166 LIVING PLANTS 



The last-named aspect of plant colors re- 

 ceived its greatest attention during the prev- 

 alence of the practices of the Grecian Rhizo- 

 tonioi and Pharmakopoli, and later in the 

 ''doctrine of signatures." The doctrine of 

 signatures supposed that the color and form 

 of plants indicated their relations, good or 

 evil, to the human race, in reference to which 

 they were especially created. This crude su- 

 perstition attained greatest favor in the six- 

 teenth century, and is still prevalent in obscure 

 form among the lower classes in certain por- 

 tions of Europe. The use of colors as a dis- 

 tinguishing mark between species, families, 

 and groups began quite early in the history 

 of attempts at classification, and still forms 

 a minor character in modern systems. 



A consideration of the plant as an independ- 

 ent organism, and of colors with respect to 

 Sprengers the possible uses to the species forming them 



was first given by Konrad Sprengel near the 

 close of the eighteenth centur3\ In his won- 

 derful hook, Das Entdeckte Geheimniss derNa- 

 tur im Baa und der Befrachtung der B lumen, 

 published in 1793, he brought out the view 

 that the colors of flowers are for the pur- 

 pose of attracting animals which would 

 carry pollen from one individual to another. 



The facts involved interest many classes of 

 naturalists, and observations have been ex- 



discoveries 



