THE
ANATOMY
OF
FRUITS.
PART III.
THE Description and Use of Leaves and Flowers, together with the Figures thereto belonging, were presented to this Honourable Society, the last year. I shall conclude this Subject with Fruits and Seeds; beginning with Fruits, which will take up the present Discourse.
2. §. And First, I shall describe the Compounding Parts of some, more generally known. Which having done, I shall next observe the Uses of the same; either for the Fruit it self, or for the Seed. Some of the Descriptions, the Reader may be pleased to compare with those in the First Book. Ch. 6. I begin with the Apple; to which I shall subjoyn the Limon, and Cucumer, commonly reduced to the Pome Kind.
3. §. AN APPLE, besides the Skin, consisteth of a Parenchyma, Vessels, and Coar. The Parenchyma or Pulp, is the same with that of the Barque of the Tree. As is apparent, not only from the visible continuation thereof from the one, through the Stalk, into the other: but also from the Structure common to them both; being both composed of Bladders. In which, notwithstanding, there is this difference, That whereas in the Barque, they are spherical, and very small, most of them, through a good Glass, not exceeding 1/16ᵗʰ of an Inch in Diametre, and some of them, less: here, they are oblong and very large, most of them about ⅓ᵈ of an Inch in Length, or more, according to the largeness and tenderness of the Fruit; Tab. 65. being all uniformly tenter’d or stretched out, by the arching of the Vessels, from the Coar towards the Circumference of the Apple.
4. §. The Vessels, as in the other Parts of a Plant, are Succiferous, and for Aer. Both the Branches of the former, and the single Vessels of the latter, are extream small. They run every where together, not collateral, as Veins and Arteries do in Animals; Tab. 65. but the latter, sheathed in the former.
5. §. They are distributed into Twenty principal Branches. The Ten outmost, a little within the Apple, are diverted from a straight Line, into so many great Arches; from which a few small Fibres are without any order dispearsed through the Apple. The Five middlemost, and the Five inmost, run in a straight Line as far as the Coar, and are there diverted into as many lesser Arches; Tab. 65. the former, at the outer, and the latter at the iner Angles of the Coar. Upon these Five inmost hang all the Seeds.
6. §. These Ten, and the other Ten abovesaid, do all meet together at the top of the Apple, where originally, they all ran into the Flower. Tab. 65. But betwixt them, there are scarce any intercurrent Fibres; so that they appear every where disjunct from the bottom to the top of the Apple.
7. §. A LIMON hath a Threefold Parenchyma; which seem to be derived one from another: the Texture, upon every derivation, being somewhat altered, and so made more close and elaborate. Tab. 66. The utmost, called the Rind, hath the most open, and the coursest Texture; being composed of the largest Threds, and those Threds woven up into larger Bladders. Those little Cells, which contein the Essential Oyl of the Fruit, and stand near the Surface of the Rind, are some of the said Bladders much more dilated.
8. §. From this utmost Parenchyma, Nine or Ten Insertions or Lamels are produced, betwixt as many Portions of the Pulpy Part, towards the Centre, where they all unite into one Body, answerable to the Pith in the Trunk or Root of a Tree; and is a conspicuous demonstration, of the communion betwixt the Barque and the Pith; which there, is much more obscure and difficult to observe. Tab. 66. At the bottom, but especially the top of the Fruit, the Pith is so far expanded, as without the mediation of any Lamels, to be joyned to the Rind.
9. §. Throughout this Parenchyma, the Vessels are dispearsed. But the chief Branches stand on the iner Edge of the Rind, and the outer Edge of the Pith, Tab. 66. just at the two extremities of every Lamel. From those Branches on the Edge of the Pith, other little and very short ones shoot into the Pulp of the Fruit, upon which the Seeds are appendant. In the Centre of the Pith, are Eight or Nine, in a Ring, which run through the Fruit up to the Flower.
10. §. Between the Rind and the Pith and those several Lamels, which joyn them together, stands the second Sort of Parenchyma, different from the former, in being somewhat closer, and finer wrought Divided, by the Lamels, into several distinct Bodies; every one of them a great and entire Bag.
11. §. Within every great Bag, is conteined a Third Parenchyma, which is also a Cluster of other little Bags, about the bigness of an Oate, all disjoyned one from another, and having their distinct Stalks, Tab. 66. of several Lengths, by which they are all fastned to the utmost Side of the great Bag, wherein they are conteined. Within each of these lesser Bags are conteined many hundreds of Bladders, consisting of most extream fine Threds woven up together into that Figure. Within these Bladders lies the Acid Juyce of the Limon.
12. §. A CUCUMER, hath also a Threefold Parenchyma. The Utmost, is derived, from the Barque. In this, being exposed for some time to dry, and then cut transversly with a Rasor; not only the Bladders, but also the Threds whereof the Bladders consist, through a good Microscope, are apparent.
13. §. Throughout this Parenchyma the Sap-Vessels are dispersed; near the Circumference, in Ten or Twelve very large Branches. Tab. 66. Each of these larger Branches, embosoms another of Aer-Vessels in its Centre. Adjacent to the Midle Parenchyma, they stand in Clustres of much smaller Branches, but more numerous.
14. §. Out of all these Sap-Vessels, issues a transparent and viscous Mucilage; which being dryed, becomes as hard and tough as Gum Tragacanth. Analogous to which, I suppose, is the truly purgative part of Elaterium.
15. §. The Midle Parenchyma is derived from the Pith; and divided into Three Colums, standing triangularly, and having each of them a Triangular Figure. Tab. 66. Within these Colums stand a distinct Sort of Sap-Vessels: from whence, several small and short Fibres shoot into the Inmost Parenchyma, whereupon the Seeds do hang. So that these Columns are as it were the Beds on which the Seeds grow. With each of the Seed-Branchs or Fibres, goes some part of the said Parenchyma or Colum, out of which, the Covers of the Seed are formed.
16. §. The Inmost Parenchyma wherein the Seeds lie, and which answers to the Pulp of a Limon, seems likewise to be derived from the Colums, Tab. 66. that is, to be originally thence produced upon the Seed-Fibres, and afterwards spread and augmented into a Pulp. By Three Insertions from the Colums, and as many from the Utmost Parenchyma, and these re-inserted; it is divided into Six Triangular Bodies; and every Triangle, into Three Ovals.
17. §. A near resemblance betwixt the Garden and Wild Cucumer, with respect to the Inward Structure, as well as the Outward Figure, may be observed: Tab. 66. Both of them having a Threefold Parenchyma. Yet with this difference, That the Three White Triangular Bodies or Colums in the one, is answered by a White Ring or Tube in the other.