THE EVOLUTION OF PLANTS 



CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTION THE DARWINIAN THEORY 



NATURE OF THE EVIDENCE THE FOSSIL 



RECORD 



THE doctrine of Evolution is an attempt to 

 answer the question, "What was the origin of all 

 the multitude of forms of living animals and 

 plants which now people the earth?" This 

 question, so natural to ask, was long regarded 

 by the majority of competent naturalists as 

 insoluble. 



Though we cannot, in the nature of things, 

 have any direct knowledge of the origin of 

 nature species (i. e. .the different kinds of wild 

 plants and animals), yet there are a great many 

 familiar and often very distinct forms of living 

 things, of which we do know the history, in 

 whole or in part. These are our cultivated plants 

 whole or in part. These are our cultivated 

 plants and domestic animals. We know, for 

 example (to confine ourselves to the plants), 

 that our Roses and Tulips, Potatoes and Pars- 

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