The basal part of the so wounded leaves underwent no change 
when it remained in connection with the rhizome. If, however, 
shortly before, it had been separated from it, the lower piece behaved 
like a cut entire leaf. White currents here also appear; they however 
only begin at some distance below the lesion as fine lines and, 
growing thicker, pass all into the leaf-stalk. At the lower end of 
this latter the accumulation of white protoplasm then takes place. 
The very sharp antithesis between the phenomena below and 
above the wound, again furnishes a striking proof of the existence 
of the basipetal impulse and of its influence on the white plasm. 
With regard to the origin of this plasm it must be remembered 
that all organs during their growth always contain a large quantity 
of such plasm at their top. Behind it, when growth has been com- 
pleted, it is clear and contains in leaves and rhizomes a very great 
number of chlorophylgrains. When an organ stops growing, the 
white top soon disappears. 
For this reason and on account of its appearance, | compared 
already formerly ') this fine-granulated, turbid protoplasm to that which 
fills the meristem-cells in higher plants. 
Hence Caulerpa possesses, notwithstanding its being unicellular, a 
“meristem-plasm” which, however, is only to be found during growth 
and in the growing tops. After the growth has ceased it disappears, 
which disappeareance must be regarded as a mixing up with the 
remaining protoplasm *). 
The experiments now showed that after serious lesion this meristem- 
plasm is secreted again (which can take place evidently in all points 
of the leaf), after which it unites to currents of increasing thickness 
and flows together at the organic base. 
On the thus formed white spots the rootlets are produced, while 
the rhizomes take their origin in the immediate vicinity of them, 
mostly on the transition of the white spot to the dark green part, 
but still within reach of the white currents, So both arise in conse- 
quence of the resulting descending current after the lesion. 
Hence the rootlets and rhizomes derive their meristem-plasm from 
the same confluent, turbid protoplasm and therefore this latter may 
in itself be regarded as meristem-plasm. 
Although the source of the meristem-plasm of rootlets and rhizomes 
Ae cp. 203: 
*) Such a secretion of meristem-plasm from the protoplasm of the cell and its 
resolution in it, has recently been described by Nout for a closely related plant 
(Bryopsis); cf.: Beobachtungen und Betrachtungen über embryonale Substanz; 
Biologisches Centralblatt, 1903, No 8. 
