Thursday, Novemb. 9. 1671.

At a Meeting of the Council
of the R. Society.

Ordered,

That the Discourse presented to the R. Society, Entitul’d, The Anatomy of Vegetables begun, with a General Accompt of Vegetables thereon, By N. Grew, M.D. be Printed by Spencer Hickman, one of the Printers of the R. Society.

Brouncker Pres.

THE
ANATOMY
OF
VEGETABLES
Begun.

With a
GENERAL ACCOUNT
OF
VEGETATION
Founded thereon.

By NEHEMIAH GREW, M. D.
and Fellow of the Royal Society.

LONDON,

Printed for Spencer Hickman, Printer
to the R. Society, at the Rose
in S. Pauls Church-Yard, 1672.

TO THE
Right Honourable
&
Most Illustrious
THE
President & Fellows
OF THE
ROYAL SOCIETY,
The Following
DISCOURSE
Is most Humbly
Presented
By
The Authour
NEHEMIAH GREW.

TO THE
Right Reverend
JOHN
Lord Bishop of
CHESTER.

MY LORD,

I hope your pardon, if while you are holding that Best of Books in one Hand, I here present some Pages of that of Nature into your other: Especially since your Lordship knoweth very well, how excellent a Commentary This is on the Former; by which, in part God reads the World his own Definition, and their Duty to him.

But if this Address, my Lord, may be thought congruous, ’tis yet more just; and that I should let your Lordship, and others know, how much, and how deservedly I resent your extraordinary Favours: Particularly that you were pleased so far to animate my Endeavours towards the publishing the following Observations. Many whereof, and most belonging to [the First Chapter], having now lain dormant near seven years; and yet might perhaps have so continued, had not your Lordships Eye at length created Light upon them. In doing which, you have given one, amongst those many Tokens, of as well your readiness to promote learning and knowledge by the hands of others; as your high Abilities to do it by your own. Both which are so manifest in your Lordship, that like the first Principles of Mathematical Science, they are not so much to be asserted, because known and granted by all.

The Consideration whereof, my Lord, may make me not only just in owning of your Favours, but also most Ambitious of your Patronage: which yet to bespeak, I must confess I cannot well. Not that I think what is good and valuable, is alwaies its own best Advocate; for I know that the Censures of men are humorous and variable, and that one Age must have leave to frown on those Books, which another will do nothing less than kiss and embrace. But chiefly for this Reason, lest I should so much as seem desirous of your Lordships Solliciting my Cause as to all I have said: For as it is your Glory, that you like not so to shine, as to put out the least Star; so were it to your Dishonour to borrow your Name to illustrate the Spots, though of the most conspicuous.

Your Lordships
Most Obliged
&
Most Humble
Servant

Nehemiah Grew.

THE
PREFACE.

Of what antiquity the Anatomy of Animals is, and how great have been its Improvements of later years, is well known. That of Vegetables is a subject which from all Ages to this day hath not only lain by uncultivated; but for ought I know, except some Observations of some of our own Countrey-men, hath not been so much as thought upon; whether for that the World hath been more enamoured with the former, or pity to humane frailty hath more obliged to it, or other Reasons, I need not enquire.

But considering that both came at first out of the same Hand, and are therefore the Contrivances of the same Wisdom; I thence fully assured my self, that it could not be a vain Design, though possibly unsuccessful, to seek it in both.

In the prosecution hereof, how far I have gone, I neither judge my self, nor leave it to any one else to do it; because no man knows how far we have yet to go, or are capable of going. Nor is there any thing which starves and stinteth the growth of knowledge more, than such Determinations, whether we speak or conceit them only.

What we have performed thus far, lieth, for the most part, open to the use and improvement of all men. Only in some places, and chiefly in [the Third Chapter], we have taken in the help of Glasses; wherein, after we had finished the whole Composure, some Observations made by that Ingenious and Learned Person Mr. Hook, a Worthy Member of the Royal Society, my much Honoured Friend, and by him communicated to me, were super-added: As likewise some others also Microscopical, of my own, which his gave me the occasion of making.

Those that shall think fit to examine, as well as to peruse these Observations, we advertise them, First, That they begin, and so proceed till they end again, with the Seed: For they will hardly be able to avoid Errour and Misapprehension, if either partial or preposterous in their Enquiries. Next, That they confine not their Enquiries to one time of the Year; but to make them in several Seasons, wherein the Parts of a Vegetable may be seen in their several Estates. And then, That they neglect not the comparative Anatomy; for as some things are better seen in one estate, so in one Vegetable, than another.

What, upon Observation already made, we have erected, as they are not Sticks and Straws; so neither do we assure all to be of the best Oak. How Dogmatical soever my Assertions may seem to be, yet do I not affect the unreasonable Tyranny of obtruding upon the Faith of any. He that speaketh Reason, may be rather satisfied, in being understood, than believed.

THE
CONTENTS

CHAP. 1.
Of the Seed as Vegetating.

The Method propounded. [1], [2]. The Garden-Bean dissected. [2]. The two Coats thereof. [2], [3]. The Foramen in the outer Coat, [3], [4]. What generally observable of the Covers of the Seed, [4]. The main Body of the Seed, [5], [6]. The Radicle distinguish’d. [6]. The Plume distinguish’d. [8]. Described. [9]. The Cuticle described. [10], [11]. The Parenchyma. [11], [12]. The Inner Body, how observed. [14], [16]. Describ’d. [15], [16], [17], [18].

The Coats how in common subservient to the Vegetation of the Seed. [20], [21]. The Foramen, of what use herein. [22]. The use of the Inner Coat, and of the Cuticle. [22]. Of the Parenchyma. [23]. Of the Seminal Root. [23], [24]. How the Radicle first becomes a Root. [24], [26]. How after the Root the Plume vegetates. [26]. How the Lobes. [27]. That they do, demonstrated. [29], [32]. How the Lobes thus turn into Dissimilar Leaves. [32]. What hence resolvable. [32], [33]. The use of the Dissimilar Leaves.

CHAP. 2.
Of the Root.

The Skin hereof, its Original. [37]. The Cortical Body, its Original. [37]. Description. [37], [38]. Pores. [38]. Proportions. [39]. The Lignous Body, its Original. [39]. Described by its Pores, [40]. Its Proportions. [42]. The Insertment, its original. [42]. Description. [43]. Pores. [43]. Number and size. [44]. A fuller description hereof, with that of the Osculations of the lignous Body. [44], [45]. The Pith, its original sometimes from the Seed. [46]. Sometimes from the Cortical Body. [47], [49]. Its Pores. [49]. Proportions. [49], [50]. Fibres of the lignous Body therein. [50]. The Pith of those Fibres. [51].

How the Root grows, and the use of the Skin, Cortical and lignous Body thereto. [51], [54]. How it groweth in length. [55]. By what means it descends. [56], [57]. How it grows in breadth. [58]. And the Pith how thus framed. [59]. The use of the Pith. [60], [61]. Of the Insertment. [61], [62]. The joint service of all the Parts. [63], [65].

CHAP. 3.
Of the Trunk.

The Skin, its original. [67]. The original of the Cortical Body. [67]. Of the lignous. [68]. Of the Insertment and Pith. [68]. The Latitudinal Shooting of the lignous Body, wherein observable. [69]. The Pores of the lignous Body, where and how most remarkable. [70]. The Pith of the same Pores. [70]. A lesser sort of Pores. [71]. A third sort only visible through a Microscope. Observed in Wood or Char-coal. [71]. Observed in the Fibres of the Trunks of Plants. [72]. [73]. The Insertions where more visible. [73], [74]. The smaller Insertions, only visible through a Microscope. [74], [75]. The Pores of the Insertions. [76]. Of the Pith. [77], [79].

How the Trunk ascends. [80]. [81]. The disposition of its Parts consequent to that Ascent. [81], [82]. Consequent to the different Nature of the Sap. [83], [84]. The effects of the said Differences. [84], [89]. Which way, and how the Sap ascends. [89-98].

The Appendix.
Of Trunk-Roots and Claspers.

Trunk-Roots of two kinds. [99]. Claspers of one kind. [100]. The use of both. [100], [103].

CHAP. 4.
Of the Germen, Branch, and Leaf.

The Parts of the Germen and Branch the same with those of the Trunk. [104], [105]. The manner of their growth. [105], [107]. How nourished. [107]. And the use of Knots. [108]. How secur’d. [109]. The Parts of a Leaf. [110]. The Positions the Fibres of the Stalks of Leaves. [110], [111]. The visible cause of the different shape of Leaves. [112]. And of their being flat. [113]. The Foulds of Leaves, their kinds and Use. [114-118]. The Protections of Leaves. [119], [120]. The use of the Leaf. [120], [123].

The Appendix.
Of Thorns, Hairs and Globulets.

Thorns of two kinds. [124], [125]. Hairs of divers. [126]. Their use. [127]. Globulets of two kinds. [128].

CHAP. 5.
Of the Flower.

Its Impalement of divers kinds. [129], [130]. Their use. [130], [132]. The Foliation, its nature. [132]. Foulds. [133], [134]. Protections. [135]. Downs. [135]. Globulets. [136]. Its Use. [137], [139]. The Attire of two kinds. The Description of the first. [140], [142]. Of the other. [143], [145]. Their use. [145-148].

CHAP. 6.
Of the Fruit.

The Number, Description, and Original of the Parts of an Apple. [149-152]. Of a Pear. [153], [155]. Of a Plum. [155-159]. Of a Nut. [159], [161]. Of a Berry. [161], [162]. The use of the Fruit. [163-167].

CHAP. 7.
Of the Seed in its state of Generation.

The Case, its Figures. [168]. The outer Coat, its Figures. [170]. Various Surface. [170], [171]. And Mucilages. [171], [172]. The nature of the outer Coat. [172]. Its Original. [173], [174]. The Original of the inner. [174]. Its Nature. [175], [176]. The Secondine. [177], [178]. The Colliquamentum herein. [178]. The Navel Fibres. [179], [180].

In the Generation of the Seed, the Sap first prepared in the Seed-Branch. [181]. Next in the inner Coat. [182]. With the help of the outer. [182]. The use of the Secondine. [183], [184]. Of the Ramulets of the Seed-Branch. [ib.] Of their Inosculation. [ib.] How the Colliquamentum becometh a Parenchyma. [185], [186].

Cl. Glissonius in Prolegomenis præfixis Libro de Hepatis Anatomia, c. 1.

Plantæ quoque in hunc censum (sc. Anatomicum) veniunt. Varia enim partium textura, & differentiis constant: & proculdubio ex accurata earundem diffectione, utiles valde Observationes nobis exurgerent; præstaretq; in illis (inferioris licet ordinis) rebus examinandis operam impendere, quam in transcribendis (ut sæpe fit) aliorum laboribus, inutiliter ætatem transigere. Quippe, hoc pacto, ignavarum apum more, aliena duntaxat alvearia expilamus, nihilq; bono publico adjicimus.

To be added and corrected.

Pag. [8]. l. 15. after must, adde upon the Sprouting of the Bean. p. [12]. l. 23. after dense, adde and thence their different Tinctures. p. [18]. l. 13. after that, adde when. p. [20]. l. 8. for the, read an. p. [56], l. 8. r. once. p. [90]. l. 11. dele as. p. [91]. l. 12. r. older. p. [120]. l. 11. after all, r. is. p. [134]. l. 11. r. Convolvulus. p. [143]. l. 10. r. ever. p. [145]. l. 14. for not, r. or. p. [159]. l. 8. for by, r. to. p. [160]. l. 18. dele not. p. [185]. l. 14. after therewith, r. the. dele the former the.

In some Copies.

P. [168]. l. 4. r. ultimate end, and p. [170]. l. 22. r. Favous.

The Reader is desired to excuse the misplacing of the Figures by the Graver, in the Authors absence.