The vegetable system. 
n 
V/e have (hewn in the preceding Plates, that by the term 
Chives are meant thole upright, flender bodies crowned with dufty 
heads, which occupy, in a certain number, the infide of a Flov/erj 
and furround the Rudiment of the Fruit, or the Style which rifes 
from it. 
These Chives confifl; of two different parts ; the llender body 
fupporting the head, and the head itfelf. The firlf we call the 
Thread of the Chive, the other its Summit ; the term Chive in- 
cluding both, and exprelling the whole. 
The term Floret is ufed diffinctively to exprefs a Angle pip of this 
head or affemblage ; the whole duller, together with the general 
Cup, being named in exprels terms the Flower. 
The Rays are the flat Petals furrounding the Verge. 
Floret is a diminutive of Flower ; and is a neceflary diflindlion in 
the Plants of this afiembled kind which have two forts, as the tubul- 
ated and radiated in the fame Cup ; and even in the fecond and third 
Claffes, where all are of one kind, it is ufeful ; becaufe it gives us a 
diflln<ft manner of expreffion. 
Thus, in fpeaking of the common Plant, Groundfell, we ll:iall be 
regularly underflood when we call the entire affemblage of pips in one 
common Cup, the Flower; and any one of thofe pips feparated a 
Floret. 
The term Tubulate or hollow is ufed only in diflindion from the 
charader of the Rays, and of the Florets of the third Clafs, which 
have all the other charaders of the refl, but that the Florets are flat, or, 
as the feleded term expreffes it, tongued. In the prcfer>t Clafs there 
is an affemblage of the two kinds ; tubulated Florets occupying the 
Center, and Rays, which are of the nature of tongued Florets, form- 
ing the VTrge. 
The form of the tubulated Floret is very regular and conflant ; 
and therefore eafily known. 
It is made of a Angle Petal ; and Is a long, Aender Tube, which 
grows large upwards ; and fpreading out at the verge like a bell, is 
there divided into Ave Segments. Thefe naturally fpread open, and 
often turn back. This form and dIviAon are both invariable. Such 
a Floret is reprefented in Plate 14, Figure i. The Chives and 
Style being taken out not to diAurb the view. 
VoL. II. U 
Tnii 
