368 On the Doctrine of 



declared by Oken himself, who calls the foliage of his stem- 

 plants blatt, while he distinguishes other leaves by the name 

 of laub. Unfortunately, however, the difference which 

 these gentlemen suppose to exist between leaves and leafy 

 dilatations absolutely amount to nothing. Undoubtedly 

 there is an apparently different distribution of the veins of 

 the Matt and the laub, those of the former running in nearly 

 parallel lines from the base to the apex of the lamina.^ while 

 those of the latter have a reticulated appearance ; but this 

 seeming difference depends upon nothing more than the 

 angle at which what Mr. Lindley calls vencB primarioi 

 diverge from the axis of the leaf, and is accompanied by 

 no physiological distinctions. The function, insertion, and 

 whole economy of the leaves of the stem-plants are, as far 

 as we know, identical with those of other leaves, and besides, 

 this peculiar mode of formation is not confined to them, but 

 exists equally in Melastomacece. But, says Mr. Bischoff, 

 the leaves of the stem-plants form one mass with the trunk, 

 and are not separated from it by any articulation. This 

 is false in fact, — the leaves of both Orchideae and Cycadeae 

 being articulated with their stem. What then becomes 

 of the first characteristic of this kingdom of Professor 

 Oken ? The flower is also said to be kept back ; the 

 flower of the Liliaceae, and Amaryllideae the most fully 

 developed in all nature, to be imperfectly evolved ; those 

 of Palms, the mass of which frequently weighs an hun- 

 dred weight, to be kept back. Surely nothing need be 

 said upon this point. As to the supposed amalgamation 

 of the calyx and corolla, if true, this would form no 

 ground of distinction, for plenty of instances of the same 

 kind are to be found in other plants ; we are told, however, 

 that the flowers of stem-plants are only analogous to those 

 of other vegetables. The last proposition we have to con- 

 sider is, that the vascular system is but imperfectly commu- 

 nicated to the leaves. As this is a repetition of the first 

 proposition in another form, we might dispense with dwell- 

 ing upon it, if it did not seem to show yet further the utter 

 worthlessness of Oken's whole definition of stem-plants. 

 It is said that the vascular system is but imperfectly com- 

 municated to their leaves ; and yet it is remarkable enough 

 that it is the abundance and perfection of this very vascular 

 system in these plants that gives tenacity to the leaves of 

 various grasses ; that supplies the coarse cordage obtained in 

 the tropics from certain Palms ; that forms those beautiful 

 handkerchiefs, emulating the finest muslin, which are manu- 



