into the thickest of
the forest, did not method seem to require something briefly to be
spoken of trees in general, as they are under the name of plants and
vegetables, especially such as we shall have occasion to discourse of
in the following work; tho' we also take in some less vulgarly known and
familiar, of late indenizon'd among us, and some of them very useful.

By trees then is meant, a lignous woody-plant, whose property is for the
most part, to grow up and erect itself with a single stem or trunk, of a
thick and more compacted substance and bulk, branching forth large and
spreading boughs; the whole body and external part, cover'd and invested
with a thick rind or _cortex_, more hard and durable than that of other
parts; which, with expanding roots, penetrate and fixes them in the
earth for stability, (and according to their nature) receive and convey
nourishment to the whole: And these _terrae-filii_, are what we call
timber-trees, the chief subject of our following Discourse.

Trees are likewise distinguish'd into other subordinate species;
_fruticis_, frutages and shrubs; which are also lignous trees, tho' of a
lower and humbler growth, less spreading, and rising up in several
stems, emerging from the same root, yielding plenty of suckers; which
being separated from it, and often carrying with them some small fiber,
are easily propagated and planted out for a numerous store: And this,
(being clad with a more tender bark or fiber) seems to differ _frutex_
from other arborious kinds; since as to the shaft and stems of such as
we account dwarf and pumilo with us, they rise often to tall and stately
trees, in the more genial and benign climes.

_Suffrutrices_ are shrubs lower than the former, lignescent and more
approaching to the stalky herbs, lavender, rue, &c. but not apt to decay
so soon, after they have seeded; whilst both these kinds seem also
little more to differ from one another, than do trees from them; all of
them consisting of the same variety of parts, according to their kinds
and structure, cover'd with some woody, hard membraneous, or tender
rind, suitable to their constitution, and to protect them from outward
injuries; producing likewise buds, leaves, blossoms and flowers,
pregnant with fruit, and yielding saps, liquors and juices, _lachrymae_,
gums, and other exsudations, tho' diversifying in shape and substance,
tast, odour, and other qualities and operations, according to the nature
of the