Note e — BOOK X.
Reading edition
Tanta est Respirationis necessitas, & usus, ut Natura in singulis viventium ordinibus varia, sed analoga, paraverit instrumenta, quæ Pulmones vocamus [and so he goes on with observing the Apparatus made in the various Genera of Animals, and then saith] In Plantis verò, quæ infirmum animalium attingunt ordinem, tantam Trachearum copiam & productionem extare par est, ut his minimæ Vegetantium partes præter corticem irrigentur.——Plantæ igitur (ut conjectari fas est) cum sint viventia, visceribus infixa terræ, ab hac, seu potius ab aquâ & aëre, commixtis & percolatis à terrâ, Respirationis suæ materiam recipiunt, ipsarumque Tracheæ ab halitu terræ, extremas radices subingresso, replentur. Malpig. Op. Anat. Plant. p. 15.
These Tracheæ or Air-Vessels, are visible, and appear very pretty in the Leaf of Scabious, or the Vine, by pulling asunder some of its principal Ribs, or great Fibres; between which, may be seen the Spiral Air-Vessels (like Threads of Cob-web) a little uncoyled: A Figure whereof, Dr. Grew hath given us in his Anat. Plant. Tab. 51. 52.
As to the curious coyling, and other Things relating to the Structure of those Air-Vessels. I refer to Malpig. p. 14. and Dr. Grew, ib. L. 3. c. 3. §. 16 &c. and L. 4. c. 4. §. 19. of Mr. Ray, from them succinctly, Hist. Plant. L. 1. c. 4.