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Thus the procefs o f nature in the
fern is the fame, as in all other plants.
What we call the feed, is a part, or continuation
of the central fubflance o f the
flalk, which, when it has received from
the burfting farina the rudiment of anew
plant, ripens, defends it , falls, and burfting
by the warmth and moiflure o f the
earth, grows.
'T h e feed is at firfl an empty membranaceous
shell, when the anthera has
burft, it appears full and yellowish, and
then being opened, we fe plainey the
rudiment of a plant, covered with a yellowish
waxy matter.
When the antherae burfl-, a fine yellow,
pulpy fubflance iiTues from them,
fo fine, that it appears iikefmook; and
in the midfl of this is feen a fmall oblong
body, a minute rudiment o f a future
plant.
That thefe joints of the ring are
antherae, is certain, for I have feparated
them entire from the ring, and feen their
powder burfl i.a that condition. They
are
are oval and white. The brown colour
they feem to have in the ring being only
shadow. I doubt not but the frudifica-
tions of the other ferns are of the fame
kind with thefe, and probably in many
they are as diflincfl.
§. I I ,
S c h m i d ELius (t) primum tubercula
ill averío Acroflichi Thelipteridis am-
bitu hinc inde provenire obfervavit, quae
paulo curatius coniiderata, ab involucro
fecedente formata erant, quod a fuccre-
fcentibus foetibus impellebatur, & in pel-
tas feu orbiculos molles, membranáceos,
laceros rumpebatur. Quamdiu hae pel-
tae adhucdum recentes ac vegetae erant,
apicibus lacinularum,non quidem omnium
in omnibus, quam plurimarum tamen,
globuli parvi inhaerere folebant, crocei
colorís, & propter fuccum, queni
continebant vifcidum, fplendidi. Ex his
unus poft alterum fenfim evanefcebat, poft-
quam aliquod tempus duraverant.
Glot)
leones plantar. & analyfis part Noritnb. 1762.
pag. 47 & 48* Tab, XIII, fig. 4. 6. 7. 8. 9. n .