OF ORGANIZATION.

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importance, in the indication of natural affinities.The thing itself is often indeterminate, several ru-diments of seeds being frequently provided, thoughonly one regularly comes to perfection. More fre-quently are observable plants with numerous seeds ina cell, or capsule, which are nearly, or very closely,allied to others with only 1 or 2. See the Onagrcs 88,of Jussieu, the Cruciferce 63, the genus Juncus , andmany besides. The provision of seed to each vege-table is indeed of the last importance; but the quan-tity is, comparatively, immaterial, variable,, or pre-carious. It seems therefore that number, as a prin-ciple of arrangement, may well be expected to provemore treacherous here than in other cases.

The nourishment of a seed, in the first stages ofgermination, depending generally on the albumen, inwhatever form or state that substance may exist, isvariously conducted, according to circumstances, inplants otherwise nearly allied ; witness the papiliona-ceous family, where the albuminous matter is lodgedin cotyledons, that in some species rise into seminalleaves, in others decay speedily under ground. Insome plants, as we have seen, the albumen is evidentin,a distinct and separate form; while in others,nearly akin, no such substance exists, except, as mustbe presumed, in the body of each cotyledon. Hereagain therefore, however essential the part in question,the mode of it’s existence appears to be of very sub-ordinate consideration, and should not be allowed, in