calyx. In feveral other fpecies, he obferved the fmall veffels or capfules contained in the fwollen and
diftended fummits o f the leaves; but not the fmalleft appearance of thofe threads or fuppofed Horal
parts. In others again, thefe lall were very vifible, irithout the former: for inftance,' the Fucos no-
dofus and Fucus canaliculatus exhibited very diftinaiy their feed-veffels, but were entirely deftitute
o f the filaments. Our author therefore takes it for granted, that the plants were not examined at tlic
time o f their flowering.— Again, in the Fucos palmatus, he found the furface in a manner covered
with thofe minute clufters o f hairs or flowers,' obfervable in the Fucus veficulofus: but, after the
moft acute infpeSion, he was not able to trace out any refeinblancc to feeds or capfules.
Balter and Gmelin have already fliown that the theory o f Reaumur is evidently expofcd to the
following objeftions.
Firft. That as the fine capillary filaments were always deftitute o f the antheras, they could not be
confidered as the flowers.
Secondly. That as the furface o f the frons was, in fome fpecies, perfeSiy entire, without having
the fmalleft appearance o f thofe filaments, and yet abounded with the granulated veffels or feeds;
while others again difcovered not the leaft figus of any grains or capfules, and yet were overfpread on
every part with the fafcicles o f flowers— it fliould follow, that the parts in queftion, are, witli refpeB
to the fyftem, entirely independent o f each other.'
■ But a more ftriking and convincing proof o f this being the fa8, and which it was hardly poffible
could have efcaped the obfervation of Reaumur, is, that thofe filaments, contrary to the very nature
and property o f the ftate o f florefcence, are diftinaiy feen on the furface o f the plant, in its earlieft
and moft tender ftate, when it is fo e.xtremely fmall as hardly to have attained its natural form. They
are alfo equally vifible, when the diftended fummits are in a final ftate o f decay: and during the fucceflive
periods, thefe fmall filaments do not undergo any vifible kind o f change. Since then,
they are deftitute o f thofe parts, which conftitutc the effential properties o f the flower; fmce
they are fo evidently repugnant to every principle o f analogy: fome other ufe, in conformity
to the ftrufiure o f the plant, muft be affigned to them. And from the experiment noticed above,
and originally made by Reaumur; they may, with much more probability, be confidered either as
fecretory duHs, or as veffels defigned for conveying nourilhment to the frons. And thus Nature
may compenfate for the want o f that fupply, which land plants, by means o f their porous radicles,
extraa from the foil in which they are immoveably fixed; while the roots of the former, feem calculated
merely to countcraS the fluauating ftate, to which they are inceffaiitly expofed.
Hence we may obferve the Wifdom o f Providence furnilhing to the different kinds o f vegetables,
properties adapted to their different fituations. And while we furvey the great divcrfity in the form,
fize, and fituation o f feeds, in the vegetable produaions o f the Earth ; we cannot fail to remark the
general uniformity, in point of fituation, as well as fimilarity o f form and fize, in the organs ofpro-
6 l » . d d i , : . „ , o .h e r . ¡ . „ k « „ o . b e . „ i u , d , , h „ L i „ c u , , in h i i o . s o d i . i o .. o f ,l,c G . « . , s ,„ b l ii l .c d b . f „ c aW -
l e r m ,d b h is o b jb a .b iis lo R t s b m a r , b . d f to w n b is s . , n i o f c o n f id e n « in ih c .B b riio h s o f i b .i o b ilio r, s o lsiin g ,|,o „ . i . j „ „ . , b y f o b i o i n i,» to
liis tie fin iiio n h is u fu a l figii o f d o u b lin g .
pagation
pagation throughout this extenfive part of the algas. In many of the fucufes, the feeds ot capfules
are found fixed in the fubilance o f the leaf or frons. And in others of a more filiform ftru£lurc, as
alfo, in many o f the confervas, they are imbedded in the diftended fummits of the pínnulas on the
fides and at the extremities of the frons; ® or in fmall axillary globules formed at the bafe of the
finer branchlets.’
In as much then as relates to the produ6lion, fituation, and habit o f thefe minute grains or feeds,
the fucus and conferva do not feem to differ.
It is not unufual to obferve in the fame fpecimen, by the alfiflance o f a microfcope, many o f the
opaque grains diftin£lly formed and conglomerated together, beneath the furface o f the frons; while
in other branches, a faint cloudy appearance is the only lign, which marks an approaching tendency
to the fame ftate o f maturity. I f any florefcence preceded the frudlification o f thefe plants, it might
be fought for in fimilar inftances; yet not the fmalleft appearance, which could in reality juftify this
generally received hypothefis, is to be found.
It is worthy o f notice, that Reaumur had not been able to difcover thefe floral parts, on more
than five or fix fpecies, throughout the very numerous genus o f the fucus: and yet, circumfcribed as
his theory undoubtedly is, and unfounded as it appears to be, the generic charafter of thofe plants
has long been eilabliflied upon it .' It was not probable, that Linneus fhould have negleiled to
avail himfelf o f a difcovery, fo favourable to his fyftem, and under the fanftion o f that refpedtable
author.®
C From
6 As for inftance, Fuccs fpinofus—F. obtufus—F. cariilagineus—F. pinnatifidus.—Co.nferva polymorpha, &c. &c.
The principle on which the remark is founded remains the fame; whether the fniflifications may be contained within the fwollen fummits of fome
fpecies, or in the globular excrefccnces, and diftended pínnulas of others.
7 Focus coccineus Hudfoni—Conìervaplumofa—C. nodulofa, ¿
be formed by a diftention of the medullary fubftance of the plants.
The globules, in which thefe grains arc fixed, appear under diffciftjan tc
8 “ FUCUS * Rcaum. A. G. 1711. T. 9, 10, t i.
Mafadijiores?
Veficuls: glabrs cavre pilis intus adfperfrc.
RemindJlorti.
Veficulie glabri, gelatina rcpletie, adfpcrfm punUis pcrforatis femine fcctis.”
Linn. Gen. PI. Holmirc. J764.
“ FUCUS. MASC. villis imertexii
FEM. Vefitula: adfpetfx grants immerfis apice prominulis.”
Hudfon—Lightfoot. &c.
Ill an edition of the Syft. Nat. not long fince publifhed, the generic charailer of the fucus appears to be eftablifhcd on more probable grounds.
“ FUCUS—GWii/t carpomorphi vcl_/irainagraniformia puntìis pcrforatis latcntia.” Syft. Nat. Edit. Grael.
The fubdivifionshowever of the fpecies, which the Editor of this work has taken from Gmelin’s History of the Fucuses, feem, in fomc
inftances 10 require correftion.— See Note 13. &c.
9 This hypothefis may have derived additional weight from a reference, which has been made in favour of it, by fo great an authority as Baftcr,+
to the well-known work of Marfigli (Histoire PKYSjquE de la Mer. p. 160.); in which we find a very circumftantial defcription of amarine
plant in perfcU flower, accompanied with an accurate engraving of its various parts. Marfigii obferves, (hat it was difcovered oppofiic 1 promon-
+ Baft. Opufc. Subs. Tom. 2. p. iso.—Seethe reference of Baftcr, in the Latin ti