Foreign Vegetables. 131 
firft taken , out of the Sea, but by Degrees be- 
come dry and friable in the Air. Thefe Tuber- 
cles are regarded by many as the Fruit or Recep- 
tacles of the Seed *, but they rather feem to be Or- 
gans appointed by Nature to prepare and perfect 
the nutritious Juice. 
The Flowers are contained in the Papilla of the 
1 $ark. When Coral, frefh out of the Sea, is kept 
in Sea- Water in a Place moderately warm, they 
gradually fwell and are expanded, and a Drop 
or two of a milky Juice exudes from them. 
Afterwards a white Calyx arifes from each of 
them a Line and Half long, bearing eight white 
Leaves difpofed in Rays, and reprefenting a kind 
of Star. At length, after eight, ten or twelve 
Days, the Flowers, as they wither, turn yellow, and 
are contracted into fmall Globes full of a milky 
Juice *, which falling off from the Bark, fink to 
the Bottom of the Water. The Count de Marfigli 
fulpeds that thefe round Corpufcles are the Fruit, 
and that the Seed is concealed in their Juice. 
This fagacious Naturalift firft obferved thefe 
Flowers in the Month of December in the Year 
1706, in fome Coral which was frefh got out of 
the Sea near Mar fellies •, for letting it ftand for 
fome Flours in a Veffel filled with Sea- Water, he 
difcovered white ftellated Flowers lcattered here 
and there upon it. The Water being taken away, 
the Flowers difappeared, red Papilla only remain- 
ing : But a new Supply of Water being added, 
the Flowers appeared again ; and thus for ten or 
eleven Days they continued vifible. 
Coral is found at almoft all Times in Flower in 
the Sea : At leaft, the Count de Marfigli has found 
it full of Flowers in Winter, in Spring, and in 
Autumn. The Ancients have told us, that Coral 
AS long as it continues in the Sea is foft, and in> 
K 2 mediately 
