Numerical Divisions in Nature. 363 



as the peculiar characteristic of the cellulares is their fructi- 

 fication, and as the peculiarity of the fructification is its wo- 

 manhood {weibliche geschlechte)i it follows that the cellulares 

 are female plants; and, as the peculiar characteristic of the 

 vasculares is their flower, and of the flower its manhood 

 (jn'dnnliche gcschlechte), it is equally clear that vasculares 

 are to be considered male plants. But further, as the idiea 

 of sexuality depends upon a double essence (zweiheit), an 

 organ which is only of the female gender cannot be rightly 

 considered of any sex whatever, wherefore the cellulares, or 

 female plants, are asexual ; and as it is a known natural 

 phenomenon that no male organs exist in plants without 

 female ones, it is a necessary conclusion that vasculares, 

 or males, are in fact the only plants which can be called 

 sexual. Whence we arrive at the deduction that the 

 kingdom of vegetation is divided into two regions: 1. That 

 of asexuality ; 2, That of sexuality. 



Our investigation being brought to this point, the next 

 thing to consider is in what way the particular develope- 

 ment of each of these is manifested externally. This the 

 Professor finds to depend, firstly, on the root, which is inde- 

 pendent of the operation of light; and, secondly, on the 

 stem, leaves, and flowers, which are acted upon continually 

 by the operation of light. 



Now, as these are the four most important organs of 

 plants, Oken declares that they must necessarily constitute 

 the basis of classification ; and as those plants which do not 

 depend upon thd action of light are asexual, while those that do 

 depend upon it are sexual; and as there is 07ie kind of influence 

 apparent in the former, namely, that of the root, and three in 

 the latter, namely, that of the stem, leaves, and flower, we 

 are led to the inevitable inference that the natural divisions 

 of plants SLvefour, viz. : 



1. Kool-^hLiiis (Wurzelpflanzen), 



2. Stem-plants (Stengelpjlanzen), 



3. Leaf-plants {Laubpjlanzen), 



4. Flower-plants {Blumenpjianzen) : 



of these the root-plants answer to Acotyledones ; the stem- 

 plants to Monocotyledones ; the leaf-plants to Dicoiyledones 

 apetalcs; and the flower-plants to Dicoiyledones monopetake 

 and polypetaltp. 



Each of these forms a circle, which, in its turn, is affected 

 by the four above-named physiological influences, whence 

 every circle is divided into four others, which are, in their 

 turn, again sab-divided upon the -same principle. 



2 B 2 



