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Show cPhilofopbical H;istory of Plants. eAn Idea of a 25. §. Alfo their Confiftences cil: of fo many of them as are dif- criminable by Touch; in being Soft or Hard 5 Thin or Thick 3 MucHaginous,Gummous,Glutinous,Friable,ec. And thefe in their feveral Degreessin whichthereis a Variety,as in the Milks of fore Plants,which are more Dilute, than that of others: Mucilages 3 which in fome, are verythick and Vi/cows, in others, more diluted and coming nearer to awatry Sap. Andby This, to be compared in the fame manner, as y their Quantity. _— Seat: their Colours, Smells, and Taftes: and particular Kindsof all which fhould be noted. tained Parts, and in what Variety, they appertain. teks HAEceed The general And to what Con So moft Refizous Guwms are Tin@urd, fome, not; as that which drops from the Dome- flick, Pine, is as clear as Rock-water. The Milks of fome Plants are Paler, asin Burdock; of others Whiter, asin Dandelyon, Scorzoneras Cidine, as in the Root ofTrachelium, Angelica; Yellow, asin Lovage. In fome Plants, Odorows, asin Ombelliferous ; in others not, as inCichoraceous. That of Little Maple, Taftlef’s of Garden Chervil, Sweet 3 of Fenil, Hot ; of Scorzonera, Aftringent 5 of Dandelion, Bitter; and ge- nerally, in other Plaxts; but with many Degrees of Strength, and in conjunction with other Tafis. But moft Mucilages, have little either Colour, Tate, or Swell; and the like. Here alfo the fame Qualities are to be inquired into, as, in general {peaking, they are {aid to belong to a Vegetable. Since it is more than probable, that all Colours (excepting White, whichis fometimes common both to Containing and Contained Parts) all Odours, and Tuf¥es, which are more immediately, and without a refolution oftheir E/ential Principles, perceptible ina Plant 5 are net afcribable either to the Orgawical, or Containing Paris; but only to Thofe, Contained in them ; as from divers reafons hereafter may appear. i 27. §. And firfi, their Colours; where, with refpect to feveral Plants and Parts, they are more Changeable; as Red, in Flowers; or Conftant, as Green, in Leaves. Which, with refpect to feveral Ages of one Part, are more fading, as Green in Fruits; or durable, as Yel- low in Flowers, In what Parts more Single, as always in the Seed ; or more Compounded, asin the Flowers and in whatPlants more efpecially, as in Pavcy. Which proper to Plants that have fuch a Taffe or Smell, as both, in White Flowers, are ufually lef ftrong. To Plants that flower in fuch a Sea/on, as a YeVow Flower, I think, chiefly, to Spring Plants. And to Plants that are natural to fuch a Soil ot Seat, as to Water-plants, more ufually, a white Flower. What, amoneft all Colours,more Commonto Plants, as Greens or more Rare, as Black. And what all thefe Varieties of Colours are upon Cultivation, but chiefly, in their natural Soil. To obferve alfo with their fuperficial Colours, thofe within: fo the Roots of Decks, are Yellows of Biftort, Reds of Avens, Purple; but of moft, White. Where the Inward, and Su- perficial Colonrs agree; asin the Leaves or vary, asinthe other Parts frequently. Andin what mannertheyare Situated 5 fome univerfally fpreading, others running onlyalong with the Vefels, asinthe Leaves of Red Dock ,andthe Flowers of Wood-Sorrel, 28. s. i Next their Odours 3 what may be their principal Seats whether one or divers seats in the fame Plant. What the chiefMzt ser out of which theyare continually bred. What fimilitude betwixt the the Smells of divers Vegetables; asbetwixt Baume, and a Limon 5the Green Leaves of Meadow-fweet, and the green Rinds of Waluuts. Or betwixt thofe of Plats and Animals, as the Smell of green and well- grown Carduws, is like to that rank cent, ab aliquorum axillis fpiranti, Whichhave a more fenfible s7el/; as moft have; and which have Jef, as Corw. Where the green Leaf’is the moft Fragrant Part, as in Musk-Cranesbill; wherethe Flower, asin Roféss the Root, as in {weet Calamus. Where all the Parts have fome Odour, where fome, or one, only 5 asin Scurvy-graf, only the Flowers, unlefs the Leaves are bruis’d; and in Arum, the Pe(til only 5 for neither the Leaf; nor Root hath any smel, unlefs cut 5 butthis is {trong enough, not much unlike to Humane Excrements. 29. §. But efpecially their Ta/fes, which it much importeth us more precifely to diftinguith ; Fir/t, by their general Kinds ; forthe number,even of thefe, may be computed greater than ufually itis. 1 remember not, that Heat and Acritude, with refpect to Tasfe, are’ di- {tinguifhed; yet Arum-Root is very Pungent, without any proper Fleat 5 and Cloves, are very Hot, without any proper Pungency. So the White Roots of Tarrom, have a Taéfe, hardly any other way perceptible, than by caufinga gentle glowing and continued Warmth upon the Tongue. Alfotheir Refpondencies one to another; as that of Ze- doary, and of thelefler Cardamoms, is fomewhat like to Camphire. Likewife their Degrees; in which there is a great latitude, and may be extended from Ove to Tex, or witheafie diftinction, from Onze to Five: Sothe Root of Sorrel, is Bitter in the firfz; of Dock, in the fecond of Dog-Rofe, inthe third; of Dandelyon, in the fourth ; of Gen- tian, in the fifth: obferving them, not only as they vary in feveral Kinds of Plants, but the feveral Species of one, as in Cichory, Hawka weed, Dandelyon. And then their Compofitionss for Tastes are as truly conjund in one Part, as Colours : by which, the latitude is {till greater; In that all Kinds of Tusfes, in all their Degrees, and in differing Numbers, may be varioufly Compounded together: For the moft part, Io, as in the Leaves of sharp-pointed Dock, Aftringent, and Sowre; in Sorrel-Roots, Aftringent and Bitter 5 and in Aloes, Bitter and Sweet 5 the one in the fifth, the other, in the frst Degrees as upon an unpre- judiced tryal may be perceived: and yet more evidently in the Gal ofany Land-Aximal. Sometimesthree, as in Agrimony, Bitter,Rough, and Somrifh; and in Agarick Bitter,Rough, and Sweet, And fometimes, perhaps more. The Senfible diftinGions ofall which, maylye almoft as wide, as of Plants themfelves. Wherefore, although it may be thought rafhnefs, to take away the diftinétions of Hot, Cold, Moift, Dry, Thin, Grof, and other Qualities, in their feveral Degree,which the Anciezts have affixed to particular Plavts: yet fince they have doneit, to many of them, with much uncertainty 5 and that, withal, they are, more properly, the Effeéts and Operations of Plants,than their Qualites 5 Practical Obfervation, maytherefore approve it ufeful, to add thefe Senfible Ones of various Taftes, precifely diftinguifhing their Conjugations and Degrees. Laftly, their feveral Varieties and Mutations, with refpect to the Subject wherein theyrefide, fhould alfo be noted, As, of all TuSfes found in Plants, Bitter and Sowr, are moft common; Sweet and Salt, moft rare. Which latter, is not only perceptible in fome Sea-Plants; but upon fome others, as upon the frefh D 2 Leaves |