148 VEGETABLE STRUCTURE. 
vefting Membranes. Now tho’ there be no Joint in this Stalk, as in the 
Anemone, and Tome others, where anew Footrtalk rifes to the Flower, yet 
we fee in the part where this Rind leaves its office of a Coat, to affume the 
form of a Leaf, its three parts appear very diftindlly : for the Vafcular Sul> 
fliance between the two Coats enlarges to many times its original thicknefs, 
and conditutes a kind of fwelling, by the great dilatation of the Veffels, 
but there is r.o Gland formed ; there is no convolution, or interweaving of the 
Veffels, they fwell at the termination of the Rind, in order to begin the 
Leaf, and nothing more. 
This gives the naked eye a view of the real condrudtion of the Rind 
of the Plant. For the fwelling of the vafcular part in its center feparates 
the two Membranes to a diftance, and when the Stalk is fplit in this part, 
one feems to rife at a fmall height above the other, with the Blea, in a 
thin coat, between. This appearance, however, deceives the eye, and is 
immediately fet right by the Microfeope. The whole Rind which forms 
this Leaf, terminates in it ; and what we fee is only the fwelling of the 
Vafcular Subftance between its two Films, making a kind of bed for the 
portion of the Blea, and for the Conic Cluders, fent as Ribs into the di- 
vifions. 
This being removed, we find the remaining Plant compofed of only 
five fubftances, a Blea, the \’’afcular Series, a Fleffiy Subftance, the Conic 
Cluders, and a Pith ; and crowned with a Flower, perfedl, tho’ without 
any Leaf under it ; or any Stalk above the place of the infertion of the 
Leaf. The Rind terminating in the Leaf, only five of the effiential parts 
remain for the condrudlion of the Flower. The outer part, or Blea, is 
confiderably thick and white. It reaches no higher than the Petals, and 
by degrees expands into them, and ends there. This Blea, like the Rind, 
has its outer and inner Coat ; tho’ they are extreamly thin, and its central 
Vafcular Subdance much thicker : and in the fame manner it forms the 
Petals. Each of thefc, tho’ very thin, is compofed of two Membranes 
and an intermediate Subdance : thefe Membranes become yellow, where 
they rife loofe to the air j and that is all their difference from the Blea, in 
its proper place and form. 
The Petals being all removed, we fee the Fleffiy Subdance of the Stalk, 
which has here acquired a greener colour, running its drait courfe to the 
Filaments, in which it is to terminate. But over it, on the outfide, there 
lies a yellowifli Membrane ; fwelling, in form of cords, in certain places. 
As the Fleffiy Subdance of the Plant, like all the other parts, is compofed 
of Vcffels with Membranes enclofing them, it might appear that this was 
the 
