2 3 0 Of Vegetables. 
moil degree of finenefs for that purpofe. In this figure 
the inmofi: cover is laid open to {hew the feed itfelf. 
When this node is grown to about the fize of the 
fifth part of a cheefe-mite, it begins to be divided by a 
little indenture towards the top, as at k, fig. 449. which 
gradually grows deeper till the node is diftinguifhed into 
lobes or thick leaves; and as thefe increafe, their bafe is 
contra&ed into the radicle, or that part of the feed which 
becomes the root j at this time the feed is fo extremely 
fmall, that the lobes cannot be feparated ; but it is pro¬ 
bable, that as foon as the radicle is finifhed, the next ftep 
is the pufhing forth another node between the lobes, in 
order to the formation of the bud, and fo the perfection 
of the feed. 
This being done, or doing, the flalk of the feed is 
more and more contracted at bottom, and hangs at the 
inner membrane only by an extremely fmall and fhort 
ligament m, fig. 450. which at laid breaks; and then the 
feed, as fruits when ripe, falls off and lies loofe in the 
inner membrane, which gradually fhrinks up and be¬ 
comes more hollow to make more room for the farther 
growth of the feed. 
In Malpighi’s life was a debate between him and 
Seignior Triumphetti, provoft of the phyfick garden at 
Rome, whether the whole plant be actually contained 
in the feed ? the affirmative is maintained by Malpighi 
with cogent arguments ; among which this is one, that 
in a kidney bean, ’ere fown, the eye, affified with a mi- 
crofcope, eafily difcovers leaves, a bud, and even the 
knots or implantation of the leaves on the Item. The 
Item itfelf is very confpicuous, and plainly confifts of 
woody fibres, and a feries of little utricles. Whereas 
Seignior Triumphetti had objected, that by poverty, 
tranfpiantation, &c. feveral plants degenerate into others, 
parti- 
