64

A DISCOURSE

boughs, the whole body and external part covered and invested with athick rind or cortex. These Tcrrze-filii are what we call Timber-trees,the chief subject of our following discourse.

Trees are distinguished into subordinate species. Frutices, or Shrubs ,- are ligneous trees, though of a lower and humbler growth, lefs spreading,and rising up in several stems, emerging from the same root, yieldingplenty of suckers, which being separated, and often carrying with themsome small fibre, are easily propagated and planted out for a numerousstore; and this, being clad with a more tender bark, seems to differthe frutex from other arboreous kinds ; since as to the shaft and stemsof such as we account dwarf and pumilo, they rise often to tall and statelytrees, in the more genial and benign climes ’.

Suffrutices are Shrubs lower than the former, lignescent, and moreapproaching to the stalky herbs Lavender, Rue, &cc. but not apt todecay so soon, after they have seeded ; whilst both these kinds seem alsolittle more to differ from one another, than do trees from them; all ofthem consisting of the same variety of parts, according to their kinds andstructure, covered with some woody, hard, membraneous or tender rind,suitable to their constitution, and to protect them from outward injuries;producing likewise buds, leaves, blofsoms, and flowers, pregnant withfruit, and yielding saps, liquors, and juices, lachrymal, gums, and other• exfudations, though diversifying in shape and substance, taste, odour,and other qualities and operations, according to the nature of the species.To compare analogically, and describe minutely the various structure andcontexture of their several vefsels and organs, whose office it is to supplythe whole plant with all that is necefsary to its being and perfection^after a stupendous, though natural procefs, (not altogether differentFrom creatures of animal life,) would require an anatomical lecture, whichis so learnedly and accurately done to our hand by Dr. Grew, Malpighius,and other ingenious naturalists l .

» For the opinion of different authors concerning the foundation of the distinction ofvegetables into herbs, trees, shrubs, and under-shrubs, see the note upon, page 4.

t jvir. Evelyn very justly observes, that there is a great analogy between the animal andvegetable creation; and this is peculiarly discovered in the similar manner that plants andanimals propagate their respective species. It is allowed on -all-hands that animal con-