Elements of Botany

PART I. ELEMENTS OF BOTANY.

Consisting of general remarks on plants: the division of plants into elementary organs, with delineations of these organs, and their standard varieties.

PART IL. LINNEAN ARTIFICIAL SYSTEM,

Illustrative of the classes and orders of this beautiful system, more particularly as connected with the study of Medical Plants.

PART III. LINNEAN NATURAL SYSTEM,

Explaining the general meaning of the differ- ent orders, with allusions to the most freque characters possessed by the Medical Plants enu- merated under cach head,

viii CONTENTS.

PART Iv, TERMINALOGY OF BOTANY.

Explaining the most useful and practical terms employed in descriptive botany, as intended to be understood in medical wi

PART V.

MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS,

Consisting of a general arrangement of Medi- cal Plants; a table of English and systematic names; a general index; and an index to the plates.

ELEMENTS OF BOTANY.

PART I,

CONSISTING OF GENERAL REMARKS ON PLANTS ; THE DIVISION OF PLANTS INTO ELEMENTARY ORGANS, WITH DELINBATIONS OF THESE ORGANS, AND THEIR STANDARD VARIETIES, AS CONNECTED WITH THE

STUDY OF MEDICAL BOTANY.

THE

ELEMENTS OF BOTAN:

SECTION I.

ON PLANTS IN GENERAL.—THE DIVISION OF PLANTS INTO RLEMANTARY ORGANS. —GENERAL REMARKS ON THR ROOT, STEM AND LEA.

ON PLANTS.

All vegetables will admit of a natural divi- sion into three kinds, viz. trees, shrubs and herbs,

Trees :—Trees are the largest and most noble specimens. ‘They are usually defined as having a single stem, from whence are sent out numer- ous branches.

Quercus Robur, Laarus Nobilis, Pranus Domestica, Amygdalus Communis, Zsculus Hippocastanum, &c,

Shrubs :—Shrubs are lesser productions than

12 ELEMENTS UF BOTANY.

trees, and instead of one single trunk, they have several.

Daphne Mezereum, Rosa Canina, Juniperus Communis, Rosmarinus Officinalis, Spartium Scoparium, &c,

Hlerbs :—Herbs are those plants, whose stalks die away every year.

‘Avena Sativa, Leontodon Taraxacum, Daucus Carota, Papaver Somniferam, &c.

From the local situation or attachment of plants, they are denominated terrestrial, aquatic, or parasitical,

Terrestrial : When their roots are placed in the ground, as with most plants,

Aquatic:- When the plant grows in water. Parasitical :—When it is attached to another plant or substance, not earth.

‘The Lichen Islandicus and Boletus Ignarius, are parasi- tical plants,

The duration or length of time which plants

ELEMENTS OF EOTANY. 1B

live, are distinguished by the appropriate terms annual, biennial and perennial.

Annuals:—When they last but one year; that is, come up in the spring and die in the autumn.

Hordeum Distichon, Triticum Hybernum, Nicotiana Ta- bacum, Anethum Graveolens, Conium Maculatum, &c.

—Are those which produce seed the second year after their being raised, and then dic.

Dancus Carota, Allium Porram, Angelica Archangelica, Apium Petroselinam, Lactusa Sativa, &e,

Perennials :—When they last for more than two years.

Crocus Sativus, Dorstenia Contrayerva, Anetham Fomni- culam, and most plants.

PARTS OF A PLANT.

‘The more perfect plants, are constantly de-

scribed, as consisting of five principal parts, viz.

the root, the stem, the leaf, the flower, and the seed or fruit.

OF THE ROOT.

The root is that part of the plant by which it x &

4 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY.

attaches itself to the earth, or to the substance on which it feeds, and is the principal organ of nutrition,

‘The most common varieties to be met with in medical plants are the ramose, the fibrous, the bulbous, the tuberous, and the spindle-shaped. To these, in general botany, is added, the bitten or truncated,

Ramose:—The ramose or branched root, is a very common species, being that of most trees and shrubs.

Morus Nigra, Amygdalus Commounis, Rosa Centifolia, Esculas Hippocastanum, &c. (F. 21.)

Fibrous:—The fibrous or capillary root, con- sists of a number of small and thread-like fibres, one of which is generally central and the rest lateral. .

‘The Hordeum Distichon, Avena Sativa, and most annual plants have this kind of root. (F. 22.)

Bulbous:—Bulbous roots are those which con- sist of one globe or head, from the under-surface of which, many fibres descend.

‘They are of three kinds. In the Crocus Sativus (F. 23.)

solid; in the Scilla Maritima (F. 24.) scaly; and in the Al- ium Cepa, coated.

ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 15

Tuberous :—A tuberous rootis formed of a knob or tubercle, furnished with a number of small or scattered fibres; or of a number of knobs or tubercles united by means of such fibres, and forming clusters.

‘The Acorus Calamus and the Saxifraga Alba, bave tube- rous roots.

Spindle: —The spindle-shaped or fusiform root, tapers gradually from the top to the extremity.

‘This is the case in the Leontodon Taraxacum, Daucus Carota, and many others. (F. 25.)

Truncated :—If'a root bears the appearance of a fusiform root, suddenly cut off, it is then termed ‘a truncated or bitten root.

Whatever may be the form of the root, it is botanically divided into two parts, the caudex or great root ; and the radicule or rootlets.

‘The latter are represented by (b. b.)in the 29d Figure, and the former by the letter (a.)

~The rootlets or fibres are the essential organs by which absorption of nutriment is effected ;

16 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY.

and the caudex or main root, is the medium of communication to the other parts of the plant.

OF THE STEM,

The stem is that part of a plant which supports the herbage or fructification.

There are six sets of stems; viz. trunks, stalks, straws, scapes, fronds and stipes.

Trunk :—A trunk is the proper stem of trees and shrubs, and is characterized by its height, size and woody structure.

• Quercus Robur, Ulmus Carmpestris, sculus Hippocasta- num, Morus Nigra, Prunus Domestica, &e.

Stalks:—The stems of herbaceous plants are called stalks. They are rarely woody, and live but for one or two years in the natural state of the plant,

Glycyrrhiza Glabra, Cochlearia Armoracia, and so on.

Straws :—Straws are the peculiar stems of grasses, rushes and other similar plants. They are either hollow or partially filled with pith, and

ELEMENTS OF BOTANY, WwW

generally divided into compartments by a species of knot or joint,

‘Avena Sativa, Hordeum Distichon, Triticum Hyber- nom, &e.

‘Scape :—A scape is that kind of stem, which arises from the root and supports the flower, but not the leaf.

Leontodon Taraxacum, Aloe Perfoliata, Anthemis Nobilis, Colchicum Aatumnale, &c. -

Frond:—The frond is that species in which the stem, leaf, and fructification are united; or in other words, the flowers and fruit are pro- duced from the leaf itself.

Exemplified in the Aspidium Filix Mas, and Lichen Is- landicus.

Stipe :—The word stipe, is used to express the stem of palms, ferns, fuci and fungi. They are generally cylindrical, but sometimes swollen in the middle, and bear a frond, or peculiar foliage at their summit.

In addition to the use of stems in support- Ing the herbage and fructification, they consist of a number of finc capillary tubes, through

Be

18 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY.

which, during the time of growth, tap is carried from the root throughout the whole plant.

OF THE LEAF,

The leaf is usually the temporary part of the plant; generally of a thin and flat substance, of a green colour, and issuing from the stem and branches, or immediately from the root.

Most leaves are said to consist of two parts ; viz. a small stalk or petiole and an expansion or broad part supported by the petiole.

‘The petiole is ilustrated by the letter b in F. 26, and the expansion by the letter a.

Leaves are either situated close to the stem, branch or root from whence they ptoceed ; or they are supported on a partial stem, called the petiole or leaf-stalk.

In the first case, as with the Crocus Sativus, Amomum Cardamomum, Saccharum Officinarum, they are said to be ‘sessile ; and with the latter, as in the Convolvulus Jalapa Capsicum Annuum, Vitis Vinifera and most plants, petiolate.

Leaves are also either simple or compound.

ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 19

‘Simple:—When they consist of but one single expansion.

As in the Ulmus Campestris, Ramex Acetosa, Daphne Mezereum, &c. (F. 26.)

Compound :—When, instead of one expansion, there are several.

Asin the the Rosa Centifolia, Eaculus Hippocestanum, Ruta Graveolens, and so on. (F. 27.)

The separate expansions of a compound leaf are called pinnee or leuflets.

‘Thus the Rosa Centifolia is said to have a compound leaf with siz pinnw and a terminal leaflet making seven.

There is an infinite variety of leaves; the most common of which, are the linear, sagittate, and others, as explained in the terminalogy.

The chief use of the leaves, is to assist in sup- porting the life of the plant, by exhalation from their upper surface, and by absorption from the under part.

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