75 



An Interpretation of Qoethe's Blatt in his " Metamorphose 



der Pfianzen ", as an Explanation of the Principle 



of Natural Classification"^ 



By 



BuNZo Hayata 



Since my return from Tonkin (Indo-Cliina), in August 1917, I have been 

 reflecting on- the principle of natural classification to which my attention was 

 drawn dming the score of years that I devoted to the study of the flora of 

 lormosa. CuiTent opinion demands that natural classification be based on 

 the evohition theory, and consequently that the classification of plants should 

 be in accordance with the phylogenetic tree. Much against my will, I have 

 come to entertain stroug doubts as to the correctness of this principle, so 

 generally accepted by modern systematizers ; for my twenty years' esperience 

 in systematic botany has steadily led me into quite a different channel of 

 thought. This I now venture to make pubhc, although I am aware that it will 

 meet with a great deal of opposition. When studying the principles laid down 

 by great authors such as Darwin, Haeckei,, Engler, Hallier and others,** 



* I mast ask my renders' inclulgence for the fact that this study was -w-ritten before I had 

 seen the most imjwrtant literature bearing on the subject. I refer to Hansen, Adolph : — Goethes 

 Metamorphose der Pflanzen (Geschichte einer Botanischen Hypothese), 1907. 



** Among the literature -«-hich treats of the principle of natural claasification, I may men- 

 tion the following works : — 



Daewin, C. — On the Origin of Species, (New York, 1890) ; Divei^ence of Character, and the 

 Probable Effects of the Action of Natural Selection through Divej^nce of Character anrt Extinc- 

 tion, on the Descemlants of a Common Ancestor, I. c. pp. 86-97 ; CLi.ssiflcation, 1. c. pp. 363-381. 



Haeckel, E. — Prinziiiien der Generellen Morphologie der Organismen (Berlin, 1906) ; Das 

 natiirhche System als Stammbaum (Prinzipien der Klassifikation), 1. c. p. 390. 



Engleb, A. — Erliiuterungen zu der tjbersicht iiber die Embryophyta Siphonogama, in den 

 Naturlichen PflanzenfamiUen, Nachtritgen zum II.-1V. Teil, (1897), pp. 358-380. 



, — . — Prinzipien der Systematischen Anordnung, im Syllabus der P flanzenfnmilien 



siebente Auflage, Berlin, 1212. 



Haluer, H. — Provi.sionaI Scheme of the Natural (Phylc^enetic) System of Flowering Plants, 

 in the New Phytologist, Vol. IV., No. 7. July, 1905. 



■ , — . — Ein zweiter Entwurf des n.aturlichen (phylogenetischen) Systems der Bluten- 



pflnnzen, in den Berichte der Deutschen Bot. GeseUsch. XXIII., 2, pp. 85-91. 



liOTSY, .T. P. — VortrSge iiber Botanische Stammesgeschichte, I., Jena, (1907). 



Wettrtein, E. — Handbuch der Systematischen Botanik (Zweite Auflage, 1911) ; Allgemeiner 

 Teil, I. c. pp. 1-49. 



