The Leaves of the Flower, though they are not hairy all over, yet in some particular parts they are often set with a fine Downy Velvet; that, being by their shape and posture in those parts contiguous to their delicate and tender Attire, they may thus give it a more softly and warmer touch. Thus in the Flower of Ladies Bower, those parts of its Leaves which rowl inward, and lie contiguous to the Attire, are Downy; whereas the other parts are plain and smooth: So the Flowers of Pease, Spanish Broom, Toad-Flax, and many others, where contiguous to their Attires, are deck’d with the like Hairy Velvet.
As upon the Green Leaves, so upon the Flowers are Globulets sometimes seen; as upon the backside of that of Enula. On none more plainly than that kind of Blattaria with the white Flower; where they are all transparent, and growing both on the Stalk and Leaves of the Flower, each shewing likewise its Peduncle whereon it is erected.
The use of the Flower, or the Foliation whereof we now speak, (that is, as to its private service) is for the protection of the Attire; this, as its under, and the Empalement as its upper Garments; as likewise of the Fruit: The necessity of which Service, in some Cases, by the different situation of the Flower and Fruit, with respect to each other, is evident; Apples, Pears, and several other Fruits, standing behind or under the Flower; but Cherries, Apricots, and divers others, within it; for these, being of a very tender and pulpous Body, and withal putting forth with the colder part of the Spring, could not weather it out against the Variations and Extremities of the Air, (as those of a more solid Parenchyma can) except lodged up within their Flowers.
And as the Flower is serviceable to the safety of the Fruit, so is it to its growth; sc. in its Infancy, or Embryo-estate; for which purpose, as there is a Flower, so that Flower is greater or less, according as the nature of the Fruit to which it belongs, and the plenty of the Sap by which the Fruit is fed, doth require. Thus, where the young Fruit is of a solider constitution, and the ascent of the Sap less copious, were there here no Flower to promote the said ascent thereof into the Fruit (in the manner as is effected by the Green Leaves) it must needs pine and die, or prove less kindly. On the contrary, should the Flower be over-large, it would not only promote the ascent of the Sap up to the Fruit, but being as yet over-proportionate to it, would likewise it self exhaust the same Sap, as fast as ascendent; like a greedy Nurse, that prepares the Meat for her Child, and then eats it up her self. Thus we see Apples and Pears with a Flower of a moderate size, like their Body; of a middle Constitution, and their Sap of a middle quantity: But Quinces, being more solid, besides that they have as great a Flower, the Impalers of their Flower also thrive so far as to become handsom Leaves, continuing also after the Flower is fallen, firm and verdent a great while; so long till the fruit be able to provide for it self. On the other hand, Plums being more tender and Sappy than Apples and Pears, besides that their Empalers are much alike, their flower is less, and Gooseberries and Currans, which are still more Pulpy, and the course of the Sap towards them more free, have yet a flower far less. And Grapes, whose Sap is still of quicker Ascent, have scarce any flower at all; only some small resemblance thereof, serving just upon the setting of the fruit, and no longer.
The Attire I find to be of two kinds, Seminie and Florie: That which I call Seminie, is made up of two general parts, Chives and Semets, one upon each Chive. These Semets have the appearance (especially in many flowers) of so many little Seeds; but are quite another kind of Body: For upon enquiry we find, that these Semets, though they seem to be solid, and for some time after their first formation, are entire; yet are they really hollow; and their side, or sides, which were at first entire, at length crack asunder: And that moreover the Concave of each Semet is not a meer vacuity, but fill’d up with a number of minute Particles, in form of a Powder; which, though common to all Semets, yet in some, and particularly those of a Tulip, being larger, is more distinctly observable.
These Semets are sometimes fastned so, as to stand erect above their Chive, as those of Larks-heel. Sometimes, and I think usually, so as to hang a little down, in the manner and figure of a Kidney; as in Mallows. Their Cleft or Crack is sometimes single, but for the most part double: At these Clefts it is that they disburse their Powders; which as they start out, and stand betwixt the two Lips of each Cleft, have some resemblance to the common Sculpture of a Pomegranate with its Seeds looking out at the Clefts of its Rind: This must be observ’d when the Clefts are recently made, which usually is before the expansion of the Flower.
The Particles of these Powders, though like those of Meal or other Dust, they appear not easily to have any regular shape; yet upon strict observation, especially with the assistance of an indifferent Glass, it doth appear, that they are nothing else but a Congeries of so many perfect Globes or Globulets: That which obscures them; is their being so small. In Dogs-Mercury, Borage, and very many more Plants, they are extreamly so. In Mallows, and some others, more fairly visible.
Some of these Powders are yellow, as in Dogs-Mercury, Goats-Rue, &c. and some of other colours: But most of them I think are white; and those of yellow Henbane very elegant; the disburs’d Powders whereof, to the naked eye, are white as Snow; but each Globulet, through a Glass, transparent as Crystal; which is not a fallacy from the Glass, but what we see in all transparent Bodies whatsoever, lying in a Powder or small Particles together.