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Show The Anatomy Book IV. 7. § The Seeds of Harts-tongue, and of all that Tribe, are Slung or Shot away. The doing of which is performed by the curious contrivance of the Seed-Cafes as in Codded Arfmart, and fome other like Plants. Onlythere, the Sprig moves and curles up inward 3 but here it moves outward. I fhall defcribeit, as well as the Weather ( which whenI obferved it was cloudy ) would permit. Every Seed-Cafe, as it appears through a good Gia/s, {tands upon a Pedicle from } an Inch to an Inch or morein Length; at the bottomabout as thick again as a Horfe-bair, and a little thicker at the Top, on whichftands the Ca/e, of a Silver Colour, about the bignefs ofa Cherry-ftone, of a Spherick Fi- gure, and girded about with a fturdy Texdox or Spring, of the Colour of Gold: the whole Mackine looking not much unlike a little Padlock, The Surface of the Spring refembles a fine Screw, or fome of the Aer-Veffels in the Wood of a Plant. So foon as by the Innate Aer of the Plant, or otherwife, this Sprig is become ftark enough, it fuddenly breaks the Ca/e into two halfs, like two little cups, and fo flings the Seed. 8. §. _Thefe Cafes grow in oblique Furrows or Trenches on the back fide the Leaf, from; of an Inch to an Inch in Length, and about 3th of an Inch broad. Inone of thefe Trenches an Inch long are more than 300 ofthe Cafes above defcribed 5 andallowing but 10 Seeds to every Café, above 3000 Seeds. Which being multiplied by the number of Furrows inone Leaf, with allowance for the lefler Furrows , and that fumm by the number of Leaves commonly growing upon one Root, comes to above Ten Hundred Thoufand Seeds, the annual product of this Plant. The Sced isof a Tawny Colour,through a good Gla/s about 72h of an Inch long, flat, and fomewhat oval. Of thefe, ten Thoufand are notfo big as a white Pepper Corn. Book IV. of Seeds. in larger parcels of Enphorbinme 5 for which Can/é, I fafpect it to be the Gumm of a Plant of the Tithymal kitid. 2. g. Ifthe Cover of the Seed be ftony and very hard, it is alfo diftinguifhed into feveral Pieces; whereby they eafily cleave afunder without muchrefiftance to the eruption ofthe Root. So the Shel ofa Hazel-nut eafily cleavs on the edg 5 and thecleft begins beft at the poynt, wherethe Root ftands and fhoots forth. The Shel of fome Walnuts cleaysinto three Parts; and the Stone of the Bellerick Myro- £44.75: balan into five: that fo, being very thick and hard, if one piece fhould notyield, another may notfailto do it. And the Covers or Hushs of fomeforts of Grain, as of Millet, are only folded or laped one over another, the better to give way to their tender Sprouts. 3. §. Befides the Kernels of Plums and fomeother Fruits, there are very many Seeds, even of the {maller fort, which have alfo ftony Covers; as of Carthamum, Myagrum monofpermon, Beet, Borage , Lithofperme, Amaranthus, Violet, &c. Sometimes, for the reception of the harfher and lefs matured Principles from the Seed,in its Generation, as in Borage. Commonly, to keep it warmer before andafterits fow’n. For which purpofe, the outer Covers of fome Seeds, are as it were Lined with Fur: in that of Great Maple, Short; of Goffipivm, Long, Andif the Seed requires a longer ftay under ground, the hardnefs of the Cover ferves to {tint the Aliment; left too much, fhould either rot it, or caufe it to germinate, before its proper feafon, orfull time for a more Majfculine Growth. 4. §. On thecontrary, many Seeds, as thole of Clary, Gardens Crefs, and others of that Tribe, have their upper Covers faced with a Mucilage: which being eafily receptive of any Moyfture in the Ground, gradually f{wells, till it lies like a Gelly round about the Seed. Eis ther for a more plentiful fupply of Aliment; or atleaft, to foften the Covers, the better to accelerate the Growth of the Seed. Celeb eeoey U0E Of the feveral COV ERS of Seeds, and of the V ILE LL OM, 2-4: HE next ftep of Natures Managery, relates chiefly <S=_ to the Growth of the Secd whenit is fow'n. For | os oy which purpofe, the outer Covers are fomewhere S #(9) ee Sil JSS SY NSS EN? ESSy furnifhed with Apertures fufficient for the reception of Alimental Moyfter from the Ground 5 and Divifions, for the fhooting forth of the young pe it. As in the ore a Gourd, at the ah Bottom; ina Bean, on the Side; and in a Chef- aut, at the Top: in which places the Radicle or young Root always lies and puts forth, in the faid feveral Seeds. And the Seed.of Palma Chrifti s which falls to the Ground not only in the ufual Covers, but alfo in the Seed-Café, for the more plentiful admiffion ofAliment, hath adouble Aperture. Not muchunlike to this, is that found fometimes in 5. §. The procefs ofNaturein the feveralfteps of the Vegetation of the Seed, hath formerly been explained. (2) 6. § THE COVERS ofall, or at leaft the far greater num- (2) Bt ber of Seeds, are Three; fome way or other derived from the Pith ; 1- as fhall hereafter be feen. And fometimes, Four: even thooffton’d Fruits, have Three,befides the Stove. Inthat of Goffipium, there are Two Coats under that lined with the Cottor, The Seeds of Cucumer, Goats-beard, Broom, Scabious, Lettice, &c. although fo fmall; have Tab. 735 plainly Three Cozts. Butin fome of thefe, and many more, there are only Two diftinélyvifible, except in the State of Geveration, 7- §. In the Upper Coat, the Seed-Veffels are diffeminated. The Second, is firft a meer Pulp; but afterwards fhrinks up and fticks clofé tothe upper. The Third or Inmoft is more denfe; and if it be thin; for the moft part, tranfparent; whereby the Seed {emis fometimes to be riaked while it lies therein; as in Almonds, Cucumers, and the like, L4b. 76: Forthis {ticks not to the midle Coat, asthat doth to the outer ; but commonly, remains entire, after thofe are ftripp'd off, being as it were, the Smock of the Seed. 8. §. In Meliffz and fomeotherfinal Seeds, it comes finely off upon foaking in warm Water or on the Tongue. In Fenugreek , ‘tis (oft, and of an Avber-Colour s and being moyftened, looks almoft like fine Glew. Butcommonly, tisa prety tough Membrane, and often with Vi fortie |
