( 3 ) 
will find an excellent engraving of this plant 
in the Flora Londinenfis. 
We have hitherto taken no notice of that 
prolific tribe of plants to which, we of the 
temperate zone, .are principally obliged for 
a confiderable part of our food, our raiment, 
and for this perpetual verdure, fo grateful 
to the eye. J need not tell you, that I mean 
the GrafTes. You will probably afcribe our 
neglect of them to their not bearing flowers, 
which have always been the objects of our 
enquiry. Bqt this is not true. Their flowers 
indeed are neither large not gaudy; never- 
thelefs it is from their parts of fruclifica- 
tion, as in other plants, that they are clafled 
in the Linnaean fyftem. They are difficult 
of investigation, becaufe the eflential parts 
are fo minute as to require good glafles, 
and more time than you can now fpare: for 
this reafon, we have fuffered the GrafTes to 
pafs unnoticed. I fhall, however, give you a 
general idea of their conftruclion, and you 
may purfue the fubject when you have more 
leifure. 
Loli- The natural characters of GrafTes 
um * are: Stem, Culm, or Straw, ftraight, 
firn.- 
