846 
G E S 
G I A 
ever examined the structure of vegetables, 
could never discover any such vessel, al- 
though he traced the vessels of the cotyle- 
dons even through the radicle. As it does 
not appear, then, that there is any commu- 
nication between the cotyledons and the plu- 
mula, it must follow that the nourishment 
passes into the plumula from the radicle : 
and accordingly we see that the plumula does 
not begin to vegetate till the radicle has made 
some progress. Since the plant ceases to ve- 
getate, even after the radicle has been con- 
verted into a root, if the cotyledons are re- 
moved before the plumula is developed, it 
follows that the radicle is insufficient of itself 
to carry on the processes of vegetation, and 
that the cotyledons still continue to perform 
apart. Now we have seen already what 
that part is ; they prepare food for the nou- 
rishment of the plant. The root, then, is of 
itself insufficient for this purpose. When (he 
cotyledons assume the form of seminal leaves, 
it is evident that the nourishment, which was 
originally laid up in them for the support of 
the embryo plant, is exhausted, v et they 
still continue as necessary as ever. They 
must therefore receive the nourishment which 
is imbibed by the root ; they must produce 
some changes on it, render it suitable for the 
purposes of vegetation, and then send it back 
again to be transmitted to the plumula. 
After the plumula has acquired a certain 
size, which must be at least a line, if the co- 
tyledons are cut off, the plant, as Mr. Bon- 
net ascertained by a number of experiments, 
afterwards repeated with equal success by 
Mr. Sennebier, does not cease to vegetate, 
but it continues always a mere pigmy : its 
size, when compared with that of a plant 
whose cotyledons are allowed to remain, be- 
ing only as 2 to 7. 
YY hetV-fhe plumula has expanded com- 
pletely into leaves, the cotyledons may be 
removed without injuring the plant, and they 
very soon decay of themselves. It appears, 
then, that this new office of the cotyledons is 
afterwards performed by that part of tiie 
plant which is above ground. 
Thus we have traced the phenomena of 
germination as far as they have been detected. 
The facts are obvious ; but the manner in 
which they are produced is a profound se- 
cret. We can neither explain how the food 
enters into the vessels, how it is conveyed 
to the different parts of the plant, how it is 
deposited in every organ, nor how it is em- 
ployed to increase the size of the old parts, 
or to form new ones. These phenomena are 
analogous to nothing in mechanics or che- 
mistry, but resemble exactly the organiza- 
tion and nourishment of animals. They be- 
long therefore to that difficult branch of sci- 
ence known by the name of physiology. 
GERUN D, in grammar, a verbal noun of 
the neuter gender, partaking of the nature of 
a participle, declinable only in the singular 
number, through all the cases except the vo- 
cative: as, noin. amandum, gen. cnnandi, 
dat. amando, accus. amandum, abl. amando. 
GEROPOGON, a genus of the syngene- 
sia poiygamia scqualis class and order. The 
calyx is simple ; recept. with bristle- shaped 
chaffs; seeds of the disk with feathered down, 
of the ray with five awns. There are three 
species, all plants of Italy, having the same 
habit with the tragopogons. 
GESNERIA, a genus of the angiospermia 
order, in the didynamia class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 40th 
order, personatce. The calyx is quinquelid, 
and placed on the germen ; the corolla m- 
curvated and then recurvated ; the capsule 
inferior and bilocular. There are 12 species, 
herbs and shrubs of the West Indies. 
GETHYLLIS, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the dodecandria class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 9th 
order, spathaceae. The corolla is six-cleft, 
and the stamina are in six different direc- 
tions ; the capsule is trilocular. There are 
four species, herbs of the Cape. 
GEUM, avens, or herb-bennet, a genus of. 
the poiygamia order, in the icosandria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 35th order, senticosae. The calyx 
is cleft into ten parts; there are five petals, 
and each of the seeds has a jointed awn. 
There are nine species ; of which the most 
remarkable are, 
1. The urbanum, with thick fibrous roots, 
of an aromatic taste : rough, serrated leaves; 
and upright, round, hairy stalks, terminated 
by large yellow flowers, succeeded by globu- 
lar fruit. 
2. The rivale, with a very thick, fleshy, 
and fibrous, root, hairy leaves, and upright 
stalks 10 or 12 inches high, terminated by 
purple flowers nodding on one side. Of tins 
there are varieties with red and with yellow 
flowers. Both these are natives of Britain, 
and are easily propagated either by the root 
or seed. The roots of the first, gathered in 
the spring before the stem comes up, and in- 
fused in ale, give it a pleasant flavour, and 
prevent its growing sour: infused in wine 
they have a stomachic virtue. The taste is 
mildly austere and aromatic, especially when 
tire plant grows in warm dry situations ; but 
in moist shady places it has little virtue. 
Cows, goats, sheep, and swine, eat the plant; 
horses are not fond of it. The powdered 
root of the second species will cure tertian 
agues, and is daily used for that purpose by 
the Canadians. Sheep and goats eat the 
plant ; cows, horses, and swine, are not fond 
of it. 
GII1NIA, a geniis of the diandria mono- 
gynia class and order. The calyx is five- 
toothed and acuminate ; cor. two-lipped ; 
stam. four, with two barren anthers at the 
shorter filaments ; per. a drupe, containing a 
four or five-celled nut, with a seed in each 
cell. There are two species, annuals of the 
West Indies. 
GIANT’S-causeway, a vast collection 
of basaltic pillars in the comity of Antrim in 
Ireland. (See Basaltes.) The principal or 
grand causeway (for there are several less con- 
siderable and scattered fragments) consists of 
a most irregular arrangement of many hun- 
dred thousands of columns: almost all of them 
are of a pentagonal figure, but so closely and 
compactly situated on their sides, though per- 
fectly distinct from top to bottom, that 
scarcely any thing can lie introduced between 
them. The columns are of an unequal height 
and breadth ; some of the highest, visible 
above the surface of the strand, and at the 
foot of the impending angular precipice, per- 
haps about 20 feet, they do not exceed this 
height, at least none of the principal arrange- 
ment. How deep they are fixed in the strand 
was never yet discovered. This grand ar- 
rangement extends nearly 200 yards, visible at 
G I A 
| low water ; how far beyond is uncertain: from 
; its declining appearance, however, at low 
water, it is probable it dot s not extend under 
water to a distance any thing equal to what 
is seen above, 'i lie breadth of the principal 
causeway which runs out in one continued 
range ot columns, is, in general, from 20 to 
30 leet ; at one place or two it may be nearly 
40 for a few yards. In this account are ex- 
cluded the broken and scattered pieces of 
; the same kind of construction, that are de- 
tached from the sides of the grand causeway, 
| as they do not appear to have ever been con- 
i tiguous to the principal arrangement, though 
.they have frequently been taken into the 
i width ; which has been the cause of such 
! wild and dissimilar representations of this 
causeway, which different accounts have 
| exhibited. r l iie highest part of this cause- 
j way is the narrowest, at the very spot 
of the impending cliff whence the whole pro- 
jects, where, for four or live yards, it is not 
| above ten or fifteen w ide. 1 he columns of 
: this narrow part incline from a perpendicular 
! a little to the westward, and form a slope on 
their tops, by the unequal height of the co- 
lumns on the two sides ; by which an ascent is 
made at the foot of the cliff, from the head of 
: one column to the next above, gradatim, to 
; the top of the great causew ay, which, at the 
distance of halt a dozen yards from the cliff, 
| obtains a perpendicular position, and, lower- 
I ing in its general height, widens to about 
20 or between 20 and 30 feet, and for 100 
j yards nearly is always above water. The 
i tops of the columns for this length beingnearly 
j of an equal height, they form a grand and 
I singular parade that may be easily w alked on, 
| rather inclining to the waiter’s^ edge. But from 
high-water mark, as it is perpetually washed 
by the beating surges on every return of the 
tide, the platform lowers considerably, and 
becomes more and more uneven, so "as not 
to be walked on but with the greatest care. 
At the distance of 150 yards from the cliff, 
it turns a little to the east for 20 or 30 yards, 
and then sinks into the sea. The figure of 
these columns is almost unexceptionable pen- 
tagonal, or composed of five sides ; there are 
but very few' of any other figure introduced : 
some few there are of three, four, and six 
sides, but the generality of them are five- 
sided, and the spectator must look very nicely 
to find any of a different construction : ye‘t 
what is very extraordinary, and particularly 
curious, there are not two columns in ten 
thousand to be found, that either have their 
sides equal among themselves, or whose 
figures are alike. Nor is the composition of 
these columns or pillars less deserving the 
attention of the curious spectator. They are 
not of one solid stone in an upright position, 
but composed of several short lengths, cu- 
riously joined, not with flat surfaces, but arti- 
culated into each other like a ball and socket, 
or like the joints in the vertebra of some of 
the larger kind of fish, the one end at the 
joint having a cavity into which the convex 
end of the opposite is exactly fitted. This is 
not visible but by disjoining the two stones. 
The depth of the concavity or convexity 
is generally about two or three inches. And 
what is still farther remarkable of the joint, 
the convexity, and the correspondent conca- 
vity, are not conformed to the external angu- 
lar figure of the column, but exactly round, 
and as large as the size or diameter of the co- 
