An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. XI. Of the Division and Difference of Plants.

The Divi∣sion of Plants. A Perfect Plant is by BOTANISTS com∣monly divided into a Tree, a Shrub, an Undershrub, and an Herb.

II. A Tree. A Tree is a woody Plant, in thickness and height exceeding all the rest, whose stock is lasting, and one only by nature, which spreads it self into many Branches and Boughs, as an Oak, Pear and Fir-tree. I say it is lasting or perpetual, because it hath no certain time of duration.

III. A Shrub. A Shrub is a Plant of a mean thickness and height amongst those that are woody, whose Stem is manifold by nature, and which by cutting off its Shoots or Suckers, is easily changed into the nature of a Tree.

IV. An Under-shrub. An Under-shrub is the least of woody Plants in height and thickness, having a lasting Stem or Stalk, which sometimes is single, and sometimes manifold like Brushwood, with a small and sometimes manifold like Brushwood, with a small and slender Leaf, as Rosemary, Lavender, Southernwood, &c.

V. An Herb. An Herb is a Plant which consists only of Leaves, as Harts-tongue, &c. or sometimes of a Stalk, but perisheth away every year, and is not woody till after it be dried.

VI. The Diver∣sity of Plants may be deduced from seve∣ral Heads. The variety of Plants is assignable either to the Soil whence they grow; or to the Pores or chan∣nels through which their Alimentary Juice is con∣veighed; or to their Structure or Figure; or to the Fruits they bear; or to their differing Quali∣ties, or lastly to the Changes and Alterations to which they are obnoxious.

VII. From the Place of their Growth. With regard to the place of their growth, some are upon Rocks, Walls, the Tops of Houses, when the water falling in abundance, doth leave some limosity upon those places. Some grow upon other Plants, or upon great Stones; as Moss which grows upon the Barks of Trees; and Touchwood which sticks to the Oaks and Nut-trees. Some proceed from the rotten Wood or Roots of Trees, as SCALIGER tells us, that Bearsfoot doth, Exer∣citat. 140. Others grow upon Dunghills, as Sow∣thistle, which Hogs delight in, and other such like. Some grow upon the Bodies of Living Creatures, as is related of a Shepherd, who had a little Plum-tree or Sloe-bush growing out of his Breast, because falling by chance upon one of them, he had forgot to pluck out one of the thorns of it which stuck in his Breast, and afterwards sprouted out thence.

VIII. From their different Pores. Plants are also distinguisht by their Pores; for the Alimentary Juice, according to the different structure of the pores it passeth through, acquires a different Temperature and Qualities. According to which different disposition of the Pores, some Plants are more early in their coming forth, and others later. For those that want a Stalk, or have only a short one, are more slowly nourished: others that have a more favourable Texture of their Pores, and the Fibres of whose Stems are more yielding, grow sooner, and to a greater Size and Bulk, especially if the Climate and Soil agree with it. Thus Gourds and Sallows do in a little time encrease to a great Bulk; whereas on the contrary Oaks and Pine-trees, by reason of the straitness of their Pores, are as slow in their advance. And therefore be∣cause the Fir-tree, and others of that nature con∣sist of looser and more open Pores than the Ebone-tree, and other-like hard and compact woods brought from Brazile, they are easily bent, but not without difficulty pulled asunder: whereas the parts of these latter are very Brittle and break up∣on the least bending, because of the very close and compact texture of their Parts. It is also from this various disposition of the Pores, that the same Rain furnisheth nourishment to such a vast number of different Plants, because it is changed according to the difference of the Soil, and the variety of the Pores doth diversly affect the said moisture and alter it, so as to become the proper nourishment of such and such a Plant. To which may be added, that the Juice which is drawn from one part of the Earth, doth furnish it with other Alimentary Particles, than another doth.

IX. How the Juice of the Earth ascends in Plants. But if any one ask, how the Juice ascends from the Root, into the wooden Fibres; they may take this for an Answer, that the Juice ascends in Plants, after the same manner as water mounts up into those Pipes that are made use of in the Ex∣periments of a Vacuum; that is to say, because the weight of the Air drives them upwards. Which effect of the Air is much encreased by the Circular Motion of the Earth, for it being the Property of that Motion, to drive all the most agitated parts far from the Center; accordingly it also drives all the Juices of the Earth into the Pores of the Plants that are more agitated than the Air; whether this their agitation proceed from Subterranean Fires, or from some particular fer∣mentation in the out parts of the Earth.

X. From their Figure. A great variety likewise ariseth among Plants from their Structure or Figure; for some are low, as Onions and other creeping Plants. Others grow to a vast Height, as Cedars whose height and thickness is wonderful; Historians mention one that grew in Cyprus to have been 130 foot high, and of that thickness that 3 men could scarcely fathom it. And so likewise the Fir-tree, Abies, which takes it latin name from Abire, that is, to go away, because of the vast height it oft riseth to. Historians tell us, that in the Ship, that by command of the Emperour CAJUS brought the Obelisk, placed in the Vatican Circus or Pi∣azza, from Egypt, there was a Fir-tree, whose Trunk was as much as 4 men with their stretch∣ed-out-arms could compass. Some grow of a round Figure, as Puffs, others in the form of an Umbrella, as Mushromes. Some have the strings of their Barks extended long-wise, others a-thwart and Cross-wise. Some naturally have crooked Stems or Trunks, as the Vine, others strait and up∣right, as Reeds and most Trees.

XI. From their Fruits. Plants are also differenced according to their se∣veral Fruits: and thus some are called Glandiferous or Acorn-bearers, as the Beech, the Oak, the Cork-tree and the Chestnut-tree, which latter, for thee goodness of its Fruit, excells the rest of the Trees of this sort. Others are Coniferous, bearing a Fruit like a Cone, that is smaller at one end and like a Top; such as is the Cedar-tree, which formerly grew in great abundance upon Mount Libanus, but are reduced to 24 only. So also the Cypress-tree, and the Firr, tho' this is reckoned amongst the Re∣siniferous or Rosin yielding Trees. Others are Po∣miferous, or Apple-bearers, as the Apple-tree, the Citron-tree, which is always green, of a most fra∣grant odor, and its fruit of a golden Colour; the Orange and Lemon-tree, the Pomegranate-tree, so called from the great number of grains of Seed which its Fruit doth contain; and the Apricot-tree, whose fruit, from the golden colour, were by the Greeks called Chrysomela or Golden Apples.

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Book. 1. Part. 7. Chap. 1.

G. Freman

I. Kip. Sculp

To the Right Worshipfull S^r. Denis Hampson of Japlow in Buckingham Shire & of Bradwell in Oxford Shire Baronet

This Plate is humble Dedicated by Richard Blome

XII. O•• Nut∣bearing, Berry bearing, or Coa∣bearing. Of Fruit-bearing Trees, some are Nuciferous or Nut-bearers; as the Nut-tree and Almond-tree, which have their Fruit contained in hard Shells; others Bacciferous or Berry-bearers; as the Plum-tree, the Olive-tree, the Mulberry-tree, and the Cherry-tree, which bear a Fruit that consists of a more soft and moist flesh, and cover'd only with a thin Skin: Other Siliquiferous or Pod-bearers; as Cassia, Tamarinds, &c. because their Fruit is contained in Cods or Husks, or in a Juicy-shell, of a longish figure.

XIII. From their various Propensions or Inclina∣tions. There is also a considerable variety in Plants, from their different Inclinations: For some of them have an Antipathy against others. Thus the Vine, and Cabbage or Coleworts, cannot endure the Neighbourhood of one another; and so likewise the Olive-tree and the Oak, the Bay-tree and the Vine, the Olive-tree and Coleworts, the Nut-tree and the Oak are at variance. Not by reason of any inborn Antipathy, as some do imagine; but because when those Plants stand near together, they rob one another of sufficient Aliment, because they are nourished with one and the same kind of Juice; which being taken in by the stronger and more vigorous Plant, the other must needs lan∣guish. And on the contrary, those Plants are said to be friendly to each other, which are nourished by different Juices; so that what is necessary for the Aliment of the one, is never touched by the other. And herein doth the Antipathy and Sympathy of Plants properly consist; according to what we have more largely explained in our History of Na∣ture, concerning Plants. Thus the Fig-tree and Rue thrive in the Neighbourhood of each other, because they delight in a quite different sort of Nourishment; and not by reason of any Consent or Friendship, but by substraction of the contrary Aliment, which the one draws to feed its sweet-scent, and the other to feed its bitterness. And on the contrary, Rosemary loseth part of its sweetness and savour, when it grows in the Neighbourhood of the Bay-tree or Lavender; because both these Plants delight in the same Alimental Juice, and are like Robbers one to another, whenever they stand close together.

XIV. From Arti∣ficial Trans∣mutation. A Diversity is likewise to be found in Plants that springeth from Transmutation; as when Plants are made more fair and beautiful, by the Art and Industry of Gardiners. Thus that vast variety of Gilly-flowers, proceeds from this Cause. And in like manner there is now the Calathiana, a kind of Violets, not only of Blew colour, but also White, Red, and of a mixed Colour, by the Curiosity of Ingenious Florists. For the Industry of Gardiners doth conduce much to the variety of Plants; according to what Virgil tells us in his First Book of Georgicks:

I have seen many would Anoint their Grain, With Nitre first, then Lees of Oil would spread, That the Husk swelling might enlarge their Seed; Then with lent Fire ripen the tender Grain.

XV. From the Negligence and Care∣lesness of Gardiners, &c. And on the contrary, by the Negligence of Gardiners, or some fault in the Soil, Plants degene∣rate, and are turned into others not so good as themselves: So Wheat turns to Darnel, Basil into wild Thyme, Barley into Oats, Turneps into Rha∣dish, as SENNERTUS assures us; Water-mint into Spear-mint; the Blak-Vine into Briony, Spelt into Wheat, and Wheat into Spelt. It is also a common Observation, that if the same Seed be for several years together sown in the same Ground, it will degenerate; according to that also of VIR∣GIL:

When oft the fairest Barly ith' same Ground we sow, Darnel instead thereof, and blasted Oats do grow. The same happens almost to all Plants, when they are transpos'd to different and disagreeing Places: As when Herbs that grow in Pools and Running-water, are removed to the Tops of Hills, or Champion-ground. Thus if the Water flag should be transplanted to Hilly-ground; or the Seed of Lettice, Cucumber and Cabbage, to a Sandy place: And on the contrary, Heath, Fern and the Thorn∣bush, to moist and Marshy-ground; they would soon degenerate to other Plants, and cease to answer to their Names.