A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. XXXVII. Of the Seeds or Eggs of Plants.

HAving formerly described some of the Instruments of Generation in Plants, Their Flowers made of Cups, Leaves, Stamina, as being en∣dued with many Sap and Air-vessels, subservient to the Styliform Process, the first rudiment of the tender Womb; My task at this time is to shew how it is accomplished by degrees, and how the Seeds, the Eggs of Plants are Generated, and then after what manner they are receptive of many succes∣sive alterations in the Infant Womb, as the Eggs of other Animals both Fowl and Fish in the Ovary.

The leaves of Flowers and their Filaments do wither, * 1.1 and shed when the Styliform Process is enlarged, and the Colliquated Liquor, confined within a Vesicle, is matured, as embosomed in the cavity of the Womb, adorned with a Tube (arising out of its body) full of Perforations, and is crown∣ed in its head with little Capillary Filaments, out of which destilleth a clammy liquor somewhat resembling Turpentine. And as the Womb recei∣veth more maturity and hath greater dimensions, the Tube is more and more lessened, and at last is wholly decayed; And the Womb in its flourishing estate, is beset with a kind of Down or Hair in its ambient parts, and con∣taineth two Vesicles in its bosom, in whose center is lodged a minute bot∣tle of Colliquated Liquor, as the ruder draught of the Seeds or Eggs of Plants.

The Styliform Process or womb of Plants is furnished with variety of Ves∣sels, * 1.2 sporting themselves in numerous divarications (running in reticular plexes) proceeding originally from the stalk of the flower first of all, and afterward of the fruit, these various Ramulets, united in frequent Inoscula∣tions, have many Vesicles seated in their Interstices.

The Sap carried into the body of the fruit by many Tubes, * 1.3 is by degrees more and more concreted into a pulpy substance, and the earthy and saline particles of the Sap are petrified and turned into a Stone, consisting of two Laminae, or flakes clapped together, and enclosing the Seed; and as the Womb groweth bigger, the Vesicle or Secundine (in which the Colliquated Liquor the origen of the Seed is lodged) is more expanded, and is out∣wardly accommodated with many Tubes of Air and Sap, taking their pro∣gress after the manner of Network.

The inward recesses of the womb of Plants being inspected, * 1.4 a Vesicle may be discerned, accompanied with minute Cells, big with somewhat of Co∣agulated Liquor, and through the middle of the little Bladders may be seen, a straight Tube climbing upward that may be styled an Umbilical Vessel, be∣set with numerous Air and Sap-vessels arising out of the stalk, and importing some choice Liquor in the Vesicle, the first origen of Seeds.

And when the Tube disappeareth, as the Womb and its Eggs, * 1.5 the Seeds more and more increase, the fruit encompassed with a Membrane, beginneth to discover it self, and is made up in some part of crude concreted Liquor, brought into the body of the fruit by many branches of Tubes, interspersed with Vesicles, which do constitute a great part of the fruit, which enclo∣seth

its Stone, produced by a Lapidescent Juice, consisting of saline and earthy Particles.

The Stone of the fruit is more soft in its first production, * 1.6 as being as it were Membranous, and after groweth Cartilaginous, and at last being more firm∣ly Concreted by Tartar, is turned into a Stone, encircling as a Chorion the more tender origination of Seed, immediately immured within a thin Coat, as with the Amnion.

Afterward the Umbilical Vessel passeth within the Chorion, * 1.7 into the Ve∣sicle big with Colliquated juice, whereupon it acquireth a greater expansion, and is modelled into various new forms; So that the lineaments of the Eggs or Seeds begin to display themselves in the upper region of the Amnion, as hued with white, and consisting of a mucous substance, adorned with a double Process, as with two expansions somewhat resembling wings.

After some little space of time being passed, * 1.8 the Secundine (immuring the Amnion and new formed Seed is more enlarged and is attended with di∣vers vessels of Air and Sap, whose void spaces are interspersed with Vesicles of Liquor supplying the Secundine, Amnion and tender Seed with nourish∣ment.

This new Foetus or draught of the Seed hath a new access of dimensions; * 1.9 So that the Juice groweth more exhausted in the Chorion, and the Amnion is rendred bigger with Colliquated Liquor, and the Umbilical Vessel remain∣eth in the same vigor, and the Amnion is furnished with many bladders of Liquor, (somewhat like the vitreous humor of the Eye) and is adorned with various figures, and encompassed in the semicircular concave figure of the Chorion; and at last when the Seed groweth more firm, and arriveth its perfection of parts, the Liquor of the Chorion and Amnion, are very much lessened, and almost wholly absumed, as the Seminal Matter is more and more Concreted into the substance of the Seeds, The end and perfection of Flowers and Fruit which are made by Nature for the propagation of Plants.

After the same method the Seeds of Apricocks, * 1.10 Peaches, Plums, Cherries, and Apples are produced, in which the Navil passing in length, is somewhat expanded toward the top, wherein the first rudiment of the Seed discovereth it self, and the Amnion immediately encircling it, is more enlarged, and so by degrees the Seed is receptive of divers forms and altera∣tions, as it cometh to greater and greater maturity, and as the Amnion grow∣eth more big with Liquor, the Chorion and Tube is lessened, and the Seed increased, as the Liquor contained in the Styliform Process or Womb, is first rendred mucous, and afterward is gradually Concreted into Seed.

The same Progress may be observed in the generation of other Plants, * 1.11 as Melons, Pumpions, and the like, in whose Secundines, rendred plump with Li∣quor, a broad Umbilical Vessel may be discerned as being turgid with Col∣liquated Liquor, whose confines growing greater, are turned into a Chorion, admitting various successive forms, and afterward the first origen of the Seed appeareth in the upper region of the Amnion, (as adorned with two leaves or wings) which is furnished with divers little Vesicles of Liquor, affording nourishment to the new formed Seed, and afterward the Liquor besprinkling the Amnion being absumed, the Chorion loseth its self, as the Seed cometh to greater perfection.

In all sorts of Peas and Beans their wombs are attended with long Tubes, * 1.12 giving support to the first rudiments of Seed, whose rougher draughts are endued with wrinkles, and their wombs being cut in length, have concave inward Recesses, filled with Vesicles of Liquor containing the first deli∣neation

of Seeds discovering themselves in the top of the Amnion, and in its lower region may be discerned a greenish body, somewhat resembling a lit∣tle Cup; in the middle space holding Analogy with the Chorion, is found a kind of Colliquated Liquor, and the Secundines being enlarged, the new framed Seed acquireth greater maturity, as adorned with two little Leaves and a Root, and receiveth nourishment from a Liquor seated within the con∣fines of the Amnion, and afterward as the Seed increase in bigness, the Cho∣rion decayeth; and all the time of the growth of the Seed, its Leaves grow more thick, and keep themselves close without expansion.

In a Chesnut, the Cup being taken off, and the Flowers, with the stami∣na and Styliform Tubes remaining, three wombs may be discovered, in which every one being cut long-ways, a Cavity may be discerned having ma∣ny Vesicles (containing a Colliquament) beset with many hairy Filaments.

Within the Secundines a Bladder is seated big with Liquor, * 1.13 in which the first Lineaments of the seed do appear in the upper part of the Amnion, ador∣ned with a Conick root and two leaves swimming in a greenish humor some∣what resembling the vitreous Liquor of the Eye; And the new formed Foetus of the Seed as it receiveth greater maturity, is endued with different forms; and last of all, when the Sap, derived from Vessels springing out of the stalk, beginneth its Concretion into fruit, the double leaves grow more thickned, and being outwardly rough, are formed into an orbicular Compage, which being opened, some Angular Excrescences may be discovered, lately endued with a hollowness, and the leaves, which in their first draught were very fine and thin, grow gibbous, and the Liquor contained within the Amnion is more incrassated, and the Seed arriveth greater perfection.

The Generation of seeds of Plants holdeth much Analogy with that of Animals, and the Navil appeareth as perforated; * 1.14 and the Liquor is ga∣thered together in a Vesicle (in which the Seed is first delineated) seeming to resemble the Amnion, and not long after, the first rudiment of the Seed discovereth it self like a Foetus seated in the upper region of the Amnion, ac∣companied with two little leaves like wings, from whence a little Body did arise of a like substance, endued with an acute Cone: So that the origen of this Seed consisteth in the Root, Trunk, and two Leaves.

And as the Amnion acquireth greater dimensions, * 1.15 the Seed cometh to more maturity, and the Amnion is encircled with divers ranks of Vesicles (as with a Chorion) which are big with Liquor derived from the Sap-vessels, and as the Amnion groweth greater, the Vesicles of the Chorion seem more and more lank; and last of all the Amnion, into which the Liquor is transmitted from the Chorion, is wasted; So that it is very probable the Seminal Liquor is first borrowed from the Stalk by proper Vessels passing into the Secundines and Navil, and afterward into the Vesicle in which it is more and more Concre∣ted into seed, as it is master of greater degrees of perfection, till it cometh to be fully accomplished.

Thus having treated of the first rudiments of the Seeds or Eggs of Plants, how they were first formed out of Liquor in the Vesicle contained in the Sty∣liform Process relating to the Flower, and of the Chorion and Amnion (sub∣servient to the formation of the Seeds, (which do wither when they have ob∣tained some perfection: My aim at this time, is to speak of the Eggs of Plants and their parts, and attendants, when they come to maturity.

The Sap being transmitted by many Vessels (interspersed with Tubes of Air) through a little stalk into the coats and body of the Seed, is Concre∣ted first into a mucous, and then into a more solid white substance, encircled

sometimes with a Stone as in Apricocks, Peaches, Plums, &c. and other∣times with a kind of bony Coat, as in Grapes, Figs; and Cartilaginous in the seeds of Citrons, Oranges, Limons, and a more soft Membranous Coat in Beanes, Peas, and the like.

This thicker Coat, * 1.16 stony in some seeds of Fruit, and bony, Cartilaginous, and Membranous in others, being the outward Integument, somewhat resem∣bleth the shell of the Eggs of Birds, as the Chorion; and the more thin covering immediately enwrapping the Seed, is somewhat like the fine Membrane enclo∣sing the white of the Egg, and may be called the Amnion.

The seeds of Plants are adorned with various colours, sizes, and figures, some are Conick, as those of Apples, Limons, Citrons, Oranges, Almonds, Pea∣ches, Apricocks, Plums, Nuts; others are round as those of Figs, Peas, Tares, or Lentils; and other innumerable Seeds are endued with irregular shapes.

The Seeds are integrated of several parts, * 1.17 as the Constituents of various substances (belonging to Plants) out of which the Root downward, and shoot upward, and their Rine, Wood, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds do arise.

So that seeds of Plants may be called Eggs, * 1.18 as they hold Analogy with those of Animals, especially Viviparous, because they are supported by Li∣quor carried into their Coats and Bodies, by Tubes of Sap, as by preparing Seminals Vessels, until their first Rudiments step by step arrive their maturity, as attaining unto perfection of parts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The leaves of Flowers and their Fila∣ments wi∣ther when the Styliform Process grow∣eth greater, and then the Tube decay∣eth.
• * 1.2

  The womb or Plants is fur∣nished with variety of Vessels.
• * 1.3

  The way of producing the Stone of Fruit.
• * 1.4

  The Cells of the wombs are filled with Congulated Liquor.
• * 1.5

  The Tube va∣nisheth when the Seeds grow mature.
• * 1.6

  The Stone of fruit groweth more and more solid.
• * 1.7

  The Umbili∣cal vessel of Plants.
• * 1.8

  The Secun∣dine of the Seed.
• * 1.9

  The Chorion, Amnion, and Umbilical ves∣sel of Seeds.
• * 1.10

  The Seed of Apricocks, Peaches, and Plums, Cher∣ries, Appl••s, &c.
• * 1.11

  The Seeds of Melons, Pum∣pions, and the like.
• * 1.12

  The seeds of Peas. B••ans, and their fur∣niture.
• * 1.13

  The Linea∣ments of the Seed in a Chesnut.
• * 1.14

  The Genera∣tion of the seeds of Plants somewhat re∣sembling that of Animals.
• * 1.15

  The maturity of the Seed, supposeth the larger dimen∣sions of the Amnion.
• * 1.16

  The various Coats of Seeds.
• * 1.17

  The several parts of Seeds.
• * 1.18

  The Seeds of Plants hold some propor∣tion with the Eggs of Ani∣mals.