BOTANICA. 
13 
1st. The Coeculum (from cor, a heart) is the essence of 
the seed, and principle of the future plant ; and consists of 
two parts, (viz.) plumula and rostellum. Plumula (a little 
feather) is the scaly part and essence of the corculuin, which 
ascends and becomes the stem or trunk of the plant : it ex¬ 
tends itself into the cavity of the lobes or cotyledons, and is 
terminated by a small sort of branch resembling a feather.— 
Rostellum (a little beak) is the plain or simple part of the 
coreulum, which descends into the earth, and becomes the 
root: its form is that of a small beak, placed without the 
lobes, and adhering internally to the plumula. 
2d. The Cotyledons (from cotyledon, the hollow of the 
hucklebone) are the thick porous side-lobes of the seed, con¬ 
sisting of farinaceous matter, and which involve, and for 
some time furnish nourishment to the embryo plant; but 
when it becomes strong, they wither and die away.* The 
cotyledons are also called the seminal or seed-leaves ; some 
plants have only one,f as in grasses and in cuscuta, &c.; 
others two, as in vicia, &c.; linum hath four ; oppress us hath 
five ; and pinus , Linnaeus saith, hath ten. The cotyledons in 
mushrooms, ferns, and mosses, are not sufficiently ascertained, 
to know if they have any. 
3d. The Hilum (the black spot on a bean, called the eye) 
is the external mark or scar on the seed, where it was fastened 
within the pericarpium. 
4th. The Arjllus, a term used by Linnaeus, to express 
the proper exterior coat or covering of the seed; which falls 
off spontaneously, and is either cartilaginous or succulent; 
* If a plant be cut below the cotyledons, it will scarce ever put out fresh leaves, 
but withers and decays ; if it is cut above the cotyledons, it generally shoots out 
afresh, and continues to grow s Therefore, if plants, whose cotyledons rise above 
ground, as turneps, beans, peas, &c. be cut, or eat to the ground by cattle, they 
decay; but where the cotyledons remain below ground, as in grasses, and are cut 
or eat to the ground, they will shoot out afresh. 
f Linnaeus observes that those plants which are said to have only one cotyledon, 
may more properly be said to want them, as they remain within the seed; as such 
seed doth not split when it germinates, but continues entire, to nourish the infant 
plant.—Two cotyledons are most common, and those plants that are thought to 
have more, are in fact said to be only different divisions almost to the base. 
