[ 3
From what has been advanced, it appears, that Nature, in the formation and ilrufture of this
branch o f the algas, has deviated from Her general mode o f operation : and as there are not any
proofs produced o f a ftate o f florefcence attending thefe plants ; it is highly probable, that, in this
inftance, She may have recourfe to a fimple and felf-efficient mode o f propagation, independent o f
any external acceflbrial aid, and totally different from the principle, on which the fexual fyftem is
founded. It may be proper to obferve, that this opinion is flieltered under the authorities o f Gmelin
and Gartner; although the latter o f thefe authors fcems to extend his liypothefis, in too general and
exclufive a manner; as will poflibly be Ihown in the fubfequent pages.
Gmelin, in the courfe o f his remarks, obferves, that it would not be lefs abfurd to require, than
difficult to attempt an explanation o f the natural procefs, which takes place, in the original formation
o f the granulated veffels, difcovered in the fucufes. We muft ever be at a lofs, when we approach
towards the firft principles of any efficient caufe. The fame inexplicable difficulties occur in
the regenerating fprings o f animal life. All that can rationally be afferted, is, that from thefe and
fimilar obfervations, it appears, that it hath pleafed the Great Author o f Nature, to produce the
fame effefts, by a more fimple procefs in fome inftances, than in others : and that, in the various
fpecies now under confideration, it ihould feem to be ordained, that a felf-efficient power, effentially
exifting in thefe plants, anfwers every purpofe conducive to their propagation.
For a more particular elucidation of this fubjeft, it may be proper to confult the work o f
Gmelin, who further obferves, that in the plants now under confideration, a gradual proceis may
be traced from thofe, which are u n i s e x u a l , ” to others ftill more fimple, and which are per-
feftly ASEXUAL.
To the firft of thefe diftinftions," Gaertner attributes the fruftification o f the more perfeft fucufes,
which he maintains are propagated by a£lual feeds. Under the latter divifion, the fame author has
decidedly fixed many o f the fucufes, and all the confervas without exception.
tory called Canaille in Provence, at the diftance of five hundred fathom from the ihore, and at the depth of forty, entangled in a fifiiing-net.
The ftcm of this plant in its fubftance rcfembled a flirub : it appeared green, but was deftitute of leaves. The corol ho defcribes as while, except the
pan furrounding the fruit, which was fomewhat red (rougeâtre), and alfo fome few longitudinal ftrcaks of a chefnut colour. Having noticed the
expanded petals and filaments correfponding with them, he proceeds to the feed velTels, which obferve rather a diminilhcd proportion as they approach
the fummit. They arc nearly round, and on the upper pan rather flat. Their colour inclines to a green, with a mixture of yellowiflj red. In the
centre, is a hcart-fhapcd cavity, containing Cx feeds.
This fingular defcription excited my euriofity, as well as fufpicion with refpefl to the real exiftence of fuch a plant in the ocean ; and induced
me to embrace the opportunity of examining the figure of Marfigli, in the prcfence of the prefent learned Regius Profeftbr of Botany in Oxford.
At the very firft fight, there remained not the fmalleft doubt of iw being an Asphodklus. And ihcProfciTor inftantly recognifcd the Afphodeliis
ramûfus, which he himfelf had long fince remarked, ai one of the moft common of the littoral plants on the coafts of Italy, and of the fmallcr
¡Hands in the South of Europe.
10 Should not the itmunifixual feem an arbitrary and ufelcfsdiltinflion ? It is ufcd by Adanfon, toexprcfs a fimple and fcif-eflîcient power in the
fnifliferous parts of fomc vegetables, and here applied to a particular divifion of the fucufes, in comradiftinflion to others named afexual, as being
fuppofed totally deftitute of feeds, and only fubjcil to a proliferous mode of increafe.
u “ In omnibus veri notninisFuels, folahabcmur organafeminca, intraffondium corticcm abfcondita3 Mafculorum autem nullujn adcft vefti-
gium, &c,” Gett. dc Fruft. p. 32.
[ 7 3
It may be neceffary briefly to notice the definitions, which Gairtner” has given o f vegetable propagation,
in order more clearly to underftand that part of his theory, which is applied to the extenfive
genus of confervas. H e confiders the fource o f vegetation, as dependent on a two-fold principle.
One of thefe, by virtue of an inherent vital force, operates without any impregnation, in producing
a diftinft and perfeft epitome of the mature plant, fimply from the medullary fubftance. The other,
by an operation o f the organized parts, digefts and feparates proper fccretions from the general mafs,
till at length by a more complex procefs, an entire new organized body is produced, and the exa£l ru ..
diments o f plants are formed in diftin8; and appropriate parts. This, is termed fru£tification, as
producing feeds ; the former, is confidered as a fimple proliferous mode o f increafe. The author
then applies thefe principles, to the different parts o f the cryptogamous clafs.
'All the confervas, whether capillary or beaded (moniliformes), he maintains, are entirely dcfli-
tute of feeds, and have not even the fiiadow of affinity to the fexual fyftem. The moniliform or
beaded confervas, e. g. C. corallinoides and others, throw out from their greater joints, fmall lateral
filaments of the fame form and ftrufture; which conftitute the only fource of propagation, by a pro-
cefs very fimple in itfelf; as one or fometimes two of thefe joints (articuli), are by the mere intumef-
cence o f their internal fubftance, converted into a fingle globule; which after it hath feparated from
the original ftock, immediately adheres to the rock or body on which it happens to light, and from
the upper part extends itfelf into a new joint; til! at length it grows up, into the exad form and fimi-
litude o f the proliferous parent plant.
Thefe globules, Gzertner obferves, have a very ftrong refemblance to the fruftified parts o f plants,
in their texture as well as in their form and colour: yet upon examination, he affirms, they will be
found to be fimple gems, confifting o f mere medullary fubftance, contained in a homogeneous
bark or covering; from which circumftance, as well as from the confluence o f thofe joints into a
globule, our author maintains that they do not depend upon any other principle, than the iiraple faculty
o f vegetation, for their mode o f increafe.”’
IS This author has litely publiflicd a valuable work, in which he has not only eftabliihed permanent diagnoftics of a great part of the known genera
of plants, from their Fruits and Seeds ; but ha«, with the united efforts of itivcftigationand fcicncc, at once exemplified the principal fcope
of former writers, with refpcil 10 the anatomy, texture, ufe, and ccconomy of thofe myfterious pans of plants, wliich more immediately relate to
the propagation of vegetable life. Sometimes, however, he appears to adopt ufclcfs diftinflions; for inftance, he feparates the Fucus plumofus,
F. cartilagincus and others under a genus named ceramium, as, in his opinion, not producing feeds, but only geww, by a proliferous mode of in-
crcafe. Girt, de Fruil. Iniroducft. p. jg.
' Girt, de Fruft. p. i6.
13 Although GierinerafTcris, that the confervas, as well as all thofe fucufes, which arc membranaceous (complanati) are fubjeff only to a proliferous
mode of increafe: yet we have the cleareft proofs, that many of the latter derive their propagation from feeds, in every rcfpcft as unequivocally
as thofe fucufes, which haVe been deemed more pcrfedl. The Fucus rubens, i. c. crenatus of Gmelin, is truly membranaceous, very thin in
itstexlurc, and nearly tranfpircnt. The central nerve, which pervades the frons, frequently branches off in oppofitc directions, producing mtmcrous
leaves, which at firft fight, may appear a« the dcciduous'offsprings of the proliferous parent ftock. The margins of thefe leaves are oftentimes clofe-
ly fringed with minute fpines; each of which in time becomes a kind of capfulc, containing many feeds of a faint purple colour. Not one of thefe
feeds, when magnified, appears much larger than a particle of fand.
Tlie Fucus crifpaius of Hudfon, although as delicate in its texture as the fincft ulva, contains within its fegmcnts minute innate vcficlcs, which
abound with a remarkable quftntity of grains or feeds, in every rcfpcft very fimilar to thofe, which are obferved in the pcrfedl plants of this genus.
Several other membranaceous fucufes, which have been (in the Syft. Nat.) lately feparated from the reft, as being fuppofed fubjeil only 10 a proliferous
increafe i leave us no reafon to imagine that they are deftitute of feeds. Even Gmelin, who (in Hill. Furor.) fecms firft to have cftablifiicd that
divifion, defcribes a plant of this order, the margins of which were furrounded with opaque globules: and without being prejudiced in favour of his
former opinion, candidly endeavours to account for the caufe of this appearance, by attributing it in fomc degree to a ftate of maturcfcencc; f which according
to the more ordinary courfe of Nature, had producedthoferepoCtoriesforfceds, on which the propagation of the fpecies might probably depend.
% flift/ Fucor. p. 175. Noia. a«*
Some