40 PHYSIOLOGICAL BOTANY. PART II. 



placed between some sheets of paper for the purpose of 

 being dried for the herbarium, threw out a multitude 

 of minute bulbs from all parts of its surface. He con- 

 cludes that each separate bulb was only a more deve- 

 loped state of a single cell, and hence lie would draw 

 die inference that each cell must be a distinct individual. 

 But if this conclusion were admitted, the same thing 

 might be asserted of every organ which produces an 

 embryo of any kind. It would perhaps have been more 

 logical to have considered each cell as an embryonic 

 sac, capable of originating a distinct individual of the 

 same complicated form and structure of which it was 

 itself only a subordinate organ. If each vesicle were 

 an individual plant, its offspring if we argue from 

 analogy ought to resemble itself, and to be a vesicle 

 and not a bud with a complicated arrangement of 

 parts representing in miniature the several organs of the 

 entire plant. This hypothesis of the individuality of 

 each vesicle according to our acceptance of the term 

 appears to be untenable. 



(237-) Individuality of Buds. A second hypo- 

 thesis considers each bud as a separate individual, pos- 

 sessed of a vitality independent? of that of the whole 

 plant. This view is considerably supported by the 

 great analogy which exists between the structure of 

 a plant considered in this light and that of some of 

 the lower tribes of animals. The reproduction of po- 

 lypi is effected by means of little bud-like protuber- 

 ances on their surface, which having attained a cer- 

 tain degree of development quit the body of the parent 

 and become separate individuals. Thus also if the 

 buds on the stem of a tree are removed and treated 

 with proper precaution, they will grow and become 

 trees themselves. Some buds are detached by a natural 

 process, and the plant is ordinarily propagated by this 

 means. Thus the death and decay of the orange lily 

 (Liliinii InUiifi-nnn} causes the little bulbs which are 

 produced in the axils of its leaves to detach from the 

 stem ; and these upon falling to the ground become 



