X 



THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COEOR.* 



The colors exhibited by the roots, stems, 

 leaves and flowers of plants must have been 

 used by man as distinguishing marks in the 

 selection of food at quite an early stage in his 

 development. Doubtless masses and combi- 

 nations of the cruder colors afforded gratifi- 

 cation to his dawning sense of the beautiful 

 in these earlier times. Later he became im- 

 bued with the idea that man was the center Early views 

 of the universe and that everything, plants 

 included, was meant to bear a good or evil 

 relation to the human race. In the deter- 

 mination of the aspect of any plant, color 

 and form w^ere taken into account, and were 

 held to be indicative of magical curative or 

 poisonous properties. 



* Adapted from "The Physiology of Color in Plants," Pop- 

 ular Science Monthly, May, 1896. 



