vi PREFACE TO THE GERMAN EDITION 



Hofmeister, Sachs, and Herbert Spencer have contributed in an espe- 

 cial degree during the later decades to the advancement of this modern 

 line of study which we may designate Organography. It is yet in its 

 infancy ; a wide and little explored, yet promising field lies before us. 

 The greatest difficulty I have found in preparing this work has been in 

 stating the problems correctly in the part which is now issued dealing with 

 the general aspect of the subject ; and it is only after some hesitation that 

 I have made the attempt. Although it does not claim to be an exhaustive 

 treatment of the subject from every point of view, yet if it furnishes 

 material for a subsequent treatise on general organography its appearance 

 may be of use, and the more so, if it shows that the same problems are 

 repeated in the most different cycles of affinity. This of course cannot be 

 brought out so clearly in a special account of the different groups. 



The object of the book may be best gathered from its contents. I 

 may here only point out that it deals with the Archegoniatae and Sperma- 

 phyta alone ; such mention as there is of the Thallophyta will be found 

 in the general part, and there only for comparison with reference to these 

 groups. I have not attempted completeness, and this is the case par- 

 ticularly in the statements of opinions different from my own ; these are 

 not referred to further than appeared to be necessary for the immediate 

 purpose in view. The results of many investigations which have not yet 

 been published have been made use of throughout this volume. 



The authors- Strasburger, Noll, Schenk, Schimper of the Textbook 

 of Botany which has appeared through the same publishing-house as this 

 book have granted the use of a number of figures ; when these are original 

 they are indicated by ' Lehrb.' 



Dr. Arthur Weisse has prepared the account of the mechanical hypo- 

 thesis of the position of leaves and he alone is responsible for the state- 

 ments in it. 



An index to the whole work will appear in the second part ; in this 

 first part an extended list of contents is given. 



K. GOEBEL. 

 AMBACH, 



September I, 1897. 



