EING TO speak of Roots; it is requisite, for our better understanding of what follows, that some things, as to their Original, Figures, Motions and Ages, be premised.
1. §. Roots, taken altogether, have a Three-fold Original. Either from the Radicle; as all Roots which come of the Seed: or from the Trunk or Caulis, above ground; as in Strawberry, Chamæmile, and many other Creepers: or from the Trunk or Caulis, after it is sunk under ground; as in Primrose, Bistort, and many others; and presently shall be shewed how.
2. §. In the Growth of a Bud, and of a Trunk-Root, there is this observable difference; That the former, carries along with it, some portion of every Part in the Trunk or Stalk; whereof it is a Compendium. The latter, always shoots forth, by making a Rupture in the Barque, which it leaves behind, and proceeds only from the inner part of the Stalk.
3. §. As also, That in a Bud, the Lignous Part is spread abroad, so as to encompass a Pith. Whereas in a Trunk-Root, it makes a solid Thred standing in the Center. Which is the Cause of its descending into the Ground: as is already, in the First Book, and shall in This be further shewed.
4. §. ROOTS are generally distinguished, as to their Figures, in being more Entire, as is that of Liquirish; or Parted, as of St. Johns-wort. Parted or Forked, either at the Bottom, as most Roots; or at the Top, as Dandelyon, and some others. A thing very odd, and unintelligible, without the knowledge of the Motions of Roots; whereof presently.
5. §. Parted, again, are either Ramified, as that of Cumfry; or Manifold, as of Crowfoot: both are Parted; but the former, by the subdivision of greater Branches, into lesser; these, when divers Strings, have all their distinct original from one Head. Some are Straight, as a Radish; others Crooked, as Bistort. Smooth, as Bugloss; or Stringy all round about, as Columbine. And to Carnations, this seems to be peculiar, That sometimes many of the Strings run parallell with the Wood of the great Root, through the Barque, or betwixt the Wood and the Barque.
6. §. Again, some are Thick, as Rhubarb; Slender, as the Vine. Long, as Fenil; Short, as a Turnep: which are distinct from Great and Little; in that these, are so called with respect to several Roots; those, with respect to the several Dimensions of one. Short, are Stubbed, as Iris tuberosa; or Round, as Dracontium. Round are Tuberous, or Simply Knobbed, as Rape-Crowfoot; Bulbous, that is Scaled, as some Lilys; or Shell’d, as an Onion. Where note, That all Bulbous Roots, are, as it were, Hermaphrodites, or Root and Trunk both together: for the Strings only, are absolute Roots; the Bulb, actually containing those Parts, which springing up, make the Leaves or Body; and is, as it were, a Great Bud under ground.
7. §. Roots, again, are Even or Uneven; Even, are Cylindrical, as Eryngo; or Pyramidal, as Borage. Growing smaller Downwards, as do most; or Upwards, as Skirrets. Uneven, are Pitted, as Potato’s, where the Eyes or Buds of the future Trunks lie inward; or Knotted, as Jerusalem-Artichoke; where they stand out. These Differences, are also Compounded: so some Roots are both Entire and Smooth, as Peony; others Entire, but Stringy, as Clary: that is, neither Ramifi’d, nor yet Brushy, or divided at the Top into severall small Strings; but a Single Root surrounded with many Hairy Threds. Some both Plain in some parts, and Knobbed in others, as Filipendula, Lilium non bulbosum, and others.
8. §. Some also have two or more Roots; and those of one Kind: of which, some are distinctly fastend to the bottome of the Stalk, as in Dogstones; some stand one under another, so as only the uppermost is fasten’d to the Stalk, as in Dragon, Crocus, and others. And there are some, which have not only two Roots, at the same time; but those also of two distinct Kinds, as in Bistort; one of them, a slender strait Cylindrick and horizontall Root; the other large and crooked, and bred of the Descending Trunk; as in speaking next of the Motions of Roots, will be understood, how. All which, with other Differences by Those that undertake the Descriptions of Plants, are accurately to be Noted. But the Differences, above mentioned, will serve for our present Purpose.
9. §. THE MOTIONS of Roots are also divers. Sometimes Level, as are those of Hops, Ammi, Cinquefoyle; and all such as properly Creep. Sometimes Perpendicular, as that of Parsnep: Which is different from Straightness; for some Straight Roots, are Level. Both of them are either Shallow or Deep: some run Level, and near the Turf, as Woodbind, Wild Anenomy; others lower, as Dogs-Grass. Some strike down, but a little way, as Stramonium; others grow deep, as Horse-Radish: Which is different from being Long; for many long Roots, are Level, as Hops.
10. §. Some again Descend, as Tulips, and other Bulbous Roots, which differs from growing only Downwards; in that here, the Head of the Root is Immoveable; but in Descending, the whole Root obteineth different Places, running deeper, time after time, into the Earth. Some also Ascend, sometimes, and in some part, appearing above ground, as Turneps.
11. §. These Motions are also Compounded; both in respect of the several Parts of the Root, and of several Times. So the main Root of Primrose, is Level; the Strings are Perpendicular. The Roots of most Seedlings grow Downward and Upward, or shoot out in length at both Ends, at the same time. Those of Bistort, Iris, and some others, grow, in part, both Downward and Upward at several times: Whence it is, that Bistort is Crooked, with some resemblance to an S, according to its Name; And that some Parts of Iris-Root appear oftentimes above the ground.
12. §. There is also another Motion, in some Roots, not heeded; and that is Contortion: whereby, without being moved out of their Place, they are Writhed or Twisted; as a piece of Cloath is, when the Water is wrung out of it; as in Carduus, Sonchus, and others: whether always I cannot say. This Motion cannot be noted, without stripping off the Barque; whereby the Vessels may be seen, sometimes, to make two or three Circumvolutions. This Motion seems to be governed by the winding of the Stalk; and therefore to begin at the Head, and terminate at the Poynt or lower end of the Root, which is immoveable.
13. §. BUT ABOVE all the Motions of Roots, not observed, the most remarkable is that of DESCENT. Which, although it hath been noted, by some Botanicks, of Bulbous Roots; yet of these only: Whereas it is the Property, of a great many more; and those, of very different Kinds; probably, of the far greater number of Perennial Roots of Herbs; as of Arum, Rape-Crowfoot, Valerian, Brownwort, Bears-foot, Tansy, Lychnis, Sampier, Primrose, Ammi, Avens, Wood-sorrel, Iris, and others. Of all which Plants, it is very observable, That their Root, is annually renewed, or repaired, out of the Trunk or Stalk it self. That is to say, The Basis of the Stalk continually, and by insensible Degrees, descending below the surface of the Earth, and hiding it self therein; is thus, both in Nature, Place, and Office changed into a true Root. Which Root, by the continuance of the said Motion of the Stalk, also Descends; and so, according to the durableness of its Substance, becomes a shorter or longer Root; the Elder or Lower Portion thereof, Rotting off, by the same Degrees with the Generation of the Upper, out of the Stalk. So in Brownwort, the Basis of the Stalk sinking down by degrees, till it lies under Ground, becomes the upper part of the Root; and continuing still to sink, the next year, becomes the lower Part; and the next after that, rots away; a new Addition being still yearly made out of the Stalk, as the elder Parts yearly rot away. Tab. 5. f. 6, & 7. So in Dragon, Crocus, and the like, where the Root is double; the Basis of the Stalk, this year; the next, becomes the Upper-Root; after that, the Lower-Root; and at the length dies and is consum’d.
14. §. The Demonstration hereof, is taken, more evidently, from some Roots, than from others; as from the Level and Knobed Roots of Wood-sorrel, Primrose, &c. Tab. 5. f. 1, & 2. For the Leaves of those Plants rotting off successively, and the Bases of those Leaves gradually descending into the Ground; each Basis is thus nourished with a more copious Sap, and so swelled into so many thick Knots. It may likewise be gather’d in some, from the like Position of the Vessels or Woody Parts, in the Root, as in the Trunk; as in Bares-foot, As also, from the Root of the Iris Tuberosa: Tab. 5. f. 4. where, although the Leaves fall off close to the Surface of the Stalk; yet after that is sunk down, and swell’d into a Root, the Seats of the perished Leaves, and the Ends of the Vessels belonging to them, are not obscurely visible; whereby the Root is wrought, as it were, with several Seames and Prickt Lines; the Seams shewing the setting on of the Leaves; and the Pricks, the Terminations or broken Ends of the Vessels: which ends, are still more apparent, upon the stripping off the Barque. I considered likewise, That as among Animals, there are many, which are not Bred of Eggs, immediately; but are Transformed, one Animal into another: So, it is more than probable, That among Plants, there are not a few Instances of the like Transformations; whereof, this is one.
15. §. The Cause of this Descent, so far as it is dependent on the Inward Conformation of the Root, I shall shew in the following Part. But the Immediate Visible one, are the String-Roots, which this kind of Trunks frequently put forth: which, descending themselves directly into the Ground, like so many Ropes, lug the Trunk after them. Hence the Tuberous-Roots of Iris upon the rotting or fading away of the String-Roots hanging at them, sometimes a little Re-ascend. Hence also the Shape of some Roots is Inverted: For whereas most are parted downwards, into several Legs; some are parted upwards into divers Necks, as Dandelyon, and others. Tab. 5. f. 5. For these Roots sending forth at the top several Trunk-Buds, the said Buds successively put forth new, and cast their old Leaves; and continually also making their Descent, are at length formed into so many Necks, of three, four, five, or more Inches long, under Ground.
16. §. HENCE ALSO we understand, in what particular way, some Roots become Perennial. Some are wholly so, as those of Trees, Shrubs, and divers other woody Plants. Others, in part, or by a new Progenies of Roots, from the old Head or Body, in the room of those that die yearly, or after a certain Time; as of Lilium non bulbosum, Jerusalem Artichoke, Potato, Dog-stones, Monks-hood, little Celandine, and others. In which Plants, one or more of their Roots are firm, the other spongy and superannuated; and partly, by the ravine of the Trunk, and other younger Roots, reduced to a Consumption and Death.
17. §. With these, Tulips, and other Bulbous-Roots consort: For the several Rindes & Shells, whereof chiefly, the Bulb consists, successively perish and shrink up into so many thin and dry Skins: betwixt which, and in their Centre, other Leaves and Shells, being successively formed, the Bulb is thus perpetuated. In the same manner the String-Roots also succeed one another annually. So that at the end of divers Years, although it be still looked upon as the same Individual Root, yet it is, in truth, Another, as to every particle thereof.
18. §. Lastly, many other Roots are perpetuated by the aforesaid Descent of the Trunk; out of which, it is still annually Repaired, as by the gradual perishing of its lower parts, it is Diminished; as hath been said. Whence also we see the reason of the Rugged and Blunt extremities of these, Tab. 5. f. 3. and some other Roots, as of that Plant superstitiously called Devils-bit: because the end of it seems to be bitten off. Yet doth it not appear so originally; but the Lower part thereof rotting off, as the Upper descends; the living remainder, becometh stumped, or seemeth Bitten. Thus far of the Original, Shapes, Motions, and Ages of Roots.