66 THE PHENOMENON OF 



of the formations by comparison of external forms, which, 

 from the multiformity prevailing in the vegetable kingdom, 

 is an endless task ; for the true characteristic of the forma- 

 tions must be at the same time an inward one : it must 

 comprehend the outward product in its relation to the 

 inner vital tendencies, entering into conflict with the 

 external world, and thereby endeavour to represent to 

 us the developmental history of vegetable life according 

 to the inner causes leading through all the external com- 

 plications. That the above short description of the leaf- 

 formations can make no claim to such a character as this, 

 need not be said ; it is merely intended to bring forward 

 a few peculiarities calculated to make evident the regular 

 alternation of rise and fall in the course of metamorphosis, 

 its successive "accessions" or "flights" (Aufscliwunge), 

 which we desire to examine here as phenomena of Reju- 

 venescence. The peculiarities which we have chiefly to 

 keep in view here are, the relative size of the leaf in 

 general ; then, in particular, the breadth of the base in 

 proportion to the circumference of the stem ; the height 

 or length of the leaf ; the development in breadth above 

 the base (the lamination), and its opposite, the contraction 

 into stalk -formation, on the contrasted proportions of 

 which chiefly depend the further working out of the 

 forms of leaves ; finally, the solidity or delicacy, and the 

 persistence or caducity. Even the most superficial ex- 

 amination reveals clearly that the path through the 

 formations from " stock" to flower, and again from flower 

 to fruit, does not ascend uniformly, that it does not 

 exhibit either an uniform decrease in the perfection of 

 the organs, or an uniformly increasing refinement of their 

 structure. The assumption of a single rise and fall in 

 the perfecting of the leaf-formations, the highest point of 

 which should fall in the middle (the euphyllary formation), 

 is equally opposed to experience, for even the flower, and 

 still more the fruit, contradicts this view.* It is, indeed, 



* Agardh goes so far on this false hypothesis, as to regard the higher 



