are frequently white. Red is c(>mmnn in 

 fummer floweo, and fubacid berries growing in the fliadc. 

 Blue is not unfrequent in corollas. 



The prifmatic colours afford fome fixed points of compa- 

 rifon ill the dcfcription of colours ; but there is no limilar 

 natural ftanJard for the difcrimination of odours and talles. 

 However fcanty and obfcure the vocabulary of the former 

 may be, that of the latter is, therefore, flill more fo. The 

 fenfc of fmcUing and the fenfe of tafte have an evident and in- 

 timate connexion with eacli other. Herbs and fruits that are 

 grateful to the palate have almoll always a plcafant fmell ; 

 but the reverfe does not equally hold ; an agreeable perfume 

 docsnot, in all cafes, warrant the expeClation of delicious food. 

 Every plant has an odour and flavour peculiar to itfelf, and dif- 

 fering from all others in kind as well as in llrength. They are 

 difcriminated, according to the manner in v\lnch they afFeCl 

 the fenfe, by a few general exprclTions, which have little or 

 no precife meaning. 

 Odours are, 



Ambrofiac, or mufky, as in fweet woodrnfF (afperula 

 odorata) and mufk geranium. 



Fragrant, as in jell'amine and violet. 

 Aromatic, as in cinnamon, faffafias, and cloves. 

 Unpleafantly flrong, as in garlic and herb robert (gera- 

 nium robertianum). 



Stinking, as in elder (ebulus) and (linking may-weed 

 (anthemis fcetida). 



Naufcous, or difpofing to vomit, as in hellebore, afarabacca, 

 and coloquintida. 



Sharp, as in muftard. 

 Faint, as in primrofe and lilac. 

 Taftes are, 



Bweet, as in fugar-canc and fig. 

 Acid, as in tamarind and lemon. 

 Fat, or oily, as in frefh almonds and olives. 

 Salt, as in falfola, and other maritime plants. 

 Bitter, as in wormwood. 



Aflringent, as in the fruit of the quince. This kind of 

 tafte is either aullere, partaking a httlc of the acid, as in 

 linripe fruits, or acerb, rough, partaking more of the bitter, 

 as in the common floe. 



Vifcous, as in the fruit of the common jujube (rhamnus 

 ziziphus). It produces only a flight fenfation on the pa- 

 late. 



Acrid, as in garlic. It is foraetimes cauftic, as in the ber- 

 ties of daphne mezereon. 



Dry and iuCpid, as in farinaceous feeds, and feveral kinds 

 •i back. 



Water)', as in cucumber and lettuce. 



K.Tufeous, as in tobacco. 



riaiits afTca the touch, as they are fiediy ormembranou»» 

 foft or harfh, Iniooth or rough, filky, hairy, or prickly, 



&c. 



V. The anatomy of plants, or defcription of the different 

 vifiblc parts of which llitir f\ibllaiice is compofcd. Thcfe 



are, 



1. The epiiki-mis, or thin cuticle which iuvcfts the whole 

 of the plant. 



2. Tiic cellular, or reitcuhr fuhjlance, which appears in 

 the young fhoot of a tree after the epidermis is llripped 

 off. 



3. The I'llrr, inner or true baik. 



4. The dibiinium, or b!ea, improperly called by Englifh 

 dealers in wood, the fap, a ring of imptrfeA wood between 

 the liber and the true wood. 



5. The lignum, or true wood, corfifting of concentric 

 (I rata or rings. 



6. The pith, a fpungy fubflance inclofed in a longitudinal 

 canal, which conltitutes the innermoft part of the plant. 



7. The nu-ilutmry prodiidions, or filaments proceeding frnm 

 the pith, and crofhiig tl'.e flem in a radiate diredion, as far 

 as the cellular fubltance. 



8. The meclulhiry appendices, filaments placed between the 

 medullaiy produftions, and reaching no farther than the 

 wood. 



9. 'Vhttrachac, or air-veffels. 



10. TXxe fap-vcjph, and 



1 1. The veffels which fecrete the peculiar juices of the 

 plant. 



VI. The phyfiology of plants. 



A plant, like an animal, is a very compound, organized, 

 living being, in which various operations, both chemical and 

 mechanical, are continually carrying on, from its tirll pro- 

 duftion to its final diffolution. It fprings from a feed 

 fertilized by the pollen of its parent plant. It takes in 

 foreign fubltanccs by its inhaling and abforbent vcfTels. It 

 elaborates and alTimilates to its own fubflance thofe parts of 

 them that are nutritious, and throws off the rell. It 

 fecretes a variety of fluids by the means of glands, and other 

 unknown organs. It gives that motion to its fap on which 

 the continuance of its life depends. See the articles Phy- 

 siology of Plants, Vegetable, and Vegetation. 



VII. The puipofes to which different plants are applied, 

 either as articles of food, ingredients in the compolition of 

 medicine, or materials and inftruments in the ufeful and 

 elegant arts ; the foil and lituation in which they are ge- 

 nerally found, and which are moil favourable to their growth ; 

 the time of the year in which they open their flowers, and 

 ripen their fruit, with many other incidental particulars, are 

 properly within the province of the botanill. But, as a bo- 

 tanift, he is concerned with nothing more than the fimple 

 fadts. The beft methods of cultivating fuch as are raifcd in 

 confidtrable quantities for the fpecial ufe or amufement of 

 man ; the theory of their nutritious or medicinal properties ; 

 and the manner in which they are to be prepared, fo as to 

 ertedl the intended purpofcs; arc the province either of the 

 farmer, the gardener, the phyfician, the chemill, or the 

 artift. But as they cannot, in this work, be conveniently 

 introduced under their refpedlive fciences, they will generally 

 be annexed to the botanical details of each particular 

 plant. 



VIII. The hiftory of botany. 



In all ages of the world, vegetables have been t principal 

 article of hrfman food. AVe can, therefore, fcarcely doubt, 

 that fome intimations of the kinds which are njoft proper for 



this 



