SEED. 



the roftellum and the plumula ; the former of which confti- 

 tuting the radical or defcending part, which ilrikes dowii- 

 veards into the earth, or foil, and becomes the future root ; 

 the latter, which becomes the afcendmg part, or that which 

 fhoots upwards, and conftitutes tlie Hem, branches, and 

 other parts of the future plant. This point, or fpot in the 

 feed, is likewife fometimes termed punBum vila. 



The cotyledons, or fide-lobes, are the perifhable fide-lobes, 

 or parts of the feed, which involve, contain, and for fome 

 time noorifh and fupport, the corculum, or embryo plant. 

 Thefe fide-lobes are for the molt part two in number, which 

 are very clearly feen in the bean kind of feeds, as well as in 

 moft others derived from the leguminous tribe of plants, efpe- 

 cially when they have been previoudy laid a Ihort time in 

 earth or water. When the feed has been committed to, 

 and depofited in the ground or foil, the corculum, or point 

 of life, if the feed be good, is leldom long before it begins 

 to fprout or germinate and exert itfelf in it, but the exaft 

 length of time which is neccilary, is fomewhat different in 

 different cafes, circumflances, and kinds of feeds ; the coty- 

 ledons expand, buribng open the outer coverings, and rife 

 in a gradual manner out of the earth or foil, in the form of 

 blades or leaves, which are commonly, in moll forts, termed 

 the feed-leaves, in which difplaying the tirft, or primary vi- 

 fible founddtioa and rudiments of the infant plant ; accom- 

 panying it for fome length of time after its eruption or firft 

 breaking from the ground, as until the firlt proper leaves 

 are formed in the centre of the vegetable, and advanced a 

 little in their growth, when the lobes or feminal leaves be- 

 coming ufelefs, they wither, decay, and are deltroyed. See 

 Germination. 



In general, plants are furnifhed with two cotyledons, or 

 feed-leaves, efpecially almoll the whole of the tribe of fibrous, 

 rooted herbaceous plants, all trees and fhrubs ; but there 

 are fome which have only one cotyledon, as is the cafe iii 

 moft of the bulbous plants of the liliaceous tribe, which nfe 

 out of the ground in the manner of a (heatli ; and there are 

 fome feeds which have no cotyledons at all, for inflancc, fuch 

 as the ferns, moffes, flags, and fungufes. 



The other parts of feeds are the ala:, or wings, and the 

 coronillx, or crowns ; in the former, many of which are 

 winged, or furnifhed with a thin membranous web or film, by 

 which means they fly and are alSited in being difperfed about, 

 as in the fir, birch, maple, a(h, elm, hops, and a great number 

 of other forts ; and in the latter kind many of the feeds are 

 crowned, and fome furrounded with a pappofe fubftance, or 

 a fort of feathery or hairy down, efpecially in many of the 

 compound and other defcriptions, which ferve for the pur- 

 pofe of their diflemination, they being thus framed for fly- 

 ing, in a fomewhat fimilar manner to the fhuttlecock, fo as 

 to be eafily carried and tranfported by the wind to very con- 

 fiderable diftances from their natural fituations, examples of 

 which are to be met with in hawk-weed, groundfel, dande- 

 lion, and many other plants : this, however, is not much 

 the cafe with garden-feeds of the common kinds. But 

 there are ftill numerous forts of feeds which are perfeftly 

 fimple, having neither any thing of the wing or pappofe 

 fubftance about them ; as in moil of thofe employed by the 

 gardener. 



It may hkewife be obferved, that the number, form or 

 (hape, fize or dimenfions, and the fubftance or folidity of 

 different feeds, are extremely various, as produced by dif- 

 ferent kinds of garden plants. In refpeft to the particular 

 number, it may confilt of from one, to feveral hundreds, or 

 even thoufands, in a fingle feed-veffel, according to the par- 

 ticular plant from which it is taken : for though fome plants 

 do not afford more than one or two, others three or four, 



4 



there are many which have val numbers of feeds, and are of 

 amazing fertility ; as, for intaiice, in the tobacco-plant, one 

 fimple feed-veflel frequently coiitams not Icfstlian about one 

 thoufand feeds ; and in that of the white poppy phmt it is 

 often not lower than eight thoufand : the wimle pmduce of 

 one fingle tobacco-plant is certainly upwards of forty thou- 

 fand ; but fome have luppofed it to be mure than three 

 hundred thoufand ; and tliat of one fingle ftalk of fplecn- 

 wort is conceived from calculation to be above one million of 

 feeds. This is iriDllly the cafe in flower and other plants, 

 but rarely in the culinary forts. 



In regard to what coiicerns the forms of garden feeds, 

 they are, in general, either round, oval, kidney fhaped, 

 heart-thaped, angular, flat, or fome other form approaching 

 to fome of thefe. And in relation to the fizes and dimen- 

 fions of fuch feeds, they are very different according to the 

 plants from which they are taken, varying from the mag- 

 nitude of the large nut kind, down to the very minute feeds 

 of creffes, and others, wliich are ftill much Imaller m their 

 fi7.es. With refpeft to the fubftance and fohdity of feeds 

 they vary greatly, fome feeds are foft, pulpy, flefhy, others 

 hard and firm without any flefhy matter, fome membra- 

 nous, others hard and long in thoir natures, which is the 

 cafe in all the different kinds of tlie nut tribe, as well 

 as in the ftones of many forts of berries and other ftone 

 fruit. 



• Seeds of the garden fort are likewife either covered or 

 naked ; the covered feeds are all fuch as are contained and 

 concealed in fome vefiels either of the capfule, pod, berry, 

 apple, pear, cherry, or fome other fimilar kinds; the naked 

 feeds are all thofe which are not contained in any veffel, but 

 lodged ill their receptacles, or in the bottoms of the cups 

 belonging to the different plants or flowers. 



There is an almoft endlefs variety in the modes which 

 nature has provided for the diffeminating and difperfing the 

 feeds of plants, which is truly wonderful, though of but 

 little confequence in garden culture ; in a very great many 

 plants, the fruit or veffels containing the feed, are raifed 

 above the ground, either by ereft firm ftems, or by climbing 

 ftalks, fo that the fruit being elevated from the ground, it 

 may be more readily and eafily fhaken by the wind which 

 blows the feeds not unfrequently to a great diftance ; for the 

 fame reafon alfo, that defcriptioii of feedveflels which is 

 called capfule, in fome inftaiices, opens at the lop, in order 

 that the feeds may be more fully and completely, as well as 

 more readily, difperfed or thrown about. And from a great 

 number of feeds being winged, as has been feen above, they 

 are in that way fpread far and near by the winds, and find 

 their paffage into different foils and territories. Bcfides, 

 fome feed-veflels are endued with a remarkable degree of 

 elafticity, by means of which they dart and throw their feed 

 with great force to a very confiderable diftance j of this kind 

 are the plants called touch-me-not, and the fpirting cu- 

 cumber, as well as fome others. Tliere are many feeds and 

 feed-veflels too, which are armed with a fort of hooks, hairs, 

 &c. by which they attach themfelves to different kinds of 

 animals, or other matters, and are thereby difperfed ; fuch 

 for inftance, as in the feed of the carrot, hemp, ag'imony, 

 burdock, &c. Further, the feeds of many lorts that are de. 

 voured by birds, being carried and voided by them in an en- 

 tire and perfeft ftate in different parts, often at a very great 

 diftance, not unfrequently take root and grow. In bernes, 

 as well as otiier pulpy fruits, whicli have been eaten a' food, 

 the feeds and kernels of many kinds of which pals through 

 the body unhurt, and falling to the ground, i'kewife Rot 

 feldom take on a growing llale. Seeds are ali>' very fre- 

 quently carried, dilfeminated, and difperfed by brooks, 



rivers, 



